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I read an article in Propel recently on the lack of training in the hospitality sector. Research from the Economics Foundation suggests that spending on training has reduced by 35%, and that this is leading to a reduction...
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I love doing consultancy work. I find that the debate with other people really forces me to think, analyse and invent. And occasionally, it sparks a moment that I need to write down. Last week was one of those. ...
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Over the last ten years, we have been trying to get Mother’s Day right, and I am still not sure we have. In terms of covers, Mother’s Day is our biggest day of the year. At our busiest pub, we had 753 booked this year....
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In our pub business we have recently been recruiting for a Deputy General Manager. During our interviewing, it has been fascinating to learn why so many staff want to leave the largest companies in the sector and come and...
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As a bit of a labour management nut, I often find myself frustrated by the people-approach of many operators across our industry, bemoaning the fact that we are amateurs when we should be professionals. I worry that the...
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There is a myth in our industry that being understaffed is the biggest challenge to sales growth, and that is the missed opportunity. But the truth is that, while we all want to have the right number of staff, the bigger...
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The planned increase to minimum wage has made a substantial change to the differentials between young people. From April next year, over 21s will see a minimum wage of £11.44, whilst under-18s will receive £6.40. There is...
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Priced out: The struggles facing operators in wake of increasing NLW This year, there's been a 11.5% surge in the annual minimum wage, once the increases for lower age workers are added into the mix. It's left the industry...
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Closing restaurants and rooms in January We have had several debates about whether we close our restaurants and bedrooms for a few days in January. This is a big decision for us, as our philosophy is to be open all...
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Maintaining better habits in hospitality Two weeks ago, I wrote about changing behavioural habits in the industry. Operators have their sights set on growing productivity and engagement amongst their teams with an urgency...
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Opinion piece by Alastair Scott It seems to me that one of the best skills to have under your belt in hospitality is the ability to recognise the need for change, and then practice and embed new habits. As an industry, I...
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Opinion Piece by Alastair Scott Nowadays, the integration of tech in hospitality has become synonymous with success. I talk to companies who mistakenly think they are best-in-class, simply because they use a software...
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How should we be rostering our teams at Christmas? Christmas is a welcome interlude between the depths of November and January. It is short-lived, but we typically have two objectives. First, to give the customer a...
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Opinion Piece by Alastair Scott There are a few causes of the lack of improvement in UK productivity. Some research sites a lack of investment. Other research released recently suggests that working from home causes an 18%...
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Thought leadership by Alastair Scott When I ran All Bar One, one of the disciplines instilled in us was to send out a weekly e-mail to our team. We did it on Sunday to show to our teams that they weren’t alone on the day,...
