Since it was founded in 2004, Thai Leisure Group has grown to become one of the nation’s leading Thai restaurant brands, and is currently the only Thai group with a national footprint, the strongest group in the north of England, and the only group with a presence in Scotland.
Family-run, Chaophraya and Thaikhun are the two leading brands, with restaurants in major UK cities including; Manchester, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Leeds, Bath, Glasgow, Southampton and Oxford.
Here, Managing Director at Thai Leisure Group, Ian Leigh, discusses what the restaurant chain is doing to support local charities and communities, and how this is a contributing factor to attracting and retaining the best workforce.
Inspiring teamwork, pride and quality of service through shared values
Thai Leisure Group follows the ethos ‘Proud to L.O.V.E’ – (Live Our Values Everyday) inspiring teamwork, pride and quality of service in each restaurant by proudly serving customers with a taste of Thailand. However, Thai Leisure Group’s brand values go beyond the kitchen and restaurant floor, by supporting a number of good causes and charitable organisations close to the hearts of its employees, each year.
Ian Leigh, Managing Director at Thai Leisure Group, said: “One of our founding principles is ‘Ow Jai Sai’ – meaning ‘Care from the Heart’. Everything we do at Thai Leisure Group comes from the heart and this transcends beyond the restaurants. Charity work and supporting local beneficiaries is part of Thai culture, so being a money-led business is not an option for us. There has to be a wider goal to everything that we do and that starts with the support of good causes and local communities.”
Supporting good causes
Recently, Thai Leisure Group launched an initiative to do just this. Each of its 12 restaurants across England and Scotland gave customers the opportunity to pay an additional £1 on top of their bill. This, alongside menu donations and other fundraising events, allowed the group to donate an incredible £ 111,645 between two charities, Lancashire homeless charity, Liveshare and Edinburgh-based charity, Fresh Start.
Ian added: “We are on a mission to give our support to those in need. The strategy is simple, we want to help small charities across England and Scotland make a huge difference in their city. That is why in recent years we have allowed members of the Thai Leisure Group team to vote for a charity they would like to support with the £1 scheme. As well as our most recent partnerships with Candlelighters, Liveshare and Fresh Start, we have also partnered with Dementia Forward and Ayrshire Hospice, who provide support to those with end-of-life care needs and dementia.”
In light of the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine by Russia, Thai Leisure Group has decided to nominate United Help Ukraine to be its chosen partner for the coming month. United Help Ukraine (UHU) is a charity currently providing medical aid and humanitarian relief to the people of Ukraine, as well as raising awareness of the struggle currently ongoing for millions of families across the nation.
Ian commented: “We felt it was only right to make United Help Ukraine the beneficiary of Thai Leisure Group in March 2022. Through the £1 scheme and various fundraising events, we hope that our donation can make even the slightest of impacts to those most affected in Ukraine and support the millions of families who may need aid and financial support in the coming months.”
Building a business focussed on culture and values
In today’s society where hospitality businesses are experiencing an increase in consumer demand but a lack of staff, it’s important to establish alternative ways to attract and retain talent. Demand for workers is so high that many businesses are offering various incentives to attract and retain staff such as; bonus schemes, more flexible working, increased pay and even education and accommodation packages. However, not everyone accepts a job based on these factors alone – and Ian is finding staff are increasingly focused on a company’s reputation and values.
He said: “Employees have their personal values and ways of living and working, and it’s becoming increasingly important that an employer aligns with this. We are seeing more and more people caring deeply about the culture and values of a company, and we’ve found that aligning and connecting with this has been key for building a genuine and longstanding connection with our team. It is for this reason that we clearly state our company values when recruiting, to ensure an aligned and (hopefully) longstanding relationship.”
As lockdown eases and more people continue to leave their homes and venture back into restaurants and bars, Thai Leisure Group will continue its ethos of supporting charities and good causes both quarterly, and with the £1 round-up scheme. To successfully care from the heart, means working in each city to support those in need.
For more information on Thai Leisure Group, visit www.thaileisuregroup.co.uk
