At Revolution Bars Group, we have maintained a distinct strategic focus on the employer proposition of the Group and the experiences of our teams, enabling the integration of the similarly culturally aligned Peach business. Our now synchronised focus on people and sustainability allows for harmony in our shared values, activities, and ambitions for our 3,500+ collective workforce.

Throughout the financial period we continued to make headway in becoming the outstanding late-night operator in the spaces of Diversity and Inclusion, with our external partnerships extending to Women in Hospitality Travel and Leisure, Be Inclusive, The Drinks Trust, Plan B, So Let’s Talk and Springboard. In March 2023, the Group initiated its second comprehensive Diversity & Inclusion Survey which provided invaluable insight, in which 85% of respondents cited that they understood Diversity and Inclusion to be important to Revolution Bars Group.

The Group has now seen 157 internal graduates of MHFA and has introduced a “Mental Health Matters” module to help managers support their teams. We remain committed to prioritising colleague wellbeing and have aligned ourselves with the “It Stops With Me” campaign and have become a supporting member of WiTHL’s Diversity in Hospitality Charter. These engagements and initiatives of our #inclusionrevolution have brought about positive impacts in the areas of recruitment, employee engagement, learning and development, and most importantly our understanding to propel us further on our journey in growing an inclusive environment for all.

“Rev U”, our internal brand for all of our learning and development programmes, has worked with colleagues across the business to develop and implement the crucial new role of Head Bartender (“HBT”). The HBTs are part of an extensive rolling training programme to improve the guest experience within a specialised career path with upskilling in the “art of hospitality” at its core. Rev U hosted RBG’s first annual national bartender championship across the estate to encourage individual innovation, best-in-class serves, and demonstration of flair and HBT skill across several heats, which saw great engagement amongst our talented teams, allowing them to showcase their skills.

The recent migration of our expansive career path content to a more streamlined impactful learning platform has helped to expedite excellence and colleague development. This summer saw the graduation of the first High Potential (“HiPo”) GM programme with excellent reviews, feedback and retention in this key colleague group. We continue to maintain high levels of internal succession into management roles across all parts of the business, demonstrably with one HiPo graduate already promoted to Area Manager and one to GM of a flagship bar. The success of the HiPo course has allowed for a further intake commencing in September 2023.

This year we have again achieved incredible results in our independently administrated key employee voice measurements. Our “Quality of Life” engagement survey has improved on our previously referenced highest ENPS score, with an achievement of 48.4 with participation of 89% of our total population. We are delighted that we have been able to strengthen this key people metric by continuing to enhance the quality of employee experience. Labour turnover has declined month on month over the last 12 months, with much improved retention across all populations.

As our guests continue to navigate rising interest rates, cost-of-living pressures, and other inflationary headwinds, so too have our teams. As a Group, we remain proud that we opted to eradicate National Minimum Wage rates entirely from our pay matrices back in November 2021. In April 2023’s annual pay award we challenged ourselves again with a view to protect and enhance the pay of our hourly-paid colleagues as far as possible, conscious of the relative and often disproportionate impact that the rising level of prices of everyday items has on them.

All considered, and in spite of an externally challenging trading environment we remain focused on the attraction and retention of talented individuals and affirming our place as an industry-leading employer. We have entered FY24 with confidence that, by growing and developing the very best people, we can truly bring to life our vision of being “the place where everyone wants to be”.

The Group supports practices which promote responsible drinking and has established its own “Responsible Alcohol Retailing Policy”, supported by staff training and monitoring. The Group’s pricing models are set so as to avoid deeply discounting products. Events are promoted responsibly and are accompanied by individual risk assessments. A number of bars enter local “Best Bar None” schemes (run by local authorities and the police to encourage good behaviour in town centres), promoting a safe and secure environment. Test purchasing exercises are organised through Serve Legal to ensure that staff are exercising their judgement in the way that they are trained to do with regard to age verification.

The Group continuously aims to improve the quality of its food offering and provide guests with the required information about its products to allow them to make informed decisions about their food consumption. This includes providing allergen and calorie information for all dishes via our website. Products not containing gluten or meat are highlighted on the printed menu. Full training is provided to bar teams to enable them to deal with guest queries and prevent cross-contamination. The Group sets out strict specifications for all products so that high standards of quality are met.

The Group continues to place greater emphasis on offering increased menu choices for vegetarians, vegans and those with food intolerances, given that this is important to an increasing proportion of our guest base. The acquisition of Peach provides significant steps forward, with a significant proportion of the menu being plant-based. Peach aims to trade ethically including removing dredged scallops from menus, providing 100% British cheese on cheese boards, using zero clingfilm, and always aiming to work with British farmers and producers who share Peach’s values.

As part of its social responsibility agenda, the Group partnered with a new corporate charity partner in August 2021. Following an internal vote, over 75% of those that voted chose the Campaign Against Living Miserably (“CALM”). After a challenging pandemic, where at times up to 98.5% of our workforce were on furlough, the Group has an increased focus on employee wellbeing and ensuring a safe and supportive environment at work. Our people told us that suicide support was an incredibly serious concern given the challenging year many had faced, and the Group is proud to support CALM in their journey.

As at year-end, the Group has raised a total of £59k for CALM in FY23 through the sale of products and local fundraising initiatives.

The Group also has a programme designed to promote other charitable activity within its workforce. The scheme, called “You raise it, we match it”, rewards funds raised by staff for other charities and matches what they have raised.

Each year the Bigger Peach team choose key charitable areas to focus on, fundraising through donations of certain menu items, pub events and wider projects. Peach reaches out to support both local and wider charities, including supporting homelessness, food donations, local youth football and rugby clubs, and nationwide charities. Peach’s pubs are the centre of the community, and if they look after them right, they support the pubs too.

The Group has in place an anti-bribery and corruption policy that is communicated through all heads of department to their teams and included in the colleague handbook. The policy requires transparency and the maintenance of an entertainment register that is regularly reviewed by the Board. Key suppliers have also been made aware of the policy.

The Group has in place a modern slavery policy that has been approved by the Board. Suppliers are required to acknowledge the Group’s policy and their obligation to adhere to it as part of any contractual arrangements.

The Group does not have a formal human rights policy, but it is committed to conducting business with integrity and fairness.

Please refer to the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (“TCFD”) Report which includes the requirements of the SECR disclosure, including relevant disclosures on emission type and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Intensity Ratio, scope and methodology, and sustainability plans, and therefore has not been duplicated here. Please see pages 36-53 of the Annual Report and Accounts for further information.