Working together is vital
If operators work together we can make a real success of sustainability and enhance our businesses, says Ilsington Country House hotel's Tim Hassell
Each of us running a restaurant, hotel or leisure attraction has an agenda - recognition, status and profitability are our priorities. It's a tough market and to steal a march, the temptation might be to undercut the competition, or to keep our marketing plans or suppliers a secret.
But what if we were to join forces?
Collaborative effort is the mainstay of sustainability. Alone, we are fully aware of the need to attract repeat visitors, own a great reputation or deliver an award-winning food offer. Together - we can share knowledge and with group might, achieve even more.
We are all agreed that we want to give guests and visitors the best experience possible. Communicating effectively is a major part of this. Let them know which local suppliers you use; demonstrate ecological prowess. Explain what surrounds your venue and why it has such a great reputation - it makes it all the more magnetic.
Our region, the South-west, hosts a wealth of regional farming and foodie businesses. It makes perfect sense then to use local produce and food suppliers. Our visitors like it, we keep our food miles down and we bolster our business community.
From my own business perspective, our rural location enables us to keep chickens (for eggs) and turkeys on site and we even catch some of our own fish. We are also looking into ways of generating our own energy - offering both green and commercial benefits.
Joint marketing has also worked for us and is a cornerstone of sustained success. Based in Devon, we have run offers with Cornish hotels to allow visitors to break up their journey and experience both sides of the region. We promote their hotel and they promote ours. Similarly, we ensure that we highlight all of the local hospitality venues in our immediate surroundings. If there are five successful businesses in one place then it can only serve to attract more visitors to the area.
The biggest advantage of working together is the ability to share best practice. We can give and take advice from those who run similar businesses to us, in order to evaluate which business models work best and how we can improve our own offering. We can talk through problems and achieve practical solutions with the help of experienced operators.
It's a call to action. Hospitality has always been a dynamic and demanding industry but now working together is absolutely vital to our survival, success and the UK visitor experience.
