The Ivy Collection, Soho House, Megan's, D&D London, Café Nero and other leading UK hospitality businesses have joined Burger & Lobster in a united effort to help Ukrainian refugees seek work as they arrive in the UK.
The initiative has brought hundreds of operators together to support this worthy cause.
The employment consortium Hospitalityforall.co.uk, spearheaded by Burger & Lobster, has welcomed 168 sign-ups from the sector since the news hit the headlines last week.
Restaurant and bar groups pledging to offer roles include Big Mamma, Goodman, Searcys, Drake & Morgan, Gordon Ramsay Group, Caprice Holdings, Incipio Group and The Cinnamon Collection.
Also on board are fine dining independents such as The Fat Duck, Endo at Rotunda, Elystan Street, and leading casual chains such as Pizza Pilgrims, Cote, Franco Manca, Bleeker Burger and YO! Sushi, as well as a whole raft of national pub and hotel groups including GLH Hotels.
Head of People at Burger & Lobster, Alex Sheekey, comments: 'We've been completely bowled over by the support we've received. It's genuinely fantastic to see such a positive response for Hospitality For All, and we thank everyone who has shown interest and signed up so far.
'The platform is progressing swiftly with CAB Studios, and we're excited to see new features added as this project advances. Hospitalityforall.co.uk will feature a member login area where partners can manage the jobs available and a respondent database for accessible communication and interview organisation.
We've also added language toggling to aid applicants in their search, allowing for full-site translation into the most spoken languages in Ukraine. Liaisons with government bodies and cross-industry associations have begun to aid the launch of Hospitalityforall.co.uk in terms of directing those in need of employment support toward the platform.
“It is said if you want to go far, go together, and that's what we're doing. There is tangible excitement this side for Hospitality For All, and we can't wait to see the platform launch next month and the impact it's hopefully going to make on so many lives.'
Hospitality For All will launch mid-April and take the form of an applicant-first hospitality-focused recruitment website where brands can post available jobs for refugees. The straightforward process enables those looking for employment to submit one simple application form for various industry vacancies, from front- to back-of-house, rather than having to apply to multiple restaurants.
Applications will be shared across the consortium's recruitment teams, thus facilitating jobs in the fastest way possible and giving the applicant a higher chance of success.
For hospitality businesses looking to sign up, please head to https://www.burgerandlobster.com/hospitality-for-all/