Launched in October 2025, the Hospitality Innovation Lab is a first-of-its-kind public-private partnership designed to accelerate innovation across the sector. By connecting high-potential hospitality suppliers with both emerging and established operators, the Lab is helping businesses unlock new efficiencies, strengthen resilience and identify scalable growth opportunities. Its findings will now be shared more widely to support productivity across the hospitality industry, which can advance the Government’s ambition to drive robust economic growth.

The Lab brought together major UK hospitality operators, including Burger King® UK, Punch Pubs, Bill’s, Prezzo Italian, Azzurri Group, Beckford Group and Lincoln Green Brewing Company, with suppliers working at the intersection of technology and hospitality.

Five of the six participating companies secured agreements, extensions, or advanced commercial negotiations. Live trials identified seven-figure revenue opportunities across some businesses, with results including a signed agreement that has seen one operator replace its existing training provider.

Following multiple rounds of a competitive selection process that drew applications from organisations across the globe, six companies were selected to test and validate their solutions in live operational environments: Adeci, Cosysense, 1Huddle, Tenzo, Promote and Peckish. The trial phase began on 30 March 2026, with all six suppliers exhibiting in a dedicated feature area at Hospitality Tech360 at ExCeL London.

“The Hospitality Innovation Lab has brought operators from across the sector together to test new ideas, challenge assumptions and embrace innovation with an open mind. The journey of this first cohort has been remarkable, from early scepticism to genuine enthusiasm, and we’ve seen in solutions progress to commercialisation with measurable improvements in efficiency, revenue and workforce development.” – Daniel Saunders, Chief Executive Officer of L Marks

“The Hospitality Innovation Lab proves what is possible when government and industry work side by side: practical innovation that helps businesses grow. The opportunity now is to take those learnings beyond the major operators and into the independent businesses that are the backbone of UK hospitality. By backing startups and embracing new technology, we can help the sector improve productivity, strengthen profitability and create more jobs.” – Jane O’Riordan, Co-Chair of the Hospitality Sector Council

“The Innovation Lab has been a valuable opportunity for Lincoln Green as an SME hospitality business. Finding innovation that works in a smaller operational environment can be challenging, but L Marks persevered and helped identify practical solutions with real potential.
We have already moved forward with an innovative training platform and are exploring two further trial partners as a result of what we saw through the programme. I would strongly encourage other small hospitality businesses to get involved in future trials. It is a valuable opportunity to see what innovation can really deliver in a practical, operational environment.” – Anthony Hughes, Founder of Lincoln Green Brewing Company

PILOT OUTCOMES

1Huddle, working with Lincoln Green Brewing Company and Prezzo Italian

1Huddle is a training and performance platform that uses AI-powered games to unlock critical insights into employee skills, interests, and engagement, improving workforce performance and reducing training time.

In a standout result for the programme, Lincoln Green has cancelled its contract with its previous training provider and signed a formal agreement with 1Huddle, set to begin in July. During the pilot, employees recorded a 100% improvement in skill scores, with 11 team members outperforming their general managers, reflecting how widely the platform was adopted across the business. 84% of employees rated 1Huddle as very or extremely helpful for training, and staff scored it 8.9 out of 10 when asked whether they would recommend it to colleagues, with some describing it as “addictive.” The team has begun integrating 1Huddle into its day-to-day operations.

Prezzo Italian has extended its pilot with 1Huddle, with plans to explore new topic areas and develop additional training games beyond those covered in the pilot phase. 88% of players retained their scores after two weeks, and Prezzo employees noted “I gained more knowledge I can cascade to my team” and “Everything in 1Huddle is in every shift to me.”

Peckish, working with Beckford Group

Peckish is an AI-powered inventory system built for multi-site hospitality operators, helping restaurants, pubs and bars reduce stock counting to minutes rather than hours using simple phone video and audio inputs. By reducing the time required and increasing accuracy, Peckish makes frequent stock counting commercially viable, giving operators more reliable data at a lower cost.

