The Evolve Group Predictions for 2023
As 2023 begins, our team is looking to the year ahead and making some predictions about what they believe the future holds.
Skip to: Rory Kelly-Naughton, Front-of-House Operations Director
Skip to: Josh Howell, Back-of-House Business Manager
Skip to: Samantha Nethercott, Operations Director
Skip to: Scott Whitehead, Sales Director
Skip to: Gary King, Managing Director
Evolve Hospitality
Rory Kelly-Naughton, Front-of-House Operations Director
What will hospitality look like in 2023 – how might the market change?
I see 2023 as a pivotal moment for hospitality in the UK. Drastic improvements were made across the industry in 2022, which could be felt by both the staff who stayed in the industry having weathered the storm of Covid, as well as new recruits who entered into better pay and improved working conditions.
This year the hospitality industry will need to focus on service and value. In times of financial uncertainty, greater focus is put on value for any service used. Across the industry – from builders’ cafés to five star deluxe hotels – companies will need to demonstrate high quality service and excellent value to their customers.
Your recruitment predictions for 2023 – how might the market change?
The hope is, of course, that the industry will continue to get back on its feet. The cost of living crisis is undoubtedly the biggest cloud on the horizon but companies that prioritise their staff and customers should see their stock rise. As the industry recovers there are some very strong leaders emerging, whose aims are set squarely on the collective good of all hospitality.
2023’s focus on value will also extend to hospitality recruitment. As a Group, we are as successful as our clients, and we must be ready to meet any challenges by working together to constantly raise the level of service we offer. For our candidates, delivering great service will be key to our success. Right now, hospitality professionals have the largest choice since before Covid and the way we can ensure loyalty is through our unrivalled service.
What does 2023 have in store for Evolve Hospitality?
Front-of-House and our new Birmingham office are looking very positive for 2023 and beyond. In London, the hotel industry is set to welcome some massive names, whilst many of the traditional hotels have raised their game to match. Our Events team is now working with some amazing clients in fantastic venues, whilst Contract Catering adjusts to a Tuesday to Thursday week as the demand for quality staff is higher than ever.
Our Birmingham team are already reaping the benefits of a new all-Group office, and the year started strong by staffing huge events, right from the 1st of January. The amount of construction taking place in Birmingham clearly demonstrates huge investment in the city, so the future is bright!
Josh Howell, Back-of-House Business Manager
Your recruitment predictions for 2023 – how might the market change?
My prediction is that the market will open up a little, as flexibility becomes a top priority for job seekers. Many workers are looking to transition from their traditional chef roles – with upwards of 40 hours work a week – to having more flexibility, away from the restrictions of a full-time role. This is where Evolve can really capitalise on our model, offering shifts that suit the needs of the individual.
We are also likely to experience an increase in the number of international workers. Looser travel restrictions, particularly from Australasia, will see the return of chefs looking for work across the UK.
What will hospitality look like in 2023?
We are likely to experience a slow start to hospitality in January and February, that will certainly gain momentum from Easter onwards. In 2022, several live, in-person events returned, piloting ways to host Covid-safe functions. As a result, socialising has once more become the norm, and hospitality will be at the centre of this return to in-person events.
What does 2023 have in store for Evolve Hospitality?
With the ever-popular London food scene, alongside growing demand for talented chefs, I expect my area of the business to grow in particular.
Although a shortage of skilled workers poses a challenge for many hospitality businesses, temporary recruitment has the tools to combat this problem. Agency work has become the preferred choice for many chefs, and as a team we are excited to take on new projects, grow our business across multiple sectors, as well as support many high-profile events across the country.
I predict another very busy year building some amazing client partnerships!
Enhance Catering
Samantha Nethercott, Operations Director
Your recruitment predictions for 2023 – how might the market change?
The market for temporary recruitment is set to boom in 2023. It may seem counterintuitive, but as budgets tighten, being able to draw upon a temporary resource in peak times; in response to a strike, or throughout seasonal periods, can be of greater support to a bottom line than pursuing a permanent salaried solution. Consequently, temporary workforces will grow throughout this coming year.
Your hospitality predictions for 2023 – what will hospitality look like in 2023?
In our experience, a good headway has been made towards offering more free school meals. As the cost of living crisis continues, I expect further discussion on the topic with government intervention inevitable.
In education catering more generally, 2023 is poised to see an extension of schools’ plant-based offering, as well as more vegetarian options. Customer demand – as well as an increase in the cost of protein – will lead to innovation in school catering that will certainly be interesting to witness.
Your predictions for your business – what does 2023 have in store for Enhance Catering?
