As part of Skip the Queue’s mini-series celebrating 90 years of BALPPA, Andy Povey is joined by Cassie Poland, Joint Managing Director of Drusillas Park, to discuss the story behind a family-run attraction that has evolved from a tea cottage into a zoo and ride park. Cassie shares her journey from working across the park to leading the business with her family, as well as the challenges of running multiple types of attractions across three sites. They also explore Cassie’s role in BALPPA, becoming its first female Chair, and her vision for the association’s future.
In this episode of Skip the Queue, Andy Povey is joined by Cassie Poland, Joint Managing Director of Drusillas Park in East Sussex.
Drusillas started life in the 1920s as a tea cottage where motorists could stop on their way through the Downs. A hundred years on it's a zoo and a ride park on the same ten-acre site, and it's been in the Smith family since Cassie's parents, Laurence and Christine, bought it in 1997.
In 2022 Cassie took over as joint managing director alongside her brother Ollie. Their sister Caroline runs Amazon Adventure in Tunbridge Wells, the soft play centre the family opened in 2024. And this April they acquired Urban Jump, a trampoline park in Heathfield, reopening it rebranded as Go Wild! and reopened on the fourth of July.
Cassie is also BALPPA's first female Vice Chair - which means she'll become its first female Chair.
They talk about running a zoo and a ride park as one business, going from one site to three, and what she wants to do with the chairmanship when it comes.
This episode is part of Skip the Queue’s mini-series celebrating 90 years of BALPPA, looking at the people and businesses shaping the UK attractions industry.
Show references:
Cassie Poland — Managing Director, Drusillas Park
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Credits:
Written by Laura Baxter (YourCMO)
Edited by Steve Folland
Produced by Emily Burrows and Sami Entwistle (Plaster)
Andy Povey: Today's episode is part of our miniseries celebrating 90 years of BALPPA, looking at the people and businesses shaping the UK theme park industry today. I'm joined by Cassie Poland, who's joint managing director at Drusilla's Park in East Sussex. Welcome to Skip the Queue, the podcast for the incredible people working in business attractions. Brought to you by Merac. I'm your host, Andy Povey.
Cassie Poland: It actually started as a tea rooms, but very quickly added some animals for interest to make the tea room different to the other tea rooms up the road and the competition. And then the zoo grew from there, really. So it's the zoo, really, that is the heart of Drusillas. The play sort of evolved from there and then much later rides as well. But it's wonderful because those three sort of core pillars of the business, they're all very different. But. But it makes a really fun day out for families, for young families. We celebrated 100 years last year in 2025, which was really amazing thing to be part of.
Andy Povey: We took my girls there, I think, to their sixth birthday a few years ago now. We had well of a time. The only negative element was that they were scared of Chase from Paw Patrol. He was too big and scary.
Cassie Poland: Do you know what? That's actually often the case with events and with character costum. You know, children see these characters on TV and they watch them all the time and they, you know, they adore them. And then they get there and because they are costume characters, they're much bigger than they are on the tv.
Andy Povey: Absolutely.
Cassie Poland: And then suddenly they're like, I don't like it. And then parents are like, well, I've queued up for quite a long time. Here we are going to meet them. I am going to get a photo.
Andy Povey: To be fair to Paw Patrol, we had a very similar experience with Peppa Pig at Paultons Park.
Cassie Poland: Yes. I'm.
Andy Povey: 101 Years old and it started as a tea room. You've obviously not been working with Drusillas for 100 years. No.
Cassie Poland: Oh, I've got very good Botox. No, yeah, it did start as a tea room. It was right in the middle of Eastbourne and Brighton. The location was amazing and we still are situated exactly the same place. We haven't moved, but it's along the A27, so it's still a really good location. And amazingly, it was at the time when cars, you know, 1925 cars were starting to become popular and people in households were buying cars and really their experience was, you Know, let's go out on a. On a trip and on a day trip, literally just use the car. Let's go from one place to another. And Drusilla's tea room was the perfect stop right in between that. So it was a massive success. And then lots of other tea rooms came up after that.
Cassie Poland: And because of that competition, that led Captain Ann, who owned it at the time, to add a few animals to make his tea room slightly different to another one that was successful. Very successful. So much so that he had numerous people come and chat to him about the business model, one of them being the landowner of what is now Chessington.
Andy Povey: Oh, wow.
Cassie Poland: Yes. So that's how that sort of began, really, with that sort of model.
Andy Povey: So your parents bought drusillas back in 97, was it?
