‘Chuffed to bits’ – Boston-based business ranked in top 25 of UK employers of its size

The Coaching Inn Group has been ranked 21st in the Sunday Times’ Top 100 Large Companies to Work For poll.

The list is based on a survey of employees and is open to businesses which have between 200 and 1,999 employees (there are separate lists for small, mid-sized and larger operations).

Last year, The Coaching Inn Group was ranked 44th in the poll (for companies of between 250 and 2,000 employees).

The business operates 18 hotels and coaching inns in market towns across the country, including Boston’s White Hart Hotel and The Admiral Rodney Hotel, in Horncastle.

Kevin Charity, chief executive officer, said he was ‘chuffed to bits’ with the result, especially as it was based on comments from staff.

“Being placed number 21 now is amazing and demonstrates that we’re punching well above our weight,” he said.

Mr Charity attributed the success in the poll to its ‘people-focussed’ ethos.

Examples of this in practice, he said, are its Inspire Leadership Programme, which encourages team members to advance their career by gaining hospitality industry qualifications, and its ‘ Academy, which does the same for those in its kitchen teams, but also organises visits to market gardens, farms and our other high-quality food sources.

Top of the list was jewellers Beaverbrooks. Other familiar names in the top 100 were: Camelot (10), operators of The National Lottery; Toyota (31), Everton Football Club (54) for its community connection, Hotel Chocolat (67), and Lincolnshire’s St Barnabas Hospice Trust (89).