How Red Carnation won Best Places to Work in Hospitality twice in three years

Also, we can change direction quickly – we are not a big Titanic that takes a long time to turn. We are still small and family owned, so if we want to try something new, we’re like a speed boat – I love that freedom.

Can you explain Red Carnation’s employee journey? 

We have specific skills trainers in each department. Some of the larger departments have maybe four trainers, so any new starter has someone to show them the way, get them settled in as quickly as possible, introduce them to people, have lunch with them and help them feel part of the family.

We also have a lot of ongoing learning and development. We have a blended approach, so we still do some classroom training, but we do quite a lot of online. We have an online platform called Mapal, but we also do webinars; our L&D manager holds a lot of webinars that go global. Everybody has either a one-to-one or a performance review on a quarterly basis.

How do you accommodate employees’ career ambitions?

We monitor that really closely because everybody’s journey might be slightly different, depending on what they want to do, and what skills and knowledge they already have. We really try to get them to where they want to be. Sometimes that means we lose people if someone is ready to take on a new role, but it’s not one that we offer. 

We’re honest with people. I recently had someone return to work with us after she had gone on to experience different things, so if you’re honest, it comes back to you in a good way.

What do you think makes a great place to work?

The initial few weeks are the most telling: how you’re treated, how you’re welcomed, how you’re trained, and how you’re taught to do your job. Whether you join a company in an entry-level position or as a manager, it’s still a process everyone has to go through. If you immediately feel that you’ve got people around you that are supportive and friendly and approachable, that makes a huge difference. 

What would your top tips be to businesses wanting to enter this year’s Best Places to Work in Hospitality?

Listen to what people say. If they say, we need more recognition or we need more praise, then actually do something about that. You’ve got to show that you ask the right questions, you listen to the answers and then you did something about it. And if you can’t do something, you’ve got to explain why. You need to show the before and after. You need to show some measurement.

How to enter the Best Places to Work in Hospitality

The Caterer’s Best Places to Work in Hospitality is designed to identify brilliant businesses by asking the people who truly know – the employees.

When you enter the award, tour employees will be sent a survey asking them what characteristics make a best place to work for them, against which they mark you, their employer.

To enter, visit the Best Places to Work in Hospitality website and login to complete your company details.

You will then receive an email from Korero with your organisation’s unique survey link, plus a sample email to send out to your employees to encourage their participation.

The survey should take about five minutes to complete (it’s anonymous and is treated in complete confidence). Your employees, who will be asked a series of questions about working for your organisation, as well as the opportunity to write their own comments. 

An overall score will be generated from your results, which will enable The Caterer and Korero to identify the top 30 Best Places to Work in Hospitality.

Those who make the top 30 will be invited to attend the People Summit in May 2026, when the winners of the top 30 and individual award winners will be announced. The top six employers will also be invited to enter the Best Employer Award at the 2026 Cateys.