Future Focus

To call 2023 a challenging year would be something of an understatement. We often refer to the incredible resilience the independent hospitality sector shows, and 2023 tested this to the limit.

Unfortunately, the nature of the beast with any business is that you’re going to be vulnerable to external circumstances that are beyond your control and it is important to recognise these factors.

Just the same, with any business there is always room to reevaluate, learn and grow from what has come before. We believe in the value of looking back in order to move forward and calendar years provide convenient opportunities to look at a prolonged period of your business in operation and reflect on what you feel you need to do in the future.

So what has been learnt from 2023 and helped to overcome the seemingly endless raft of challenges it provided?

NCASS members Burger & Beyond navigated a tireless year that saw them open two new fixed site premises, and touted the importance of ‘patience and perseverance’ as being key factors in getting through challenging circumstances. They also state ‘the building of a great team will always be paramount’ – it’s clear to see how these aspects go hand-in-hand, and can help to provide solid foundations and building blocks for any independent hospitality venture to bloom from.

This echoes the statement that ‘a business is only as good as the people that make it’ – the importance of investing in and assembling a proficient team who you trust and who represent the business positively should never be underestimated. When faced with uncertain circumstances, the best you can do is focus on what you can control and try to mediate the impact of external factors – having a strong team unit will go a long way to this end. Can-do attitudes, a source of determination, innovative ideas and pivoting to adapt in pressing situations, are invaluable tools that a successful team will provide.

Street Food Warehouse organise and operate street food events and festivals across the UK and are responsible for booking and working with caterers while facilitating events that will attract hungry customers and leave them satisfied. They ‘knew it was going to be a challenging year for all involved, with prices increasing from an organiser’s perspective; councils demanding higher venue hire fees and increased infrastructure and transportation costs.’

What have they learnt from the year? ‘To really value our relationship with councils, landowners, traders and suppliers and understanding that we work through any adversity together. Building our professional relationships really helped in persevering with the year.’

Undoubtedly last year, like the previous few, was tough for all in the industry. NCASS Director Mark Laurie has seen this first hand and, ever the optimist, he urges everyone to see that ‘there is light at the end of the tunnel ahead, as things are now starting to move in the right direction – there is going to be real opportunity for innovation – something the industry is renowned for.’

Widening the scope further, we also spoke with independent festivals organisation Association of Festival Organisers (AFO), who had hoped that 2023 ‘would be a bounce back year’ having paused activities for two years during Covid. However, things didn’t quite materialise like that as the ‘economic climate and costs of infrastructure for building festivals was outstripping budgets.’ Readjusting from early hopes, they came to view 2023 as a ‘just about get by’ year. Does that sound familiar?

The consistency across the spate of organisers and caterers, is increased costs squeezing an operation and the importance of collaboration to tap further into and boost pre-existing strengths.

For all of its negatives, the challenges that 2023 presented in and of themselves provided a wealth of opportunities to learn and overcome. In many ways, this is what business – and particularly successful business – is all about; finding and making the most from learning opportunities. As mentioned at the outset of this article, the path forward can always benefit from the hindsight of what has been, and we made some noise suggesting using the downtime that winter months can provide in hospitality, to reflect and reevaluate.

Looking forward then with the intention of putting what has been learnt into practice, what are some hopes for 2024?

Both AFO and Street Food Warehouse mention how ‘we’re all at the mercy of the great British weather’ and how beneficial a long and nourishing visit from the sun would be during summer months, which I don’t think anyone would disagree with!

The industry is built on all of the people that make it incredible, and any success 2024 is to bring will be due to their brilliance, as the National Outdoor Events Association (NOEA) know: ‘This is an industry full of very passionate people, who care about what they do, who are inherently creative and imaginative and who get things done.’

Furthermore, Street Food Warehouse are excited to be opening their eleventh site this year in Exeter and to ‘continue growing organically,’ as well as focusing on contributing further to achieving their sustainability targets. Another site is a positive step, particularly for NCASS members, as it opens up further trading opportunities, so keep an eye out for that.

There are always innovations, tweaks and adaptations that you can implement within your business offering, which is exactly what Burger & Beyond intend to do, as they are ‘going to be focusing on bringing some exciting collaborations for 2024.’

A business pivot was a natural trend that grew throughout last year, as we saw many members look to adapt and overcome by thinking about how their offering could potentially be repositioned. Sometimes you need to know when to stick and when to twist. Collaborations have proved popular, and can be a great way to try something new, engage with different audiences and help out fellow independent businesses.

Being agile, having to adjust to circumstances and finding new opportunities has always been of pivotal importance to hospitality businesses. Mark Laurie points to the North East regeneration project NCASS has been working on, aimed at regenerating high streets through hospitality that ‘can provide a workable, prosperous blueprint that can be replicated across the UK, creating ample opportunities for the sector.’ We will be sure to communicate more about this as soon as possible, so keep an eye peeled for updates.

With the summer season fast approaching, the whole nation will be united in hoping for some positive weather! With cost-of-living pressures on consumers gradually fading, the public will be looking to spend more and indulge in the endless array of goodness our members provide, which would indeed make for a good summer and go a long way towards making 2024 a much more positive outing than 2023 proved to be.
According to the CGA, ‘the festival industry is set to thrive, with a third of festival goers planning to visit more festivals in 2024. Operators agree with this optimism and expect ticket sales to increase by 10pp, taking total sales to 82%.’ With this being the case, there will be plenty of trading possibilities on offer – but it is important to exercise some caution when it comes to the events you pick.

In terms of advice to make the most of 2024, Steve Heap from the AFO states: ‘Be wary of huge percentages and pitch fees and if it sounds too good to be true it probably is. It’s a trying time for us all and only through working together can we face the weird and the wonderful that the event industry throws at us.’

Mark Laurie agrees – stating that ‘caterers might have to ask themselves hard questions and really consider if that event is worth trading at. It’s imperative to stick to your guns, know your worth and what works for you. Make sure you’re crystal clear on any agreements with festivals or events.’

Diligence is key when it comes to trading applications. Don’t just get drawn in by the fancy lights and perceived prestige that comes with trading at the ‘Hollywood’ festivals – often traders can enjoy a more lucrative spell at a local or indie festival.

NOEA hopes that ‘event organisers realise how valuable caterers are to their overall package, and that they work collaboratively with their caterers. People don’t just eat at festivals and major events to stave off hunger, they want it to be a part of the experience.’

Steve Heap goes on further to mention the importance of ‘really caring for your staff,’ as ‘happy staff serve customers well’ – we cannot underline enough the importance of getting your staffing right. Think of the reverse – the potential ramifications of employing disengaged, disinterested staff can include losing your customers and prove to be incredibly damaging.

Finally, Craig from Burger & Beyond keeps things simple, urging you to ‘believe in the goal and work hard!’ These are wise words, and whatever your aim or focus is for 2024, the most important driver to achieving that success is having belief in yourself and putting the work in.