Mr Pepper was the well-to-do owner of Pepper's Salon. In 1965, Pepper interviewed Dennis Tanner when a vacancy for a qualified stylist opened at the salon.
Carrying out the interview at a favourite restaurant of his, Mr Pepper ordered brie and a pint each for himself and Dennis, making it more of a meet-and-greet than a formal interview. Dennis tried to impress his prospective boss by comparing the setting to the places he frequented in Soho, which hit the right notes as Pepper then complimented Dennis on his dress sense, noting that he considered it important for his employees to keep up with the latest fashion trends.
Impressed with his interviewee, Mr Pepper then asked to see Dennis's hairdressing diploma. However, the certificate Dennis produced turned out to be a private diploma which was valid only at his current place of employment, Gerard's Salon. Dennis was devastated to learn this, and turned down a sympathetic Pepper's offer to hire him as an assistant on a non-qualified capacity on a reduced salary.