All together, the great outdoors beats the boardroom

Every summer the Peach Pub Company (no relation) rents a house in the country and throws a big week-long party. In the early days it was a chalet in Spain; now that the business has grown, it’s off to Warwickshire.

But amid all the fancy dress, treasure hunts, barbecues and trips to Go Ape, there’s some serious team building going on too. It’s all part of maintaining and developing the company culture. As Peach Pub’s co-founder Lee Cash admits: “One of the main reasons for joining this market was to have the opportunity to throw a good party.” He still does, by all accounts.

Head chefs, sous chefs, GMs and deputies are invited, 30 at a time, for three days away. “Someone has to run the business, so we can’t do everyone at once. We split them into two groups,” explains Cash.

As well as much eating and drinking, there are serious sessions on the business and its future direction, led by Cash and business partner Hamish Stoddart. “We don’t bring in consultants. We’ll send people to see someone like Jim Sullivan (see page 9), but we do the rest ourselves,” says Cash.

“It’s vital for our culture. It stops a hierarchy developing and it gives something back too. As the company grows, it gets harder, but it’s important to do it.”

The training getaway is all part of a comprehensive ongoing programme which includes quarterly Peach leaders’ days on an organic farm, a “Heroes of Hospitality” scheme for more junior staff, and a company-wide party.

The award-winning Peach Pub Company operates ten food-oriented pubs across the Home Counties and south Midlands. The company motto is “Striving to be peachy every day” – and you can’t argue with that.

Find out more at www.peachpubs.com.