It is hard to believe, but it has been 30 years since Boutinot’s Leann Flint first walked through our doors. To celebrate this milestone, we sat down with her to chat about the good old days, how she got here, and what it’s been like watching Boutinot grow from a small company supplying a handful of restaurants into the global business it is today.

Before she was a cornerstone of our team, Leann learned her customer service trade in the travel industry, tackling a brutal 80 calls a day. A move to a job at Owners Abroad (later First Choice) meant she was working at Manchester Airport. She loved the buzz of the airport back then, suited and booted, working 12-hour shifts helping excited holidaymakers. When she was made redundant her mum told her to get straight back out there. always the hard worker, she did exactly that. A recruitment agency found her a temporary job at a wine importer called Boutinot, located in a rather gritty-looking office in Reddish. Her mum drove her there, took one look at the building, and said, “Leann, you can’t work here”. Thankfully, Leann didn’t judge a book by its cover. She showed up that Monday morning, and the team made her feel right at home.  

The Ultimate ‘Temp’ Success Story

When Leann started, things were incredibly manual. There were barely any computers, and orders were taken over the phone and written down by hand. Her first task as a temp was to clear a backlog of hundreds of samples—a job that she felt had defeated a few temps before her! Leann aced it, and her temporary contract kept getting extended. Leann was offered a permanent job at an insurance company just as Boutinot was going through a management buyout (to become the company it is today). When she told Michael Moriarty (Boutinot’s Commercial Director) that she might have to leave, he said “Please don’t leave. Give me a week till the buyout is finalised.” He kept his word, a week later, called her in and handed her a contract and history was made: Leann is famously the only employee Michael has ever personally hired himself!

Going Full Circle

As Boutinot grew, so did Leann’s career. Having grown up in a village pub in Lower Peover,  working around drinks felt like a natural fit. She moved from order processing to handling more complex shipping orders, eventually training across both national and international customer service teams. When the business expanded and moved to Gatley, a new challenge came knocking. The Brewers team needed someone who could hit the ground running and handle direct deals and marketing support. They explicitly asked for Leann because she knew the complex systems inside and out.

Here’s to the Next 10 Years!

A lot has changed over three decades. Leann has seen the company scale up massively, and she’s shared countless personal highs and lows with colleagues who became lifelong friends. When she hit her 20-year milestone. MD Dennis Whitely sat her down in his office and said, “I know things are changing, but I don’t want you going anywhere. Can you do me another 10 years?” Now, 30 years later, she is still here. And Dennis’s reaction to her 30th anniversary? “You can do another 10 years to get to 40!”

For Leann, the best part of the job is the people – she sees her relationships with her customers, understanding their challenges, and being a constant at the other end of the phone or inbox, is key to giving great customer service. Relationships within the Boutinot team are fundamental to the culture too and she loves to see old and new colleagues sharing knowledge and new ideas. 

And as for wine, her favourite drop is fittingly from a producer who has worked with Boutinot for as long as she has been here,  Cave de Turckheim and their delicious Grand Cru Brand Gewurztraminer.

Congratulations on 30 incredible years, Leann! Thank you for everything you do—and yes, we are holding you to that 40-year promise!