Publican Award Winners: Best Managed Pub Company (2-50 sites), sponsored by Molson Coors - New World Trading Company
Its 16 pubs and bars, including 11 under the Botanist brand, can now be found in towns and cities across the country, each offering customers an exciting experience as well as good-quality food and drink.
That relies on not only designing great environments and menus but on making sure its people are happy and in tune with what the company sets out to achieve.
Customer service is at the core of NWTC’s culture, with managers and their teams encouraged, despite the hubbub and distractions of a busy venue, to focus on the ‘main thing’ – a happy guest. Mystery shoppers test performance, and each site must hit a 90% score
to pass.
To that end, since winning this category last year, NWTC has introduced the Tribes Project, a unique initiative to connect and reward its widely dispersed teams.
Through a special app, staff accumulate points for championing the company’s values and by taking part in daily competitions they can win prizes through the week with the chance of gaining two extra days’ holiday at the end of the year.
The scheme is helping to develop an already strong and vibrant company culture by bringing people together at regular events, and charity has benefited, too, with £42,000 raised
for Barnardo’s.
New openings have included four Botanists – in Farnham, Surrey; Knutsford, Cheshire; Sheffield; and York – plus the first Club House in Liverpool, built from the foundations up and featuring live music every night.
NWTC is leading the way for the industry in many respects, and now that it’s running on its own two feet, it looks like it’s going to continue to set the pace.
