Stonegate launches head office career pathway
Stonegate Group has launched its new in-house training pathway, Albert’s Interesting Map to Success, or AIMS.
The pathway has been designed for the company’s head office support staff and is available across all roles – amounting to more than 600 different specific learning pathways from level two, all the way to level seven (masters level).
AIMS hopes to engage in excess of 1,000 support staff, across both the managed and lease and tenanted divisions, once established.
The pathway has been designed to include both online and in-person learning to reflect the changes of the last 13 months, allowing delegates access to all course material to study in their own time, but without losing the invaluable components of face-to-face learning.
“This is an incredibly exciting time for us launching Albert’s Interesting Map to Success,” Lee Woolley, director of learning and organisation development, said.
“I’m delighted that we now have this extraordinary addition for our support staff ensuring everyone in the Stonegate Group business has access to training that is specific to their role.
“This is all part of our ‘Bar to Boardroom’ philosophy where we hope to grow, encourage and enable our own talent to be the future leaders of both our company and of the wider hospitality industry,” he continued.
“It has been quite a year, but at Stonegate we are dedicated to the success of our people and the launch of this new pathway shows our commitment to rebuilding over the next 12 months and beyond.”
Zero Carbon Forum creates ‘dream team’ to guide hospitality to net zero
The non-profit organisation leading the hospitality industry to net zero, Zero Carbon Forum, has appointed a host of hospitality, sustainability and communications leaders to its new advisory board.
The board will act as a central collective of expert voices in support of the forum’s mission to define and implement a roadmap to net zero.
Advisory Board members include Andy Hornby, CEO, The Restaurant Group; Andy Wood, CEO, Adnams; Emma McClarkin, CEO, British Beer and Pub Association; Kate Nicholls, CEO, UKHospitality; Mark Rider, CFO at Shepherd Neame and Rob Pitcher, CEO at Revolution Bars.
Alongside these high-profile members, the forum is delighted to welcome renowned environmental crisis expert Mike Berners-Lee, author of There Is No Planet B. Joining him is Mike Barry, former director of sustainable business at Marks and Spencer and architect of the M&S Plan A commitment.
“Our advisory board is integral to the success of the forum and will utilise individuals’ specialist insight as we set a path to net zero,” Forum founder and CEO, Mark Chapman, said. “To welcome such a ‘dream team’ of high-calibre experts sets the forum to a strong start.
“It’s thrilling to have the opportunity to tap into their knowledge and experience, and a tremendous testament to the work we’re doing that they’re willing to commit their time and energy in supporting us.”
OAPA appoints industry experts to its board of trustees
Only a Pavement Away’s board, made up of C-suite, directors and department Heads, across a number of different industries and specialities, includes Jennie Koo, head of operations risk management for Capital One; Andy Hornby, CEO of The Restaurant Group; Maria Stanford, people and talent director at Westbury Street Holdings; Mollie Stoker, deputy general counsel at Ocado Group; Fiona Eastwood, COO at Merlin Entertainments; and Paul Pavli, hospitality expert and MD at Paul Pavli Consultancy.
The charity, which plans to support 250 vulnerable veterans, ex-offenders and those having suffered homelessness, over the course of the next year, aims to support a further 700 individuals back into work within the next three years.
“We couldn’t be happier with the calibre of experts we have making up our board of trustees,” Greg Mangham, founder and CEO of Only A Pavement Away, said.
“This is such an important time for OAPA and their insight and guidance will be absolutely fundamental as we grow.
“It’s well-known that homelessness numbers in particular have exponentially increased since the beginning of the Covid pandemic, so our role is more important than ever as hospitality enters a post-Covid world.
“As we look to the future of the charity, we will continue to run our Life Skills Hub, Veterans Life Skills Hub, and Hospitality Against Homelessness campaigns."
Reduction of EU workers puts squeeze on hospitality operators
The latest figures from Fourth, the leading global software provider for the hospitality and leisure industries, reveal a significant reduction in EU nationals working in the sector, with roles instead being picked up by British and workers from the rest of the world.
Fourth’s latest data, which has been aggregated from analysis of more than 700 companies across the restaurant, pub, bar and fast-food restaurant sectors, reveals that EU workers made up 39.4% of the hospitality workforce in Q1 2021, compared to 43.4% in Q1 2019, with 34.9% of new starters from the EU compared to 48.6% respectively.
The data also found that the percentage of workers from Britain and the rest of the world has grown considerably since 2019, with British workers currently making up 48% of the workforce and workers from the rest of the world making up 13%.
By comparison, in the first quarter of 2019 British workers made up 45% and workers from the rest of the world made up 10% of the workforce.
“Clearly, the pandemic, coupled with new immigration systems post-Brexit, have had a significant impact on the make-up and availability of workers from EU countries within our industry, which will become increasingly prominent as we return to full capacity,” Sebastien Sepierre, managing director – EMEA, Fourth, said.
“Against this backdrop, it’s more important than ever that operators understand the makeup of their workforce and are utilising smart technology and systems to ensure they are managing the cost of labour as effectively as possible.
“The next few months of trading will be mission critical for our industry, as businesses look to hit the ground running after a tumultuous period and we’ll be standing side-by-side with them to support where we can.”
