Hospitality Needs to Inspire the Next Generation to Survive and Thrive 4
CLH News
Apr/May 2023
By Simon King, Founder of Igniting Hospitality
The last few years have certainly been challenging for the Hospitality sector and with rising utility bills, a cost-of-living crisis, supply chain issues and staff shortages, it doesn’t appear as though the next 12 months will prove to be that much easier. However, with a challenge comes opportunity, and for hospitality leaders with a glass-half full approach there is certainly much to gain during 2023 – particularly when it comes to inspiring the next generation of talent.
THE BREXIT EFFECT Prior to Brexit, the UK benefitted from a talented, international workforce who flocked to British shores for want of competitive wages and a taste of British life. However, the fallout of Brexit combined with the outbreak of COVID-19 resulted in a mass decrease in EU workers, with the hospitality industry losing a whopping 200,000 international employees between late 2019 to mid 2022. Industry reports have since revealed that there were 172,000 EU citizens working in the hospitality sector as of autumn 2022, which is a drop of 41% compared to pre-pandemic levels.
Reviewing these figures, it’s certainly no surprise that the UK hospitality sector is struggling to source staff - with many establishments now having to alter opening hours and reduce their trade and income as a result.
ACCESSIBLE TALENT POOL Interestingly, while there has been a mass exodus of international workers from the hospitality sector, there is a growing pool of unemployed 16 – 24-year-olds on British soil – many of whom could thrive in hospitality, given the opportunity, inspiration, and necessary guidance. One of the main issues, however, is that unlike in locations such as France and Italy where Front of House and Waiting roles are perceived as prestigious career paths, working in hospitality within the UK is synonymous with pot washing, glass collection and unsociable hours which certainly doesn’t inspire many. As such, the industry is rife with part-timers, who never perceive their role as something long-term and perhaps don’t realise their importance – particularly if they aren’t treated as though they truly matter. It could be argued, therefore, that even though Brexit and COVID-19 have certainly created a staffing and resource challenge, both historical events have also created an opportunity. An opportunity for the sector to re-set, to re-inspire and to bring about positive change.
THE FUTURE OF HOSPITALITY Ultimately, the future of hospitality is reliant on the next generation of talent and so it is imperative that we as an industry alter how we attract and inspire young people to join our businesses and motivate them to drive them forwards. Gone are – and should be - the days of friction between the Kitchen and Front of House staff, or heightened tensions caused by a simple mistake
that can easily be rectified and learnt from. Hospitality should now be a place for industry leaders to engage employees in the importance of customer experience, quality standards and community engagement, where entry roles in pubs, bars and restaurants should be perceived as an opportunity to grow and thrive – both in personal and professional development. Key to this is positive business culture, which, in hospitality, is more important now than ever before, as the industry competes with sectors able to offer remote working, Christmas shutdowns and shorter working weeks. Furthermore, as the average age of restaurant, bar and/or operations managers has decreased in recent years - with those now accepting positions of responsibility much younger than ever before - it is vital that venue owners, business leaders or those with greater experience take on guidance and mentoring roles. As such, the youthful managers of today should be carefully navigated through current difficulties and challenges, while ensuring they can carve a successful future that even inspires others to follow in their wake. They say if you love what you, you don’t work a day in your life – it’s time we installed this passion into others, showed them the vibrancy, buzz and enjoyment that comes with hospitality and help people consider it as a viable, enjoyable, and fulfilling career path. In doing this, and in attracting the bright stars of the future, not only will the industry be able to overcome short-term difficulties but will also be able to drive growth today, tomorrow, and beyond. Hospitality starts and ends with people, and it’s our job as business and industry leaders to make them feel valued, to install passion and to inspire positive change.
Birth Of A ‘New’ Pub – Local Midwives Set to Deliver at Jolly Millers towards the summer.”
The Jolly Millers in Bexleyheath has been totally refurbished to provide a bright and airy destination for locals and families. The transition, which has been spearheaded by serving midwives and new joint landladies, Tracey Phayer and Esther Gorman, will breathe new life into the venue with the promise of regular entertainment, BT Sports, an exciting food offering and what is rumoured to be the ‘best poured Guinness in Bexleyheath’.