Cassie Poland: Yeah.
Andy Povey: Which means you must have grown up there.
Cassie Poland: Yeah. So I was 14 when my parents acquired the park and so I grew up with it in the background during my sort of teenage years. But we did visit fairly regularly as a family when were much younger. And actually I've got video footage, like home videos at the time.
Andy Povey: Cine film.
Cassie Poland: Yeah. Of us, me, Caroline and Ollie. They're my siblings in the park playing, looking at the animals. And when I look back now, it's quite surreal, I think, you know, I'm looking at this little girl thinking, you know, little do you know, what's the connection with the place that you're at and what your future holds? Yeah, it's a weird thing, but absolutely fantastic, though. Yeah. But I had also been on many school visits there as well, so when my parents told us, were very excited. We did know it fairly well and were, yeah, super excited. After university, I started. I was doing recruitment. I was a recruitment consultant and did that for a while. And then I think naturally, the. Just the conversation came up with my mum and dad about working at Drusilla's.
Cassie Poland: It's, you know, would I ever be interested in being evolved? I mean, I feel so lucky that there was never any pressure to join Drusilla's for all three of us. It was just something that if we wanted to do, it was there and if not, then that was fine. And I think that is definitely the best way to be. To pressurise children into family businesses is, you know, disastrous, in my opinion, and just. Just doesn't work. So this conversation was happening. I wasn't 100% sure, which I. Whether I actually wanted to work on site. That felt quite scary for me. But we actually ended up talking about Setting up a business under the Drusilla's brand and umbrella, which was sort of, this is a long time ago now, but sort of educational toys and products and actually we're thinking about a physical shop.
Cassie Poland: So went, we looked around, saw some sites, did some number crunching, thought about it, and it was at the time when online shopping was really sort of taking off and we ended up making a decision, thinking, I just don't think this is the right time and I don't think it's right for us.
Andy Povey: Not the right time to get your bricks and mortar retail.
Cassie Poland: No. And actually looking back, you know, you look back now and you can see like the absolute explosion of online shopping and the really sad decline of, like, High Streets. That was definitely, you know, the best decision for us. But by that point then I was quite keen to join Drusilla's and, you know, that, that path didn't actually happen, but I was engaged in it. So I did take the decision to join as an employee and sort of just be at the park. I started off in the shops and then I did a year in the warehouse as stock control and stacking boxes and then, yeah, over the next eight years, spent time working in different departments and learning the whole business, really.
Cassie Poland: I did lots of time in education and marketing to sections that I was there for many years and then slowly started working closer with my parents. But going into a business where your mum and dad are the boss, that was quite. Yeah, an unusual experience. And everyone goes silent when you enter the staff room.
Andy Povey: Shush, Cassie's coming.
Cassie Poland: Yeah, exactly. I think everyone thinks you get a snitch on them. Yeah, yeah, yeah, that was quite. Yeah, that was sort of the worst bit. It was quite. Not worrying, but, yeah, it was uncomfortable, I think, to start with.
Andy Povey: But obviously you came through all of that. It's you and your brother as joint managing directors, that your job titles.
Cassie Poland: Right, yeah.
Andy Povey: So how do you split that up? Do you each do half a week or does some. One of you look after certain bits and the other after others?
Cassie Poland: Or do you know what, originally when we set out, we sort of had this idea that were going to sort of split it, overseeing departments. So, you know, me sort of looking after estate marketing, education and Ollie overseeing sort of the zoo finance. But in reality we share the same office and we just talk about everything and we just work so well together that actually there are some things that, yeah, each of us just make a decision on and others. Other times we discuss it and, you know, we make A joint decision. So actually it's quite fluid and it's quite organic, really. We don't split it very sort of structurally. That is what we intended to do naturally. It just hasn't worked like that. And the way that we've sort of worked together just flows.
Andy Povey: No, I suppose you obviously know your brother very well. You must get to the point where you can times out of 10 Imagine what his response is going to be to any question him. The same with you.
Cassie Poland: Yeah. And that is, you know, that's the thing that I absolutely love about working with my family. You know, we do know each other really well. We are very close. I know that's not always the way with families and families businesses, but we are. And I do know them inside out. And, you know, we really know each other's strengths, our weaknesses. We know how we react under pressure. I know how he might deal with something. And sometimes I'll say, look, I'm gonna step in and do this, you know, and take it away from you, or vice versa. I know what he loves doing and I leave it to him. And I just think that really enables us to support each other and we can be very honest and open with each other, too.
