Hospitality Rising recruitment campaign launches £5m fundraise

Hospitality Rising, led by ex Pret a Manger and YO! Sushi marketer Mark McCulloch to tackle the sector’s talent crisis, has launched a £5m fundraise.

McCulloch hopes to create a high-profile recruitment campaign to attract more talent into the industry as it starts to recover following the pandemic.

Hospitality Rising has already raised £200,000 pre fundraising launch from a range of companies including Côte, Peach Pubs, Wild Flor, Butlin’s, Rhubarb Hospitality Group, Hilton, Buzzworks, Pizza Pilgrims, Wahaca, Arc Inspirations, Loungers, Coal Shed, Marugame Udon, Hawksmoor, Punch Pubs and PizzaExpress.

The campaign has also secured £250,000 worth of pro bono creative strategy time and concept development from a clutch of top agencies via the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising, led by Julian Douglas. He has pulled together advertising agencies including VCCP, Ogilvy and Forever Beta that work with brands such as O2, Cadbury, Burger King, Coca Cola, Google and Amazon.

McCulloch said: “The support we’ve had from the industry and some of our marketing contacts has been amazing. We now need to raise enough money to really land a high profile that will both attract people back into the industry or make those who haven’t considered our sector as a viable, exciting, creative and rewarding career.”

Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UKHospitality, added: “We’re very pleased to be working closely with Mark and Hospitality Rising to develop and promote a comprehensive campaign to address chronic labour and skills shortages in the hospitality industry with a range of short and long-term plans, and in particular to raise awareness of the need for all-important campaign funding. It has our full backing and we’re excited to see such early and positive momentum.”