Tracey and Esther, who will continue to be midwives, offer complimentary cheese and biscuits and roast potatoes on the bar on Sundays, drag queen bingo, as well as weekly meat raffles. With their very own established darts team as well as live football and rugby shown on the various television sets around the pub, this is the perfect evening and weekend destination.
Key workers during the pandemic, midwives Tracy and Esther have both dreamt of owning their own pub so when the Jolly Miller became available it was a dream come true, as they explain:
Stuart Brown, Business Development Manager at Brakspear who own the venue is thrilled with the new look and feel of the Jolly Miller:
“Thanks to the valuable support of our partners, we have been able to achieve our lifetime ambition. The Jolly Millers is the perfect venue in which to do this and we can’t wait to give a warm welcome to everyone that comes through the doors. We have so many ideas we want to implement and have already started running many of these past our regulars to gauge support. We are child and dog friendly and also have a secluded, safe garden which will be perfect as we head
“We’re so pleased and proud to reopen the new-look Jolly Miller. It’s muchloved within the community, and the refurbishment has really given it a new lease of life. The pub looks fantastic and truly is a space for all to enjoy. Its already becoming the hub of the community. Our Tenants Tracey & Esther’s passion for the pub and the local community makes them, along with their husbands Colin & Pete, the perfect people to ensure it truly is ‘your friendly local’. We look forward to working alongside them to ensure this great pub’s success for many years to come”
Robert’s Dorset – The Perfect Snack We offer keto, vegetarian, vegan, sugar-free, gluten-free and allergen-free crackling, nuts and fudge.
Whether you are a hotelier, landlord or shop owner, Robert’s Dorset have the perfect snacks for you. Hoteliers. A customer or client arrives. A snack and a beverage is offered. What a lovely welcome! Landlords. Our products cater for every taste. A drink with a snack is a cherished tradition. Shop owners. Not only are Robert’s products delicious, they’re also attractively designed and stackable. Our range will look splendid in your store. Our products:
Proper Pork Crackling. Keto-friendly and allergenfree with no MSG, no artificial flavours and no enhancers. Yummy Peanuts and Delicious Cashews. Our AA-grade nuts are ethically and sustainably sourced, vegan and gluten-free. Fabulous Fudge. Gluten-free with vegan options available. Panko Keto Crumb. Keto-friendly and allergen-free, with no MSG, no artificial flavours and no enhancers.
your branding. Set up fees and minimum orders applies. With us, business is friendly and personal. This means our trade customers can enjoy: • Easy ordering options, either online or by phone • A dedicated account manager • Trade pricing • And we can deliver big orders. All our packaging is fully recyclable or reusable and we have a 99.9% waste free production process. We are proud to be 100% certified by RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil*) and buy only from a segregated supply chain. If you are looking to rebrand and sell, stock, or gift our amazing, delicious snacks we’d love to hear from you. Contact Robert to discuss your needs and ideas, or request our online catalogue: robert@robertsdorset.com
WHITE LABELLING SERVICE
01202 875280
All our products can be supplied in a range of sizes, fully packaged with
www.robertsdorset.com
Is It Time For Some Fresh Promotions?
The start of the year is always a good time to reflect on what you did last year and what worked best for you in terms of both bringing in the footfall and ultimately profits. Planning your promotions throughout the year is always good practice with any business and for our market sector we have to focus on events around the year and of course seasonal activity such as Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day. HFE Signs have a range of pre-designed Pub Banners which are great to give some ideas.
There is no better way to advertise your promotions than Printed Banners from HFE Signs – with great deals such as Three 8x3ft Printed Banners for just £108 delivered, you can’t go wrong! Furthermore, if you order printed banners by 11am they are delivered next working day and if that isn’t good enough, the design is free too.
For more information on Printed Banners, check out www.hfe-signs.co.uk today or see the advert on page 5!
*Palm Oil used only in Fudge products.
