A RUNNER-UP in Lord Alan Sugar's annual hunt to find the best young business minds in the country visited Fuller's Chiswick HQ to further her skills.

Lucy Beauvallet, who came second in the most recent series of Young Apprentice, spent a day with the Griffin Brewery's finest on Tuesday (12) to learn more about the leisure and hospitality business.

Lucy, 17, who already runs her own cupcake business, was particularly interested in the retail side of the company, which operates over 380 pubs and hotels across the South of England.

As part of her busy schedule, Lucy met with sixth-generation member of the founding Fuller family, Richard Fuller, as well as Managing Director of Fuller’s Inns, Jonathon Swaine. Following a whistle-stop tour of the brewery site, Lucy was whisked into Central London to meet some more of the team at one of Fuller’s flagship Ale & Pie pubs, The Old Bank of England, including the pub’s General Manager Jo Farquhar and Fuller’s Head of Food, Paul Dickinson.

Lucy, who lives in Brighton and is currently studying for five A-Levels, said afterwards: "My day with the team at Fuller's was a wonderful insight into a vibrant company. There are such a variety of professions involved in operating a successful hospitality business such as this, so it's definitely worth looking at if you’re just starting in the world of work."

Mr Swaine, added: “My children were very jealous that I was going to meet Lucy, as she is something of a celebrity in our house. However, aside from that I was incredibly impressed by Lucy when I met her. She has a keen interest in our industry and a very sharp eye for business so I look forward to tracking her career closely. Who knows, we may get to work together one day.”