The pilot increased stocktake accuracy at The Talbot Inn to 98% and cut the time taken from 1.5 hours to 29 minutes. Operations Manager Nathan Ashman called the platform “an absolute no brainer. Time and money saving,” while CEO Dan Brod said: “I was a sceptic. But if it continues to work for us, it’ll be really useful for much of the industry”

Beckford Group is now in commercial discussions with Peckish, having agreed a phased rollout across three additional sites followed by the rest of the estate. The group is adopting not only the AI stocktaking tool but is also exploring Peckish’s full inventory management system, and Peckish is in talks for potential pilots with other partners from the programme.

Cosysense, working with Burger King® UK

Cosysense cuts electricity costs and carbon emissions in commercial buildings by monitoring live operations and creating whole-building performance automation with AI agents, starting with heating, ventilation, and air conditioning.

Working with Burger King® UK to automate and identify savings across gas, water, electricity, and HVAC consumption, Cosysense identified £3,263 in potential savings at the trial site, demonstrating strong potential for further savings if rolled out more widely across the estate. On the strength of these results, Burger King® UK is in talks to move into a three-month commercial extension, expanding the rollout to 10 to 12 additional sites to further validate and scale the technology.

Tenzo, working with Bill’s

Tenzo is a restaurant performance operations platform that brings together data from across the full technology stack, from POS to inventory management, from reviews to labour schedulers, enabling operators to predict sales, hit KPIs, and make better decisions on labour and inventory in real time.

Tenzo trial sites at Bill’s recorded a 20p increase in spend per head compared with non-Tenzo sites, translating to an estimated £1.03 million annualised revenue uplift across the estate. The platform proved popular with Bill’s general managers, with the Greenwich GM commenting: “This is the first thing in years that actually feels built for me.”

The Bill’s and Tenzo partnership saw incredibly positive commercial results, highlighting the benefit of valuable insights delivered into the hands of the operators, enabling them to drive performance and meet business goals each and every shift. Following the success of the trial, Bill’s is reviewing next steps.

Promote, working with Bill’s

Promote is the first platform enabling every paying customer to create high-quality, authentic video reviews for hospitality venues using AI-powered video review software, with creators rewarded based on the number of views their content receives on social media.

The pilot surfaced an industry-wide consideration: HFSS regulations limited the ability to promote certain menu items, restricting the platform from being used to its full potential. The pilot generated valuable learnings for Promote and the wider programme, highlighting the need for operators to continue evolving their menus with HFSS compliance in mind. While Bill’s will not be continuing commercially with Promote at this stage, the insights will strengthen the product going forward and open opportunities in sectors where HFSS restrictions present less of a barrier.

Adeci, working with Azzurri Group and Burger King® UK

Adeci brings predictability to the hospitality sector through AI, providing accurate forecasts of sales, product demand, and staffing needs. Integrated into existing systems and tailored to business specifications, its solution helps operators anticipate changes, reduce waste, and enable faster, data-driven decision-making.

Following strong initial results, Azzurri Group has chosen to extend its engagement with Adeci’s sales forecasting platform. The pilot will continue as Azzurri evaluates further opportunities, including the potential integration of Adeci’s technology across its wider operations. For Azzurri Group, Adeci predicted daily revenue with 84 to 90% accuracy, outperforming general managers’ forecasts by up to 9%

Burger King® UK is also continuing its pilot with Adeci, focused on deepening food item forecast accuracy. The pilot recorded 90 to 93% accuracy on daily product forecasts, 25% more accurate than the existing system and 29% more accurate than managers’ predictions. The extension will explore whether the platform can convert these forecasts directly into labour hours across the estate.

On the strength of results across the cohort, the Hospitality Sector Council, the Department for Business and Trade and L Marks are exploring a second Hospitality Innovation Lab. This year’s programme focused on labour productivity, and future Labs could explore a range of other industry challenges and opportunities, with growing support from operators across the industry.

ABOUT THE PARTNERS

Burger King® UK

Every day, more than 11 million guests visit Burger King® UK restaurants around the world. And they do so because our restaurants are known for serving high-quality, great-tasting, and affordable burgers. Founded in 1954, the Home of the Whopper, has remained committed to premium ingredients, signature recipes, and family-friendly dining experiences.

