Jon Davies, CEO of Levy UK & Ireland, told hospitality leaders that the industry’s future depends on purpose, partnership and people as he addressed Arena’s latest live event at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Davies said Levy’s focus is on delivering “the best guest experience” while driving sustainability “across the supply chain,” warning that “it’s getting hotter every year and the way we eat creates a huge footprint.”
He outlined Levy’s four strategic pillars – performance, people, planet and partnership – and shared how collaborations with experts in their field such as Peppermint Events and the creation of Constellation, Levy’s in-house staffing agency, were born from pandemic-era innovation.
On talent coming into the sector, he said: “We need to sell ourselves better. In Europe, people are proud to work in hospitality. Our job is to make people see it’s an industry to come and work in.”
Davies also discussed Levy’s shift toward more sustainable sourcing, highlighting British wild venison as an alternative to imported beef and lamb, and spoke about the opportunities and challenges posed by AI.
“It’s 50% exciting and 50% terrifying,” he said, “but it can help us forecast better, reduce waste, and meet customer demand more accurately.”
Arena director Lorraine Wood said: “Jon’s message about partnership, sustainability and people perfectly captured where our industry is heading. Arena exists to bring leaders together to learn from each other and shape the future of foodservice.”
