St Austell Brewery reduces turnover-related costs by 3.2% with Thrive
Learners using Thrive
Challenges addressed with Thrive
Integrations used
Increase in mobile engagement in 2025
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.
Crafting connection and capability with Thrive
From the outset, Thrive’s implementation was described as “seamless.” Giving every colleague access to training, wherever they worked, was the top priority for St Austell. Thrive’s Mobile App made that possible. To take accessibility even 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 removed even more 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.
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.
"Thrive has completely changed the way we do learning and development here. It’s made everything so much more engaging, way more accessible, and so much more effective with everything we roll out."
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