Cassie Poland: And that goes for Caroline as well, who's our sister, and she doesn't work at Drusilla's, but she works on our sister site, Amazon Adventure, which is a soft play that we took over two years ago. And that's been amazing. And we work really well, and that support is, you know, between the three of us, you know, the thing that makes us so happy.
Andy Povey: So how far away is Amazon Adventure?
Cassie Poland: Amazon is about 50 minutes away from Drusillas in Tunbridge Wells to the north. We opened that two years ago, took that on, and that was sort of not a reaction, but I guess a little bit of a reaction and a want to look for and to support Drusillas in the wetter, quieter, naturally quieter months of the winter and rainy times. And we found that and we took that opportunity and it was just the right size for us to test the waters without damaging Drusillas or if it had gone wrong, you know, hurting Drusillas. And that's been fantastic and that's really, yeah, been a great acquisition. So we then wanted to sort of look at something else. And in June this year, we took on a trampoline park to again support the winter months.
Cassie Poland: So those two things together will hopefully really support the wider business and support Drusillas over the, you know, the tough Seasons, which we all experience when we've got, you know, outdoor attractions.
Andy Povey: Yeah, I mean, we talk about the weather all the time, don't we? We're English, so we talk about the weather by default and we work in tourist attractions, which just exacerbates it.
Cassie Poland: Exactly, yeah.
Andy Povey: So I like the idea, diversifying what you're doing to give you that year round approach to what is a very seasonal business.
Cassie Poland: Yeah, absolutely.
Andy Povey: And I assume Drusilla. Drusilla's is open every day.
Cassie Poland: It is, yeah. Drusilla's is open every single day of the year, apart from three days, Christmas. Over Christmas, Apart from those three days. And we have, you know, we've toyed with the idea of sort of closing over the quieter months. But because the zoo is such a big part of our operation, it's the largest department in terms of staffing. Animal costs are still there, the veterinary costs are still there. Those costs don't go away and we can't shut that down like you can when you close a ride and catering units and you can send a staff home. That doesn't happen with the zoo. So it just doesn't really work for us. So we do keep open all year and the small bit of money that you know that we do.
Cassie Poland: But you definitely, it's definitely helpful having somewhere that people flock to when it's raining and cold.
Andy Povey: So juicy. This is very diverse zoo, a theme park, some indoor play or sock play. How difficult is it to market that?
Cassie Poland: I don't know. I think they're amazingly fun products to market.
Andy Povey: Yeah, perfect then. So easy is the answer.
Cassie Poland: Yeah, you know, it is. I think I also feel really lucky in the fact that, you know, we are working with a product and service which is really fun. You know, it's really engaging. We're working with animals, families, and most of the time people are having an absolutely wonderful day out. They're creating memories with their families. They're doing amazing experiences in the park. They want to share that. And that's the most amazing thing about sort of social media and, you know, that evolution really is that people are doing lots of marketing for us and for attractions.
Andy Povey: Yeah.
Cassie Poland: But it is an amazing product to market and, you know, to create brands for as well. And, you know, we have used Drusilla's as the basis when we've looked at Amazon Adventure and Go Wild. You know, they are both sort of connected in some way in terms of the Amazon and wilds. You know, with Drusillas, that's what we're trying to do. And, you know, one of the reasons why we felt like it was they're both relatively close to Drusilla's. Go Wild is in the middle. So Amazon Adventure is Tunbridge Wells and then Go Wild is Heathfield and that's about 20 minutes away from Drusillas. So they're in a great location. We can really support in terms of using sort of our marketing and our estate team, some operations, health and safety, that sort of thing.
Cassie Poland: And it also means that we can, you know, advertise and market on site as well. And cross advertising with whole cross promotion. Absolutely, absolutely. And that was, you know, one of the things that we felt that we could really increase visitor numbers to the trampoline park because we had that customer base there.
Andy Povey: Would I, as a consumer know the Amazon or the trampoline park are part of the Drusillas family or not?
Cassie Poland: Hopefully, yeah. Mainly at site. So there's lots of information there on site about Drusillas. We actually created a new logo which is part of the Drusillas family. We have got a specific logo and then lots of. Lots of this. And we're just doing this with Go Worlds at the moment, but lots of cross promotion, so lots of benefits if you visit one and, you know, visit the other. And just on site advertising as well, highlighting the other places we have.
