Council asked to approve business strategy plan

At a meeting next week (1st December) Sefton Council’s Cabinet will be asked to approve a new strategy and three-year business plan for the hospitality company running The Lake House in Crosby.

Sefton Hospitality Operations Limited (SHOL), wholly owned by Sefton Council, operates the hospitality offer at The Lake House, as well as a unit at the successful Southport Market.

This new Business Plan follows on from a previous business plan presented to Cabinet in February 2022 and reflects the good start that The Lake House has made, despite the challenges the wider hospitality sector faces at this time, including recovery from the pandemic and the cost of living crisis.

However, Sefton Council, and the SHOL Board, remain committed to attracting the very best staff by offering quality full-time, permanent employment opportunities, with all roles paying a real living wage or above, and a wide range of employee support and career development opportunities.  This is reflected in the low turnover of staff, at less than 15%, that is far lower than the present industry average.

Working with the Council’s Sefton@Work team this summer to host a recruitment day attended by 90 people, SHOL were able to recruit 40 new staff. Already 46 new jobs have been created, 83% of whom are Sefton residents. 

Speaking about the success of SHOL and The Lake House so far, Cllr Marion Atkinson, Sefton Council Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Skills, said:
“The Council is delighted with the quality of The Lake House; not just in terms of the food, drink and accommodation on offer at this fantastic location, but also with the quality of customer experience being offered by a passionate and dedicated team.

“The pandemic hit the hospitality sector hard, with many businesses struggling to survive, and to retain their staff. So of course, I’m thrilled to see that our staff turnover is low, and that other businesses in the sector are adopting a similar strategy in terms of working conditions to ensure they are able to attract and retain new talent.  

 “This proves what we’ve been saying all along -  that financial sustainability, a quality customer offer, excellent customer service, and first rate employment opportunities do not have to be mutually exclusive – we don’t believe that we need to have one at the expense of the other, and so far we’re being proved right.

“SHOL is going from strength to strength and has so much more to offer, both for its customers and the local community – demonstrated by the range of exciting events and opportunities in the pipeline for Christmas, and for 2023”