Leased and tenanted pub company Spirit Leased has introduced a range of training initiatives as part of its ongoing commitment to unlocking the potential of its estate.
Three tiers – gold, silver, bronze
The initiatives, known as the ‘medal’ training plans, are available in three tiers: Gold, Silver and Bronze. The Bronze plan covers hot topics such as guest interaction and the Challenge 21 scheme, while the Gold extends to cover issues such as delivering the best guest experience and the role of sport and entertainment in pubs.
Following a successful trial at 16 pubs last year, the initiative is being made available across the whole of Spirit Leased Pubs’ 450-strong leased pub estate.
Training on site
Of particular value to licensees is that all three plans see Spirit Leased trainers hold the training sessions on site at the licensees’ own pubs for the full duration. What makes the scheme so unique is that the training is not limited to purely the licensee attending: the licensee’s entire team can participate in the sessions.
50 pubs, 1300 staff – in 4 months
In the first four months of this year alone, 50 Spirit Leased Pubs have taken up the offer to host the company’s dedicated training team and over 1300 pub team staff have been trained since August. Some pubs have opted to book a repeat session immediately to ensure their seasonal staff don’t miss out later in the year. Of the 50 participating sites, 43 have opted for the Gold option.
Contributing to increased turnover – and best guest experience
One such pub is The Queen’s Head in Pinner (pictured top), who have taken up three Gold sessions since the programme began. The pub’s licensee, Shaun White, said: “The new Spirit Leased training schemes are a great investment. Each session has been tailor-made for our pub, and they have definitely contributed to increased turnover. The sessions are a great follow-up to our own induction programme, so much so that the Spirit Leased training team are almost considered a part of our team.”
“We’re incredibly proud of our in pub training initiatives,” added Chris Welham, managing director for Spirit Leased. “Feedback from licensees, both during last year’s trial and the roll-out this year, has been overwhelmingly positive. We’re always looking for ways to provide added value to our pubs, and all three training plans help our operators stay ahead of the competition and offer the very best guest experience.”