Andy Povey: Let's talk about regulation for a moment. It's not top of my list of things to talk about, but you're regulated by, as a theme park with all the ride safety criteria and then there's a zoo.
Cassie Poland: Yeah, it's a lot.
Andy Povey: Double regulation. I'd want to run away. Double fouls.
Cassie Poland: Yeah. Look, it takes a lot of time and a lot of commitment, mainly from our amazing teams, particularly our zoo team.
Andy Povey: Yeah.
Cassie Poland: And obviously our operations and estate team and they work with the sort of ride inspections and maintenance. I mean, in terms of us as directors, we're involved in sort of like the preparation for major inspections. You know, get involved and work with the teams when we're preparing for that. But really the specialist department, the specialist information is, you know, the departments and the teams themselves take responsibility for preparing that information, making sure the required standards are met, records are in place and everyone's sort of fully prepared and they do an actual absolutely incredible job. But yeah, I mean, really compliance and these inspections, the inspections are obviously extremely important, but it is the day to day standards and cheques and working practises that are the most important thing. That's what really matters.
Cassie Poland: And the inspections, we really try to Treat as opportunity to demonstrate the amazing work that we do on a daily basis. And you know, in some cases we want to show off about it, you know, because we think that we do things really well and also use it as an opportunity to learn as well. That's also really important with inspections. There's always room for improvement. No one's perfect. And you really have got to treat those things as just an opportunity to get better at the things that you haven't done quite so well at. Yeah, it is a lot of time. The zoo world and zoo licencing is very strict and you know, it's. It does take a lot of time, but there's never a dull moment. Let's say that.
Andy Povey: You joined the management committee in 2021. You were only the fourth woman in the committee of 20, weren't you?
Cassie Poland: Yeah, I know, it's great to have a woman on the senior management team.
Andy Povey: So as vice chair, you're leading the strategy subcommittee. Can you share some of the things that you're working on now?
Cassie Poland: Yeah, I mean, actually the subcommittee has been great, really spending time thinking about the strategy, what we want to achieve in the next five years. Giving space for that has been really vital. And yeah, I actually love thinking about that and the changes that we can make. You know, BALPA has got an amazing community, got amazing history. We're 90 years old this year. People have been involved in the association for a long time and those connections are just invaluable. So it's coming from a really amazing base anyway. But obviously with associations, you know, there's always opportunities to evolve, improve and I think, you know, that's what the five year plan has been looking at. We're looking at communications. Currently we really are sort of in the middle of a new website, which is fantastic and much needed.
Cassie Poland: I think everyone would agree, really working out and making sure that we are listening to our members. You know, the association is sort of run by members for members and that's vital. So it's making sure that we are listening to them and evolving in the way that they want us to. It's definitely moving in the right direction. There's still lots to do. But you know, with associations, it's not like somebody's running the business, their own business. So you can't make necessarily really quick decisions all the time and make progress immediately because there's a big committee, you've got the members, there's a lots that needs to happen within that. So it does take a little bit Longer, but we're definitely on the right direction and it feels positive.
Andy Povey: The membership is really the strength of Baltburg, isn't it? As far as I'm concerned, the trade associate member. I've been in and around BALPA for about 20 years and I. I value it. It's a group of friends, I think.
Cassie Poland: Yeah, it really is. And I hear that all the time and that is what's amazing. That is the strength of BALPA, and that's what we've really got to nurture and that's what we've really got to hook onto and push forward with. Like I said, a lot of it is already there. Yeah. So it's just sort of making sure that, yeah, we keep progressing, we diversify, we evolve and, you know, we. We make sure ultimately that the association is strong, engaged and financially stable to continue to be there for the next. You know, we definitely want to get to a hundred and we want to be for there for another hundred as well.
Andy Povey: You know, maybe you or I won't be there at that point, but yeah, maybe. And when is it you take over as chair? Is that this year or next year?
Cassie Poland: January. Time is ticking.
Andy Povey: Looking forward to it or feeling slightly nervous?
Cassie Poland: Yeah, I think. Do you know what, When I was asked, I was. I was really taken aback. I really wasn't expecting it. I felt very privileged. But I did think, oh, no, I just don't know whether I can take this on. And there is quite a lot of responsibility and there are a lot of voices and a lot of people, a lot of opinions, lots of things that people want and you can't always do it straight away. And it's complicated and, you know, I run a very busy business and I've got young, you know, a young family, which I'm trying to juggle and everything else that life throws at you. Right. Everyone's lives are super busy. So I did think, oh, you know, mixed emotions. Don't know whether I'd take this on, whether I've got time for it and.
