The Knutsford-based restaurant operator behind Gusto and Grill on the Edge came 28th in the Sunday Times Top 100 Best Companies To Work For list published on Sunday, 4th March.
Living Ventures was noted for having the right ingredients when it comes to employee engagement, with staff reporting a strong team ethic, great opportunities for development, a strong sense of wellbeing and positive leadership.
In the staff survey 78% of employees felt that the pressure of work is not bad enough to affect their concentration, 79% considered their training to be of great personal benefit and 79% also said that working in their teams gives them a buzz. All of these results placed Living Ventures in the top 10 nationally.
Living Ventures was founded in 1999 by entrepreneurs Tim Bacon and Jeremy Roberts, stemming from their first venture, The Living Room. The brand developed across most leading cities in Britain based on its bid to offer quality without exclusivity and high levels of service without high prices.
Today, operations include Gusto and the Blackhouse steak and seafood restaurants. The company also has Suburbia, a nightclub based in Hale and in the past year they have opened four new outlets in Manchester's Spinningfields - The Alchemist, Australasia, The Oast House pub and a deli/cafe called Peppermint Bay.
The company gets its highest overall factor rank of ninth in My Team. Every year it holds an event called "the LV challenge" a quiz based on food, drink and Living Ventures core knowledge. Each restaurant and bar in the group enters, and last year's winners bagged £3,000 and an all expenses paid trip to the Prosecco region in Italy, which included a three-day tour of the area. In addition, all staff are rewarded for hard work over the busy Christmas period with a company night out and their restaurant or bar is closed to allow everyone to attend.
There is a strong sense of family within their teams, reported by 81% of staff, and 89% of employees said they have fun with their colleagues, a score which was bettered by only two other firms in The Sunday Times survey.
Leadership is highly regarded at the company. Tim Bacon started his career as a bartender and Jeremy Roberts began by washing dishes in his Dad's hotel. 81% of employees believe senior managers truly live the values of the organisation and 82% are confident in their leadership skills.
Training is compulsory no matter what anyone's previous experience or qualifications. As a result, 80% of staff felt that jobs at Living Ventures are good for personal growth.
Commenting on the accolade, Managing Director Tim Bacon said: "It's great to have such a ringing endorsement of how we run the business from the people that make it happen for us every week."
Living Ventires acquired No.15 London Road in 2009 and are currently in the process of refurbishing the building where they intend to open their second pub The Botanist in May.
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