BUSINESS NEWS �
17
Spa Hotel sale denial
GOOD STAFF Julian Leefe-Griffiths with executive chef Daniel Hatton
Recruitment barrier to hotel success
Businessman has to search further afield to find the right staff • By Steve Hemsley HOTELIER and restaurateur Julian Leefe-Griffiths says the difficulty in finding great staff is the biggest barrier to expanding his portfolio of businesses in and around Tunbridge Wells. Mr Leefe-Griffiths took over the George & Dragon in Speldhurst in November 2004, opened the Black Pig Pub & Dining Room in the heart of the town in 2007, launched The Tunbridge Wells Hotel on The Pantiles in 2012 and re-opened The Leicester Arms Hotel Restaurant in Penshurst in December 2013. He said: “Throughout my career I have loved to re-fit
businesses, wind them up and watch them go but it is getting tougher to find great people locally. We currently need good chefs and assistant managers. “The lack of talented people available in this area is stopping our expansion. As a businessman, you always need people who have new ideas as well as experience.” Mr Leefe-Griffiths has had to cast his recruitment net wider, searching in Maidstone, Lewes and even Brighton. He says his priority for 2015 is to spend more time supporting his existing staff, who he describes as excellent. “When we do find the right people, they stay with us for a long time because I am a firm believer in looking after those who make your products great,” he said.
Moving up... Times of Tunbridge Wells
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Meanwhile Mr Leefe-Griffiths continues to invest in his properties. He is currently spending £70,000 to create a new garden at the 14-bedroom The Leicester Arms Hotel Restaurant close to Penshurst Place, while The George & Dragon was refitted last year. Mr Leefe-Griffiths is excited about the impact that a new Curzon cinema on The Pantiles could have on the hotel if the planning application currently with Tunbridge Wells Borough Council is approved. He said: “The Pantiles has improved in recent years and that has a great deal to do with the hard work of local businesses. If the cinema is given the go-ahead it will add even more vibrancy to the area.”
THE owner of The Spa Hotel has moved quickly to scotch rumours that he has put the business up for sale. Chris Scragg, who bought the hotel in 2007, said he could ‘categorically deny’ any truth in reports that he is looking for a buyer. He said: “I have no idea where these rumours keep coming from but we have invested millions of pounds in the hotel and are spending a lot more refurbishing it, including improving the lobby and building a gazebo in the garden for weddings, “I would not be doing that if I wanted out.” He added: “I have been in hotels all my life and I expect to die in hotels. My children work at The Spa and I see hotels as a long term business.” Scragg Hotels Ltd acquired 70-bedroom The Spa Hotel from the Goring family which had owned it since 1964. The hotel was originally built in 1766 as a country mansion and first opened its doors as The Bishops Down Spa Hotel in 1880. It is situated in 14 acres of grounds. Before he bought the Spa, Mr Scragg was chairman and managing director of Marston’s hotels. A rival hotelier in Tunbridge Wells also expressed surprise at the rumours. “I would be amazed if Chris sold up now. He is doing a great job in a competitive local market.”
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Wednesday 6th May 2015