Why it pays to take part in The Caterer’s Best Places to Work in Hospitality

Elevate your employer brand

Recognition in Best Places to Work in Hospitality showcases your people-first culture and strengthens your reputation with potential hires. Ibrahim Agoro joined Dakota Manchester as assistant bar manager earlier this year. He says he knew of the Dakota brand since 2022 and shared that when he was looking for a job, he saw Dakota was featured in the Best Places to Work in Hospitality list and that was a key reason for why he applied to work there. 

He says: “I was not surprised by this achievement because of the stories I have heard about how team members were treated, [and the] perks of working with the brand.” 

Attract, engage and retain top talent

Being named a Best Place to Work helps you recruit exceptional people, and keep them, by fostering trust, loyalty and a shared sense of pride. “Companies that look after their people – it’s a huge USP,” says Harley. 

Benchmark against the best

As Harley points out, applying enables operators to see how their people culture compares to other leading hospitality employers and use the insight to shape their long-term people strategy.

Unlock exclusive opportunities

Did you know that to be in with a chance to win the Best Employer Award at the Cateys, the business must first be nominated and shortlisted into The Caterer’s Best Places to Work in Hospitality awards? While the awards identify and showcases the top 30 operators which lead the way in workplace culture, the top six operators are invited to be shortlisted for the Best Employer Award at the Cateys in July.

But don’t worry – even if you miss out on the chance of a Catey, entering the survey can gain you access to The Caterer’s sector-renowned People Summit. The annual May event brings together HR hospitality professionals and industry experts to discuss the latest people and culture trends and share actionable insights they can take back to their businesses.

Celebrate and inspire your teams

Recognition instils pride and unity, giving your people a reason to celebrate success together. Sarah Hannon, sales co-ordinator at Signature Dining, says “everyone [felt] ownership” of the success of entering the top six list. She adds that the care catering company views any award as “everybody’s success” and it boosts team morale and commitment.

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, your 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 will be asked a series of questions about working for your organisation, as well as having 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.