Prezzo Italian

Prezzo Italian is a much-loved Italian restaurant group with sites across the UK, bringing people together over fresh, seasonal, and authentic dishes inspired by the flavours of Italy. Since opening its first restaurant in 2000, Prezzo Italian has become a familiar favourite on high streets and in communities, offering something for every occasion, from casual catch-ups to family celebrations. The brand continues to invest in its restaurants and menus, combining classic Italian favourites with modern twists, all served in stylish, welcoming spaces. With a focus on quality, hospitality, and great value, Prezzo Italian remains dedicated to making every dining experience memorable.

Punch Pubs

Punch is a multi-award-winning pub company in the UK, with around 1,250 pubs across England, Scotland and Wales. It operates a multi-modelled estate that is well-invested and continues to grow through selective acquisitions. Punch aims to be THE 5 Star Pub Company in the UK, driven by a clear purpose: Inspiring those moments in partnership with its Publicans and Management Partners to create thriving pub businesses. Together, they deliver exceptional hospitality experiences and lasting community value where vital connections will be made for many years to come.

Bill’s

Bill’s is a British restaurant group, founded by Bill Collison in 2001, born out of a small greengrocery in Lewes, East Sussex. Today Bill’s vows to keep it colourful and bring you all-day brunch every day of the week with bottomless options available at weekends, daily bottomless pancakes between 3-5 pm, seasonal specials and set-menu dinners all year round, as well as dog-friendly dining at every restaurant. Your local Bill’s is never too far away, and the team are always ready to welcome friends from near or far.

Azzurri Group

The Azzurri Group is one of the UK’s largest and most successful hospitality investment platforms. We operate two leading national Italian full-service brands, Zizzi and ASK Italian; the UK’s leading quick-service Italian, Coco di Mama; Ireland’s renowned fast-casual Mexican chain, Boojum; and, most recently, the world-famous, ‘mind-blowing’ fried chicken brand, Dave’s Hot Chicken. We also own Openr, an innovative tech start-up providing a product, pricing and order management technology platform.

Beckford Group

The Beckford Group is a small, independent hospitality group rooted in the South West, with a handful of country inns in rural Wiltshire and Somerset, alongside two restaurants and a wine shop in Bath. Founded by Dan, Matt and Charlie, the group is proudly people-focused. We nurture our teams through dedicated training, care, and genuine opportunity because by looking after our staff first, they’ll in turn create warm and heartfelt hospitality for our guests – this is at the centre of everything we do. A new pub and hotel will join the Beckford Group in early 2026.

Lincoln Green Brewing Company

Founded in 2012, Lincoln Green Brewing Company takes its name from the colour of dyed woollen cloth associated with the Nottingham legend of Robin Hood. We’re an independent brewery and operator of six traditional pubs. We’re passionate about brewing award-winning cask ales and creating welcoming spaces that celebrate the unique culture of the British pub. By combining heritage and innovation, we bring people together over a great pint, delivering quality, consistency, and character in every glass.

About the Hospitality Sector Council

The Hospitality Sector Council is a dynamic collaboration between the UK government and the hospitality industry, dedicated to driving sector resilience and growth. Co-chaired by the Minister for Hospitality, Kate Dearden MP, and hospitality leader Dame Karen Jones DBE, the Council champions key themes such as innovation, sustainability, skills development, and revitalising high streets. Its Innovation Working Group connects hospitality businesses with the UK’s world-leading innovation ecosystem to nurture the next generation of startups and scale-ups. To learn more, visit hospitalitysectorcouncil.org

About L Marks

L Marks is the global leader in corporate innovation, trusted by many of the world’s most well-respected brands and organisations to identify, validate, and implement transformative solutions. Through its global network spanning over 80 countries, L Marks discovers more than 10,000 innovators annually and has enabled over 500 to pilot with corporate partners, achieving an industry-leading deployment rate of 78%. Their alumni have collectively raised over $9.4 billion in venture funding. With over a decade of experience in delivering 120+ award-winning innovation programmes across Europe, North America, and Asia, L Marks is embedding new structures and technologies, driving an innovative culture, and ultimately fuelling sustainable growth. To learn more, visit lmarks.com.