Energetic staff on the menu at Macdonald Hotels : Pioneering scheme for canteen to serve only healthy, balanced meals

Purpose – Describes the HR policies in place at the Macdonald Hotels and Resorts, concentrating on initiatives at the Macdonald Manchester Hotel and Spa. Design/methodology/approach – Explains the background to the various initiatives – including a scheme to serve only healthy, balanced meals in the staff canteen – and the results they have achieved. Findings – Details such staff‐development initiatives as the hotel's induction program, its graduate‐training scheme, its Stairways to Success training program and the level 2 National Vocational Qualification in customer service. Practical implications – Reveals that the importance the company attaches to training is consistent with its policy of high employee involvement. Social implications – Explains that the hotel chain wants its employees to feel as privileged as its guests in the way that they are treated. Originality/value – Highlights an unusual scheme to boost employees' energy levels by serving healthier meals and meals high in starch in the staff canteen.