At a Glance
- Tasks: Join our team to provide exceptional care for small animals in a supportive environment.
- Company: Bramble & Bear, an independent and forward-thinking veterinary practice.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, generous holiday, uncapped CPD budget, and private healthcare.
- Other info: Enjoy a friendly team culture with social events and beautiful outdoor activities nearby.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in pets' lives while developing your skills in a dynamic setting.
- Qualifications: Experience in routine surgical procedures and a passion for animal care.
The predicted salary is between 40000 - 80000 £ per year.
Join the supportive team at Bramble & Bear as we grow our independent, forward-thinking practice with the launch of our brand-new Hospital and Rehab Centre.
About Us
Matt and I (Hannah) began our journey just over three years ago when a shared passion for veterinary medicine and providing exceptional care to both pets and their owners drove us to open Bramble and Bear. As vets who have managed several practices between us, we wanted to bring the best aspects of our experiences in practice together with all the fantastic ideas we hadn’t been able to implement. Our goal was to create a forward-thinking practice and foster an environment where everyone can thrive and enjoy their work.
The hospital will feature two fully equipped theatres, a dedicated dental suite, and an imaging suite equipped with DR X-ray, Doppler ultrasound, and endoscopy, allowing us to treat most cases in-house. In keeping with our Fear-Free accreditation, we’re also creating separate cat and dog wards to ensure a calm, stress-free environment for all our patients, as well as an outdoor space for inpatients and our team to enjoy fresh air and a moment of calm during recovery or downtime. Being situated on a working farm provides a peaceful atmosphere, and it’s great to have the farm shop and café next door if we fancy a treat for lunch.
Alongside the hospital, our Rehab Centre will offer advanced rehabilitation services, including an underwater treadmill, hydrotherapy, and a dedicated physiotherapy space. These facilities will allow us to support pets through post-operative recovery, chronic pain management, and mobility issues—all under one roof.
We aim to care for every pet and client with compassion, expertise, and at an affordable price. That’s why we’re transparent with our pricing—offering free consultations and fixed-cost hospitalisation and surgery. It’s helped us build strong, trusting relationships with our clients, who appreciate knowing exactly what to expect. Once the Hospital opens, our team will be on-site 24/7, allowing us to offer those free consultations around the clock and making a real difference to our clients and the local community.
Our Team
I enjoy all aspects of small animal work, but I am particularly interested in internal medicine, ECC, and cardiology, while Matt enjoys soft-tissue surgeries, including BOAS and hiatal hernias. We're both currently working towards our ECC certificates. Matt also loves mentoring and even took a break from clinical work to complete his teaching degree. His support has been invaluable to Iona, who joined us as a new graduate in 2024, and we’re excited to be welcoming Grace to the team when she graduates this July. We also have regular visits from an orthopaedic surgeon to perform any fracture repairs or cruciate surgeries in-house.
We had previously worked with Anna, our Head Nurse, and were so pleased she shared our ethos and was willing to start this journey with us. Anna has many years of experience and has recently completed her certificate in feline nursing. We are an accredited nurse training practice, with a team of 3 RVNs and 1 SVN.
“Here at Bramble and Bear, we see a large, varied caseload in an idyllic setting. We are well-equipped for a variety of emergency and critical care cases, and as a team, we strive to give the best possible patient and client care. We enrol new clients and patients daily, and no two days are ever the same.”
The team enjoys a challenge, but also has a laugh along the way. We are complimented on our professional and personal touches, and this is what makes us truly stand out as a lovely place to work.”
Grace RVN
“I enjoy working at Bramble and Bear as there is always something new to learn here. They see a large variety of cases, which keeps each day different, and everyone in the team gets to be involved. The team are very welcoming and we all get on like a little family. The values that Hannah and Matt have created for Bramble and Bear shine through every day to make the practice open to everyone and to uphold really high standards.”
About the Role
As our journey continues, we are looking for a fifth vet to join us. Ideally, you will have some experience and be confident in performing routine surgical procedures. Support is always available if you need to chat through a case or to provide an extra pair of hands as you build your confidence in more complex surgeries. We will encourage you to follow your interests and have the varied caseload needed to support certificates, if you would like to pursue one.
Our vets work a 4-day week (8.30-6.30), and our days are a mix of consults and operating, so there is plenty of time to hone your skills. We currently provide our own out-of-hours service, shared on a 1-in-4 weekend and one weeknight on-call basis. The weekend includes your Saturday consult shift (9-12), which is reserved for non-routine or urgent cases only. Thanks to our free daytime consultations, out-of-hours work is typically very manageable—usually just one or two advice calls per week—and if there are no inpatients, you’ll be able to be on-call from home, only attending the practice if needed. Once the hospital opens and our dedicated night team is in place, there will be no on-call requirements.
Outside of Work
We're a friendly bunch who love getting together outside work to catch up and unwind. Whether it's enjoying a well-deserved drink at the local pub, exploring the great outdoors with our canine crew (feel free to borrow one of ours!), or celebrating the festive season with our annual Christmas party. As our team grows, we look forward to even more social events and creating lasting memories together.
The Staffordshire Moorlands are perfect for walking and cycling, and you can enjoy incredible views from the nearby craggy rocks of the Roaches, which overlook Leek and Tittesworth Reservoir, where you can go sailing or kayaking. Stoke-on-Trent is one of the greenest cities in the UK, with many green spaces and parks, including Westport Lake and Park Hall Country Park. There are excellent transport links, with Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham easily reached in an hour, and for thrill seekers, Alton Towers is just 20 minutes away.
We Offer
- A salary of £40,000 to £80,000, depending on experience
- 5.6 weeks’ holiday, including bank holidays
- Uncapped CPD budget, with certificates supported and funded
- Professional fees paid for RCVS, VDS & BVA/BSAVA
- Bupa private healthcare
If you want to be part of our exciting adventure and build a rewarding career, we'd love to hear from you. Give us a call for an informal chat, or apply now.
Small Animal Veterinary Surgeon employer: Bramble and Bear Vet Care
At Bramble & Bear, we pride ourselves on being a supportive and forward-thinking veterinary practice that prioritises both employee well-being and professional growth. Our idyllic location on a working farm not only offers a peaceful atmosphere but also fosters a strong sense of community among our team, with ample opportunities for socialising and collaboration. With a commitment to continuous learning, an uncapped CPD budget, and a varied caseload, we ensure that every member of our team can thrive in their career while enjoying a fulfilling work-life balance.
