FEATURE
Partners – Achieve Hospitality co-founders and co-managing directors Molly and Lewis Clennell.
SUPPORTING
HOSPITALITY
IN A CHALLENGING MARKET
How Achieve Hospitality is working alongside operators to strengthen teams in a complex trading climate
The hospitality industry is built on adaptability, service and strong leadership.
However, it has encountered significant challenges in recent years and 2026 presents a particularly complex financial landscape – one that continues to place sustained pressure on hotels, restaurants and bars across the UK. In response, recruitment agency Achieve Hospitality is lowering its fees to better support operators navigating rising cost pressures across the sector.
Rising National Living Wage rates, increased employer on-costs, reduced business rate relief and supplier inflation are coinciding with a time when consumer spending remains cautious.
For many hospitality businesses, labour represents the largest operational cost, while maintaining competitive pay and protecting margins has become an increasingly delicate balance.
Achieve co-founder and co-managing director Lewis Clennell explains:“ Businesses aren’ t looking for sympathy, they need solutions. Yes, there are cost
At your service – Molly( back row, third from left) and Lewis( seated, right) with members of the Achieve team. pressures, but what they really need is strong leadership and standards to follow.
“ The hospitality industry can’ t afford to lose any more service quality, especially when things are already tough.”
The time to hire has lengthened and reaction-led recruitment can quickly become expensive, not just financially, but operationally, leaving key roles unfilled, increasing pressure on teams and potentially impacting performance.
Co-founder and co-managing director Molly Clennell adds:“ We’ re seeing businesses think much more carefully about every hire now. It’ s no longer about filling a gap quickly – it’ s about making the right appointment for the long term.”
Achieve has been working with various hospitality operators both locally and internationally to understand the challenges they are facing. As a result, Achieve has introduced reduced recruitment fees, reinforcing its commitment to supporting businesses in a demanding economic climate.
Achieve is helping businesses navigate their way through difficult times by keeping its services in line with what hospitality operators need right now, despite the constant pressure to cut costs.
Rather than simply following market trends, the focus has been on flexibility, transparency and practical support, enabling businesses to continue investing in talent without adding unnecessary financial pressure.
Lewis notes that if clients are struggling, there is a need to find ways to help them in a constructive manner. This means being practical and making sure hiring new people is a solution that helps, not a problem that makes things worse.
“ When things get tough, hiring new people is often seen as an expense, but in reality, it’ s one of the few things that can be controlled and can have a direct impact on how well a company does,” he says.
Molly points out that when it comes to the hospitality industry, the people working in it are what really make or break its performance.
“ It’ s really important to invest in the right people, and companies that focus on having good leaders will always be in a better position to succeed.”
Working with hotels and restaurants means understanding the everyday struggles they face, from tight budgets to staffing issues and big growth plans.
Achieve Hospitality takes the time to really get to know their clients, looking at the whole picture – not just the job itself, but the company’ s structure, financial goals and long-term vision.
By doing this, it can create recruitment solutions that make sense for the business and will last over time.
“ This industry has consistently shown its ability to adapt to changes,” Lewis adds.
“ Businesses that continue to prioritise investments in their people, doing so in a careful and strategic manner, will ultimately emerge stronger.”
In 2026, standing with hospitality means practical support, commercial awareness and a commitment to protecting the talent that keeps the industry thriving.
Visit achievehospitality. com
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