As a result of remote working, online portals have proliferated to become an essential recruitment tool. Despite this, you can’t beat the personal touch and clients thrive on conversations, verbal feedback and face-to-face meetings in which we can discuss the nuances of their business. In 2023, we will actively focus on visiting our clients in person, alongside learning to operate a personal touch via the digital tools available to us.
Enhance Catering launched at the start of the pandemic, and grew at a rate we could never have predicted, at a time when the wider economy faced unprecedented challenges. Perhaps due to this, Enhance has a fearless attitude towards growth, even in times of uncertainty. Our clients trust us, we have secured National Contracts and worked our way to the top of Preferred Supplier Lists, so we have the acumen to back up that confidence.
Growth is great, but ultimately our work is about servicing the needs of our clients and nurturing our established relationships. The market for safeguarding recruitment has expanded, so our goal this year is to continue offering our clients the high level of service and standards for which we have gained our reputation, that will in turn enable their businesses to grow.
Scott Whitehead, Sales Director
Your recruitment predictions for 2023 – how might the market change?
With a squeeze for top talent across all industries, I predict that greater focus will be placed on training and development in 2023. Upskilling – rather than trying to employ the ideal candidate for each role – will become essential across every industry, not just in hospitality and catering.
Your hospitality predictions for 2023 – what will hospitality look like in 2023?
Crisis breeds innovation and in the wake of the pandemic, 2023 will offer opportunities for innovation across the sector. Covid led to the proliferation of hospitality apps, through which customers could order and pay for their meal, and I see more transformation likely in this area.
Your predictions for your business – what does 2023 have in store for Enhance Catering?
This year poses both challenges and opportunities, for which Enhance is poised to face.
Following the pandemic, National contracts opened their preferred supplier list to cope with soaring demand, which they are now very likely to reduce to pre-Covid levels. Their decisions on who stays and who goes will likely be based on quality, fulfilment rate, quality of communication and value for money. Enhance Catering is in a strong position to profit from our solid relationships with all our National accounts by continuing to offer the superior level of service that sets us apart from our competitors.
In school catering, the business is set to grow, as the number of students eligible for free school meals increases. More staff will be needed to fulfil this need, and Enhance is ready to deliver on this need.
Collins king & associates
Gary King, Managing Director
Your recruitment predictions for 2023 – how might the market change?
Hospitality recruitment has improved greatly over the past year as the industry recovers from the pandemic, and 2023 is likely to be another year of recovery. The hospitality sector is taking far longer than most other sectors to recover the jobs lost in 2020, due in large part to the drain of talent from the sector into other industries.
When hospitality was closed due to lockdowns, huge swathes of talent moved into logistics and retail – adjacent industries that were booming – and many of these candidates never returned to their previous posts. In addition, continuing issues around Brexit and lack of visas for staff who are keen to work in the UK will also stall the sector’s recovery.
At Collins King and Associates, we believe that the overall volume of vacancies in 2023 is likely to be lower than 2022, and the shortage of junior staff for both back- and front-of-house roles will continue.
Your hospitality predictions for 2023 – what will hospitality look like in 2023?
Although many cost sector hospitality businesses are reporting revenues that have returned to pre-Covid levels, the biggest issue now will be the cost of sales. As an industry, hospitality is very much exposed to the rising costs of energy, food, and as we look forward, staffing. Consequently, many hospitality businesses will need to restructure their cost base, which could result in some tough decisions around longer-term headcounts. This will particularly affect the restaurant sector in the coming months.
How this manifests itself – at least in the early part of 2023 – could mean that service delivery is affected, with either shorter opening hours or service delivery standards compromised.
In contrast, the luxury end of the hospitality market – particularly in London – will continue to grow. There are a number of high-profile hotel and restaurant openings planned for the first and second quarters of the year, and it will be interesting to witness how these businesses navigate their new endeavours in the current market. There may be opportunities to learn from their successes.
Across the industry as a whole, demand for staff and lack of availability of high-quality talent will continue to impact the market. This will in-turn force operators in all sectors to review their food and service offers to cope with the shortages of kitchen and front-of-house service staff.
Your predictions for your business – what does 2023 have in store for Collins King & Associates
For Collins King & Associates, 2023 is set to be an interesting time. Despite the numerous challenges, this year we will focus on stabilising our business, and developing our existing client relationships. We expect flat growth in the first 2 quarters of 2023 and minimal to moderate growth in the second half of the year.
The private healthcare and luxury care home market will continue to expand, particularly in key areas of London, with a number of new luxury properties opening. This will benefit the Group as a whole and with our diverse portfolio of brands, The Evolve group is set to enjoy moderate growth in a tough market during 2023.
13th January 2023
