More than a platform, a community in motion

Nestled in the heart of Cornwall, St Austell Brewery has been crafting exceptional beers since 1851 — but its impact goes far beyond brewing. In response to the evolving challenges faced by both the region and the wider hospitality sector, the Brewery has recently redefined its purpose and unveiled a new brand promise: “Brewing Great Experiences for Generations to Come.”

This new company purpose, linked to their roots in Cornwall and the hospitality sector, needed to be supported by an equally impactful learning strategy for their employees. The St Austell team searched for a learning platform that would make training easily accessible for their dispersed workforce, and eventually encourage self-directed learning in the flow of work. Their search led them to Thrive.

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Crafting connection and capability with Thrive

From the outset, Thrive’s implementation was described as “seamless.” One of the most important things to St Austell Brewery in launching the platform was the ability for all their users to access training from wherever they worked, so Thrive’s Mobile App was a no-brainer – but taking this accessibility one step further, Thrive worked with St Austell Brewery to launch biometric recognition specifically for them.

With 95% of St Austell Brewery’s pub staff being deskless, this new addition removed further barriers to learning, and drove mobile engagement by 35%. The platform became much more than a learning hub.  It was used to create a dynamic online community where people could easily access content, connect with peers, and communicate across teams. With features like Thrive’s sector suites and in-built content creation tools, the L&D team could blend ready-made and custom resources in a way that felt totally organic.

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Brewing success through self-directed learning

One of the biggest wins comes in the form of St Austell’s Crafting Careers pathways. This company initiative was built with – and in – Thrive, based on real learning theory that aimed to address staff turnover and develop St Austell Brewery’s staff using a mobile-first learning approach. The pathways can be accessed in seconds, and the L&D team can access actionable data to guide their future decisions. 

In just a few months, the initiative is already starting to pay off in multiple areas – from staff engagement to customer satisfaction. Guest sentiment scores saw a 2.3% increase in average star rating sentiment; year-to-date employee turnover from January-June has decreased year-on-year by 3.2%; and turnover-related costs have declined. By investing in Thrive, St Austell Brewery has invested in its people – and now, learning is always on tap.

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