At The Wolseley City, one of London’s most elegant dining institutions, attention to detail is everything. For General Manager Daniel Craig, who’s been part of the Wolseley restaurant family since 2003, the cleanliness of their establishments is integral to making an outstanding first impression on their customers. “In hospitality, people often say guests judge a restaurant by the cleanliness of its toilets,” he says. “Cleanliness speaks volumes about who you are and what you stand for. It sounds simple, but it’s absolutely true.” Having helped open a number of iconic venues across London, including Colbert, Soutine, and Manzi’s, Dan brings decades of experience to the table. But he’s quick to note that a restaurant’s success isn’t built on cuisine alone.
The challenges, before working with Act-Clean
Ensuring those impeccable standards are met every day is no small task, especially in an operation as busy and finely tuned as The Wolseley.
Dan acknowledges that, before working with Act-Clean, maintaining consistency and staffing, particularly for overnight shifts, posed ongoing challenges.
“Getting people who are reliable and want to work those unsociable hours is tough,” he explains. “Act-Clean took a lot of pressure off our internal teams.”
“In hospitality… Cleanliness speaks volumes about who you are and what you stand for.”
Partnering with Act-Clean
Since partnering with an outsourced cleaning provider, those operational burdens have been lifted, thanks to what Dan describes as a collaborative and highly communicative relationship.
“We’re in constant contact with their team,” he says, highlighting regular check-ins with their area manager, Yekini Saromi, as key to the ongoing success of the partnership.
“That level of responsiveness means that if anything needs to change, it gets actioned quickly. It’s seamless.”
Act-Clean knows hospitality
For the team at the Wolseley and for Dan it’s more than just a business transaction, it’s built on years of shared experience and mutual understanding.
“I don’t see Act-Clean as contractors; I see them as part of my team. They operate with the same values and attention to detail as we do.” Dan points to long-standing connections with Act-Clean management, including Gillian Thomson (COO of Act-Clean) and Mark Golding (Head of Operations), who previously worked at The Wolseley in Piccadilly before joining the Act-Clean team after his stint at Claridge’s.
“We’ve known some of them for years. There’s real history there.” In particular, “they understand what it’s like on the ground because many of them have worked in hospitality themselves”, and that makes a huge difference to the level of cooperation, communication and understanding.
“They understand what it’s like on the ground because many of them have worked in hospitality themselves.”
That depth of connection also translates into how the cleaning staff are viewed within the restaurant. “I don’t see them as contractors; I see them as part of my team. That’s how I’ve always worked with them, they operate with the same values and attention to detail as we do,” he says.
What stands out most in Dan’s reflection is the natural ease and camaraderie that has developed over time. It’s not uncommon for Gillian to drop by for a coffee at The Wolseley for a casual catch-up, an informal moment that underscores the strength of their working relationship.
“It’s more than business. When you get to that level of understanding with a supplier, it’s really something special.”
Dan finished with high praise: “they’re professional, switched-on, and incredibly easy to work with. They adapt when we need them to, and they get it. That’s rare and invaluable.”
If your business is struggling to find a cleaning partner or committed staff that maintain a standard of excellence, get in touch and see what Act-Clean can do for you.