The Gallivant scraps service charge and gives staff a cut of company profits

The Gallivant restaurant with rooms in Camber has scrapped its service charge and announced plans to share company profits with staff at the end of the financial year.

The hotel said it was raising staff minimum wage to £9 per hour and would be offering an additional performance based bonus.

It has also removed a mandatory service charge from guests' bills and adjusted menu prices to ensure ‘fair pay across the team’.

A representative for The Gallivant said the changes would see the business take a ‘hit on the payroll’ but that owner Harry Cragoe strongly felt it would lead to happier staff and customers.

Cragoe said he wanted his staff to feel like an ‘integral part of the team’ and enjoy the benefits of the hotel’s success.

“It is very important for us to ensure every staff member at The Gallivant knows how much they contribute and are valued, from the team who clean the rooms, to the kitchen porter right through to the amazing waiting staff and sous chefs – they are all vital roles, and contribute to making The Gallivant such a success” said Cragoe.

In 2014 The Zetter Group became the first hospitality business in the UK to announce a similar scheme to share company profits with staff.

As a result the company paid out an extra 1.9 weeks of salary to staff in 2015 across its venues including The Zetter Townhouse and Bruno Loubet’s Grain Store restaurant.