M&B launches contactless payments across 1,700 sites - and hire 2,000 apprentices

The company, which owns several major pub chain brands including Harvester, Toby Carvery, All Bar One and Sizzling Pubs, said this was part of an ongoing investment in digital technology.

Chris Hopkins, commercial and marketing director for M&B, said: "Digital technology continues to grow at pace and we continue to look for new opportunities to integrate these technologies into our business to help us enhance our offers, support our brands and ultimately deliver a better service to our guests."

Apprenticeships​

M&B is also planning to offer more than 2,000 apprenticeships to young people during the next year, it said.

The group will offer a nationwide apprenticeship scheme with three different 'routes'; a one-year course for chefs, another year-long course for bar & waiting staff – both for 16 to 24-year olds, and three-year hospitality management development apprenticeships (which include kitchen and front-of-house work experience).

Susan Martindale, group HR director for M&B, said: "We don't just want to develop a successful apprenticeship scheme – we want M&B to offer the best scheme in the hospitality industry."

Mentoring​

She added: "Our schemes provide new job opportunities for school leavers and combine their employment with layers of exceptional tutelage, mentoring and assessment. They work across our portfolio of brands, learn from our experienced teams, gain a professional qualification and have a real opportunity to progress up the ladder."

Vacancies for chef and bar & waiting apprenticeships will be continuously available from 1 April, with roughly 100 hospitality management development apprenticeships to be made available.

Applications for hospitality management development apprenticeships will open online from 14 March to 11 April.