
I have just finished reading Cassie Davison, MBA, FBII brilliant new book Stand Out Hospitality and to quote Cassie: “selling food and drink has always had its place, the hospitality industry we know today is built around something deeper: the human need to belong, to connect, and to contribute”. This is our industry’s real value and should be celebrated!
Jan 14, 2026
Cassie Davison captures the beating heart of hospitality – the people, the purpose, and the promise of belonging. Stand Out Hospitality is essential reading for anyone serious about leading with care and creating places people never want to leave. This book is one our industry has been waiting for. A thoughtful, actionable framework that reconnects leadership to empathy and excellence. Every independent operator should have a copy.
Dec 11, 2025
Bold, honest, and full of heart. It felt like sitting down for a proper chat with someone who just gets it. The personal stories hit hard — and the way Cassie names burnout, doubt, and the messy bits no one else talks about is genuinely powerful.
Dec 11, 2025
I'm going to leave you this year with a recommendation for a present if you know anyone who earns a living at the coal face.Whether they be a waiter, a washer upper a barman or a manager. they could benefit from reading "Stand out hospitality" by the brilliant Cassie Davison, MBA, FBII . Reminds me muchly of "Setting the table", Danny Meyers game-changing hospitality book of a couple of decades ago. Big companies could do worse than order a few boxes to send out to their managers, it's a really thoughtfully put together and thought provoking collection of ideas. Unlike Danny's excellent book however this is written from a UK perspective, and although Macdonald's operators could benefit from reading it, it's a pubs book really.
Dec 24, 2025
WOW! What a book! A Christmas gift from my kids, who know all too well how hard Dad works! Of course, I'm working right through this festive period, and always have & actually love it, but hence I'm still only half way through the book, but as book reading goes for me, this is record breaking progress to be page 103 in after a week... Anyway big takeaways so far, for me: A great few lines on "When business partnerships drift" as someone in business with just shy of a ten people, you realise the mad balance partnerships take... are we pulling in the same direction? A great chapter around "Stand Out" and specifically the noise you have to endure as an operator - "the risk of becoming just another" and "the room of ten" but above all my favourite so far: "surround yourself with excellence" And at this time of year, the chapter "Overwhelm, the weight we carry." which also includes a summary of 7 Common Mistakes we in Hospitality often make... well Cassie - you've just reminded not to repeat them, and sometimes that's exactly what a book does for us, helps us realign and check-in within oneself. Hospitality followers - this is a must read!
Jan 2, 2026
I have just finished reading Cassie Davison, MBA, FBII brilliant new book Stand Out Hospitality and to quote Cassie: “selling food and drink has always had its place, the hospitality industry we know today is built around something deeper: the human need to belong, to connect, and to contribute”. This is our industry’s real value and should be celebrated!
Jan 14, 2026
Cassie Davison captures the beating heart of hospitality – the people, the purpose, and the promise of belonging. Stand Out Hospitality is essential reading for anyone serious about leading with care and creating places people never want to leave. This book is one our industry has been waiting for. A thoughtful, actionable framework that reconnects leadership to empathy and excellence. Every independent operator should have a copy.
Dec 11, 2025
Bold, honest, and full of heart. It felt like sitting down for a proper chat with someone who just gets it. The personal stories hit hard — and the way Cassie names burnout, doubt, and the messy bits no one else talks about is genuinely powerful.
Dec 11, 2025
I'm going to leave you this year with a recommendation for a present if you know anyone who earns a living at the coal face.Whether they be a waiter, a washer upper a barman or a manager. they could benefit from reading "Stand out hospitality" by the brilliant Cassie Davison, MBA, FBII . Reminds me muchly of "Setting the table", Danny Meyers game-changing hospitality book of a couple of decades ago. Big companies could do worse than order a few boxes to send out to their managers, it's a really thoughtfully put together and thought provoking collection of ideas. Unlike Danny's excellent book however this is written from a UK perspective, and although Macdonald's operators could benefit from reading it, it's a pubs book really.
Dec 24, 2025
WOW! What a book! A Christmas gift from my kids, who know all too well how hard Dad works! Of course, I'm working right through this festive period, and always have & actually love it, but hence I'm still only half way through the book, but as book reading goes for me, this is record breaking progress to be page 103 in after a week... Anyway big takeaways so far, for me: A great few lines on "When business partnerships drift" as someone in business with just shy of a ten people, you realise the mad balance partnerships take... are we pulling in the same direction? A great chapter around "Stand Out" and specifically the noise you have to endure as an operator - "the risk of becoming just another" and "the room of ten" but above all my favourite so far: "surround yourself with excellence" And at this time of year, the chapter "Overwhelm, the weight we carry." which also includes a summary of 7 Common Mistakes we in Hospitality often make... well Cassie - you've just reminded not to repeat them, and sometimes that's exactly what a book does for us, helps us realign and check-in within oneself. Hospitality followers - this is a must read!
Jan 2, 2026