Cassie Poland: Because if I'm going to take it on, it want to, you know, I want to have an impact and I want to put effort into it. So I did think about it, but I thought, actually, you know, you don't get these opportunities and very often, let's go for it and I'll. I'll make time for it and I'll do my utmost to make a difference.
Andy Povey: What was Ollie's reaction?
Cassie Poland: He was really supportive.
Andy Povey: Yeah, perfect.
Cassie Poland: Of course, yeah. Yeah. I think, you know, it does support, it's, you know, it supports us in terms of, and this is why the association is great, whether it, whether you're in the committee or whether you're not and you come to the events. But the networking and, you know, talking to people and the community, that's such an important part of valpa and it's the biggest benefit. So it's, you know, it is helpful having those connections and making more of them. And by being in the committee and by going to the events, you know, you just meet so many people and share so much experience and knowledge. The knowledge sharing is amazing. So, yeah, he was very supportive.
Andy Povey: What are you most looking forward to as you're in your two year stint as chair?
Cassie Poland: Oh, well, I mean, trying to see out this, the five year plan, really. I think that's key. You know, we have written it, we are starting with that process in terms of like the website was one of the first things we wanted to do and we're working on that currently in the background, you know, just ensuring that, like I've said before, that the association is strong, it's stable, that foundation is already there, but that we build on those strengths, we continue to improve member engagement, communications services, that BALPA remains relevant and it continues to thrive. Really. That's what I want to see and I think that's what everybody wants to see.
Cassie Poland: I think, you know, when times are tough and when things are difficult and an industry is, you know, the cost of living is, you know, is a huge thing really, and people in the UK having less disposable income for days out, that's when having the association and your links with other people is crucial. And we saw that through Covid. Yeah, that was absolutely amazing. You know, and when things are tough and you know, the people around you and the association that you're involved with there to support you, that is, that's the crux of it is, you know, and that's why you need it and that's why we've got to make sure that it, you know, continues and it improves and, you know, we move on.
Andy Povey: So closer to home, what's the next five year plan for Drusillas? What, what's coming next?
Cassie Poland: God, it never stops. It never stops. Andy. We've always got a huge list of ideas, you know, of things that we want to do for Drusillas, but we've also got things that now we want to do for Amazon and go wild as well. The trampoline Park. So lots of different ideas and developments for all three of those. And it will be particularly interesting to see whether how Go Wild supports the wider business as we come into the winter and how that sort of balances that seasonality, like I said. And we've had sort of the hottest summer on record, so it hasn't been the best start in terms of visitors to indoor attractions, let's just say. But I mean, that's not. That's not why we took it on. You know, we took it on for the winter and yesterday we had an.
Cassie Poland: A very wet day. Our first wet day in, you know,.
Andy Povey: Many, many weeks almost, isn't it?
Cassie Poland: Exactly. And Go Wild was very busy, so that is good. So it's the one time I'm going to stop not being so sad if.
Andy Povey: It rains,.
Cassie Poland: Which is nice.
Andy Povey: Cassie, One thing that we ask everybody that comes on Skip the Queue is to share some pearls of wisdom for younger people and maybe younger operators entering the attractions world. So what would be your tip to anybody looking at a career in theme park industry right now?
Cassie Poland: Do it. 100%. Do it. And don't, don't think twice about it. It is the most fun, engaging industry with amazing people, an amazing community. What's not to like about an industry which is created around fun? I mean, it's absolutely brilliant. I absolutely love my job, I love going to work. I don't think twice about it. Go and do it. Come and join us.
Andy Povey: I couldn't agree more, Cassie. I've really enjoyed our conversation.
Cassie Poland: Thank you so much and thank you for having me. It was so nice to be on my first podcast.
Andy Povey: That's not your first, that's it made you sound like an absolute pro, Cassie. Thank you. You've got a huge amount on three sites, a zoo licence and a trade association. Brilliant to hear how you're putting it all together.
Today's episode was co produced by Sami and Emily from Plaster with Laura from YourCMO. Socials and schedules were all managed by Wenalyn back at Merac HQ. If you enjoyed today's episode, please, like share and comment on the episode in your podcast app. It really helps spread the word and signpost us to other people who may be interested. If you want to get more of the special BALPPA 90th series or you want to hear more from Skip the Queue, head over to skipthequeue.fm. Once again, I've been your host. Andy Povey, thank you for listening and see you next time.