Hospitality proving to be a great industry to work in...

by XPRESS, 04 April 2017

Four leisure companies have featured in the Sunday Times Top 100 Profit Track list.

Britannia Hotel is the highest placed leisure company in the list – the company is 12th in the list with a 105.3% rise in profit to £34.2m.

Di Maggio’s, the privately-owned Scottish restaurant operator, is 29th – it saw an 89.03% rise in profit to £6.3m in 2016. Bill’s Restaurant was 36th, with an 86.04% climb in profit to £8.4m.

Motorway services provider Westmoreland was placed 95th, with a 59.62% climb in profit to £6.8m in 2016.

Earlier this year the Sunday Times also named 12 hospitality companies in the Sunday Times Top 100 Best Companies to work for 2017.

The list is determined from gathering survey results from 270,429 employees from 857 registered organisations across all sectors.

Oakmann Inns, a chain of 16 pubs, ranked fourth in the list making the brand the highest rated hospitality firm in the Top 100 list. The business, founded in 2005 by chief executive Peter Borg-Neal, came in 42nd place last year.

Staff highlighted their satisfaction regarding the “Oakmanology” training scheme (82% positive rating), while 84% believed that the business aided personal growth and 79% said their managers were motivating.

The New World Trading Company based in Knutsford placed 10th in the list. The 887 employees in the group said they had fun at work (90%), in a business where they are able to enroll in a range of courses from wine tasting to music lessons. Almost three quarters (73%) said they felt there were plenty of opportunities for them to learn and grow.

Connect Catering, a contract catering company based in Wallingford placed 18th. Sisters Kate Bendall and Louise Laver launched the company in 1989, and it now provides meals to 75 schools, businesses and care facilities. Over three quarters of the workforce (76%) felt they had a healthy work/life balance and 75% said they do not feel under too much pressure to perform well.

Bedfordshire hotel Wyboston Lakes climbed 15 places this year and came in at 28th. Employees at the hotel receive perks such as spa treatments as a reward for delivering great customer service. The 293 employees have voted for the hotel to place in the Best Companies to Work list every year since 2014.

Iranian-Indian restaurant brand Dishoom has placed for the first time in the Top 100 list – placing 36th. The 517 staff said they loved working for the company, scoring 83% positive. They also feel happy with their pay (84% positive), with servers earning £32,047 a year on average.

Sabna Macal, junior sous chef at the Carnaby Street branch said: “I feel like I am coming home. When you are busy you have more fun, it just comes from your heart, it doesn’t come from your mind. And Dishoom is always busy.”

In 40th place, Buzzworks Holdings has seen a 16% growth in workforce in the last year to 444 employees. It holds a portfolio of eight bars and restaurants across Ayrshire in Scotland and has an aim “make people feel great through hospitality”. Staff said they feel that the company lives up to its strong values (86%) and 84% feel their jobs are good for personal growth.

Peach Pub Company, the operator of 18 pubs across the UK including has entered the list for the first time in 45th place. The 456 employees gave a positive score of 77% as they felt the company encouraged personal growth, while 68% saw opportunities for growth.

Hamish Stoddart, co-founder of Peach said: “To be recognised as one of the best companies to work for in the whole of the UK is a dream come true. We’re a great team of like-minded individuals serving fantastic food and drink with huge enthusiasm and it’s the team and our teamwork that make it possible for our guests to have a great experience every day in our gastropubs.”

London based steak restaurant group, Hawksmoor, ranked 48th in the list. Last year, 90% of management roles were internal promotions. Staff said that training is extremely beneficial to their development, giving a 78% positive score. The workforce is rewarded with gym memberships, healthcare and dental care packages.

The Alchemist – a cocktail bar brand with sites in Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Birmingham, Newcastle, Alderley Edge and London, placed 63rd in the list. This marks a new entry for the company which was launched by Jeremy Roberts and the late Tim Bacon in 2011.

Simon Potts, managing director of the Alchemist, said: “We are so proud to have achieved a place in the Sunday Times Best Companies List, a huge deal for us having launched just six years ago. We currently have nine venues across the UK with four more planned openings for this year so will be continuing to hire great talent and hope this win will continue to attract those people to join us.”

T(n)S Catering in Leamington Spa delivers catering and food services to the education, healthcare, business and industry sectors. It ranked 65th in the list and praised for the strong leadership of managers (78% positive) and 81% of employees felt that bosses spoke openly and honestly to them.

The four-starred Lancaster London hotel placed the same as last year – 72nd place. The hotel, which houses bee hives on the roof received an 85% positive score from staff who said it genuinely cares about the environment. The hotel also has a strong social conscience (80%) and raises money for charity and supports organisations such as the Clink.

London based brewery Brewdog appeared for the first time in the list, placing 80th. Staff believe they can make a valuable contribution to the success of the business, scoring 85% positive and 79% have faith that the experience they gain at the company will be valuable for their future.

In the Top 100 Small Companies to Work For, Brooklands hotel in Weybridge was 24th.

Meanwhile, purchasing firm PSL made a return to the list for the fifth time within the past seven years, reaching 89th position. “PSL’s ongoing success is solely down to its people. The engagement our employees have with one another and with out clients and our suppliers, is inspiring. As a result, PSL is committed to continually review our employee engagement levels in order that we remain a good employer and a fun and friendly place to work,” said Daniel Wilson, managing director of PSL.