I worked with someone once who openly said that the word culture is thrown around more than a dogs chew toy. Needless to say he didn’t last long!
Having had the pleasure of meeting Hayley Cummings from Pizza Pilgrims yesterday it reiterated how wrong my previous colleague had been and how negative the comment was and how ignorant. We work in the ultimate people industry – hospitality! Our teams and our guests mean everything…. Arguably over the wet and dry offering. I’d happily argue this point all day, everyday!
Don’t get me wrong. Pizza Pilgrims do an amazing Pizza and the quality and authenticity is to die for. You only have to taste the pizza to understand that this is a real taste of Italy delivered in the London Market and the lads journey through Italy was a real Pizza Pilgrimage where they literally ate it up to bring it back to us and thank you gentlemen that you did.
As Hayley explained the awesome story we felt the culture and the real story behind it is simply inspirational. A great idea and story were just the start and it’s the culture created that REALLY excites me. With 11 stores and modest growth you can see how happy the team (and very cool) are and how the company had maintained its grounded and almost rugged style which screams authenticity. It’s real and not getting carried away by success and adding frills and thrills would spoil this. Every team member would feel it and it would lose the charm that shines through to every happy and well fed guest.
Maintaining and developing culture’s not an easy thing and I know how hard everyone will be working to maintain this. Great effort Pizza Pilgrims and Thom and James’ story is cool, fun and the success is great even though I’m sure you’re both modest as you drive the business with a really hands on approach. Thanks Hayley for the insight and I look forward to seeing how the story continues.
Personally I love the real gem’s out there and as we left, Ian, Alex and I had big smiles on our faces.
Culture. It’s not a fad or an overused word. Culture has depth and should be uncompromised. Thanks for reading this short article.