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The Inn Collection Group officially one of the UK’s Best Places to Work

The Inn Collection Group (ICG) is celebrating being officially named as one of the UK’s best places to work after the Newcastle-based pubco was named on the 2023 list compiled by The Sunday Times.

Recognising companies that create happier working environments by fostering engagement from their teams, ICG’s listing comes following a recent survey of employees where 78% of respondents declared themselves “happy” at work.

ICG’s listing comes in the big organisation category and puts them in the company of organisations such as Alzheimer’s Society Bella Italia, and Octopus Energy.

With more than 1,000 employees across the group, The Inn Collection Group’s mission statement of “making people happy” has been directed internally as it aims to support its people in their personal and professional development.

During the past year, this has seen the establishment of a seven-strong People Team at its central support offices in Benton, who work tirelessly to attract, nurture and support talented individuals across the company.

This has resulted in the creation of engaging ways to partner with local communities, educational groups and establishments and the development of exciting new training programmes, including a recent focus on preventing workplace stress and supporting mental health for managers.

In addition to the support and development offered to colleagues, ICG also offers an attractive benefits package to achieve its enviable total of happy respondents, with discounted food and stays for colleagues, their family and friends among the perks.

Offering their Inn Safe Hands support programme through respected independent provider Hospitality Action allows the group to also support colleagues in their lives away from work, whatever the challenge being faced.

With 2023 a year of significant growth for the company and its estate across the north of England and North Wales, with 1,000 new hires expected to be made by the end of the year, people director Liz Robertson is eager to build on ICG’s entry onto the list.

Robertson said: “We’re delighted that our people are enjoying their time with ICG and that we have been officially recognised as a great place to work as a result.

“Supporting our teams is incredibly important for us, be that with our exciting development programmes, our Inn Safe Hands initiative or even just our excellent benefits package.

“Making people happy is what we are about and that extends to our own too.

“As a group, we are steadfast in our belief that hospitality can be an industry in which people can enjoy long, fulfilling and rewarding careers and making the Sunday Time Best Places to Work list underlines our commitment.

“Making sure that our people can progress both within the business and as individuals is incredibly important to us and we are further developing how we can do that.

“Particular areas of focus recently have been a significant investment in our accommodation provision to our live-in colleagues and in attracting brand-new culinary talent into the company with our new Chef Academy.

“With our headcount set to rise to 2,000 people by the end of this year, we are going to need to develop too so we can continue to make people happy and I am really excited by what we have planned.”

Find out more about ICG Career Opportunities

One recent programme of enrichment came as part of the Hospitality.Innovation.Tourism.Supply (HITS) Expo, where five of the group’s chefs under the age of 24 took part in a competitive cook-off to determine the title of Young Chef of the Year.

A member of the kitchen team at Blyth’s The Commissioners Quay Inn, 23-year-old Sam Eke wowed a judging panel of professional chefs to win out against four fellows and win the opportunity to have his dish feature on an upcoming specials menu across ICGs estate of pubs.

It is quite the fillip for the budding chef who began his journey as a kitchen porter aged 16, joined The Commissioners Quay Inn brigade back in September 2020 and was promoted to chef in April of last year.

Part of a wider programme to develop new talent, The Inn Collection Group have also recently launched a brand-new Chef Academy in conjunction with Chef Benson-Smith Academy, which will train individuals completely new to the industry to be the newest talents to join the company.

No prior chef experience is required by applicants, with the successful candidates being drawn from those that display the raw ingredients of enthusiasm, passion and creativity and a willingness to learn.

A fully-funded 12-month course of study will see academy members complete a Level 2 Commis Chef apprenticeship and learn everything from creating sumptuous stocks and sauces and knife skills to expert preparation of meat, game & vegetables.

Find out more about Chef Academy

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