Opening up opportunities

One of The Crown Estate’s key strengths is its ability to bring people together to make a positive impact.

The hospitality industry plays a pivotal role in creating a vibrant West End, but our customers were telling us that they faced significant skills gaps and labour shortages. With our experience of opening up recruitment opportunities – which we had successfully done through our Recruit Regional programme for many years – we partnered with our customers and the Department for Work and Pensions to create our first hospitality jobs fair in the capital.

Held at Park Row in Piccadilly, we brought together a wide range of our customers including Gaucho, Bafta 195 Piccadilly, Fortnum & Mason, The Avocado Show and Gordon Ramsay Restaurants with over 200 people attending to explore careers in the hospitality sector.

The fair created a showcase for people to explore roles in some of the most exciting hospitality businesses in the country. The event also captured the spirit of the industry with experiential taster sessions, alongside presentation and interview technique workshops. The jobs available on the day included baristas, bar tenders, chefs, hosts, managers and front-of-house positions. 30 people were offered a position on the day of the fair, with 78% of attendees leaving with a more positive view of and interest in the industry.

Following the success of the event, we will evolve the format with our customers and attendee feedback in the coming year.

“ It’s important that we understand the challenges and barriers that our customers and the communities we serve face. It’s through coming together, talking and understanding that we can create ways forward that can make a positive difference for everyone.”

Sarah McClaren, Customer Partnership Manager