Hospitality job postings up 37% month-on-month
According to new data from recruitment site CV Library, job postings in April 2021 were up 37% month on month for roles in the hospitality industry – a huge 395% increase versus the month last year.
However, despite a huge influx in job ads, job seekers appear hesitant to apply for roles – with 335,000 fewer people employed in the hospitality industry compared to last year, according to the Office for National Statistics.
“Even with being restricted to outside only service, we’ve been pleasantly surprised at the level of demand we’ve seen over the last three weeks,” Emily Lewis, director at the Lewis Partnership – which operates three hospitality venues in Staffordshire, including the Moathouse, the Dog and Doublet Inn, and the Red Lion at Bradley – explained.
“This has however presented some challenges with resourcing. Like many others in our industry, as reopening approached, we experienced a wave of resignations due to staff deciding to leave the industry and based on our initial expectations for outside reopening, we thought we would be okay.
“However, it quite quickly became apparent that we needed to recruit. Recruitment for chefs and full-time front of house staff has proved extremely difficult. We’re seeing low numbers of applications and experiencing high levels of no shows to interviews and trial shifts.
“Job seekers are understandably weary of applying for jobs in the hospitality industry after the turbulence of the past 13 months, but businesses like mine are at the point where once we do reopen inside, if applicant numbers do not increase we may have to look at limiting our capacity (even further than it already is) to maintain service standards."
JDW appoints new general manager for its pubs in Scotland
JD Wetherspoon (JDW) has appointed Helen Dumbreck as general manager for the company’s 60 pubs in Scotland.
Dumbreck has worked for JDW since 2000 and held roles as a pub manager, area manager and regional manager. She will have overall responsibility for the operator’s Scottish pubs, which employ more than 2,500 people and have annual gross sales of £160m.
“Helen richly deserves her promotion to general manager,” JDW chief executive John Hutson said.
“She is Wetherspoon through and through and our Scottish pubs are in very safe hands with her at the helm.”
Dumbreck added: “I am delighted to be appointed as general manager for all Wetherspoon pubs in Scotland.
“I look forward to working with the area and pub managers, as well as all staff, to ensure that the pubs continue to be popular with our customers and successful.”
330k jobs at risk if rent protections removed
The £2.5bn rent debt facing the hospitality sector threatens more than 330,000 jobs, according to research from one trade body.
UKHospitality (UKH) surveyed its members and found rent debt is critical to ensuring the future health the sector.
The trade body responded to the Government’s call for evidence and highlighted more than half of operators (52%) surveyed had not been given a rent extension period, almost three quarters (73%) were unable or didn’t know how to pay their rent arrears and 40% had not been able to reach a deal with their landlord about rent concessions.
UKH boss Kate Nicholls called on the Government to take action and help the sector rebuild and play its part in the country’s economic recovery.
Last-minute resignations add pressure as staff 'want a move away' from sector
Pub operators are facing challenges with staffing and recruitment as restrictions ease up with a number describing being left in the lurch by sudden resignations.
Operators have described an issue with staff resigning on the cusp of the sector reopening this spring and said the sector has suffered since Brexit.
It comes as licensees need more staff to keep on top of fresh rules such as more stringent contact-tracing requirements and face covering rules.
The Morning Advertiser (MA) also heard from one city operator who received just three job applications for a range of roles despite expecting around 80 based on previous postings.
“Skilled labour in our sector has always been challenging, but particularly since Brexit, we have had a reduced pool of potential employees to recruit from,” explained the British Institute of Innkeeping‘s chief executive Steve Alton.
Mark Robson made COO at Red Lion Holdings
According to reports by The MA’s sister title MCA, newly formed pub investment vehicle Red Lion Holdings has appointed Mark Robson, founder and current managing director of Red Mist Leisure, as its new group chief operating officer.
Led by former Busaba CEO Jason Myers and sector investor David Ramsay, Red Lion purchased 11-strong operator Red Mist in January this year in its maiden move.
Robson will oversee the senior teams at both Red Mist and Grosvenor Pubs – Red Lion’s other acquisition.
Commenting on Robson’s appointment, Myers said: “We believe this key appointment will assist us in taking Red Lion Holdings forward. It’s a key role in our journey and we are excited at what Mark brings to the table at Group level given the success he created at Red Mist.”
Latimer Vinters wine merchant appoints Caroline Brangé as head of on and off trade sales
Latimer Vintners has appointed former sommelier Caroline Brangé to head up its on and off trade sales, working closely with London’s hospitality venues as they now re-open their doors.
Brangé brings 10 years’ experience in the London wine trade, from head Sommelier at 28-50 Maddox street to leading the London on trade team for Armit Wines.
“I am thrilled to be joining Latimer Vintners; a business that has established an impressive and growing portfolio of agency partners,” Brangé said.
“I look forward to introducing the on and off trade to some exciting new producers alongside the more established and well-known domains in Latimer’s portfolio.”
Michael Stobbs, managing director of Latimer Vintners, added: “We are delighted to welcome someone as talented and experienced as Caroline to the team.
“We have long felt that we wanted to develop an on and off trade arm of the business and believe that Caroline is perfectly suited to developing this sector for Latimer.
“The reopening of the hospitality sector is a great opportunity to build strong relationships with new and existing businesses which are likely to see significant growth over the next few years.”
