How Access Group Drives Stonegate’s Digital Transformation

Order a pint, book a table, collect loyalty points – the British pub is undergoing a revolution. Behind the scenes, cutting-edge technology is transforming how the hospitality industry operates.

At the forefront of this transformation is The Access Group, which is revolutionising the hospitality sector through its suite of integrated software solutions.

Martin Verdon-Roe, who leads the front-of-house software company within Access’s Hospitality division, joined the organisation with a mandate to drive rapid growth in the UK, both organically and through acquisitions.

“Last year we acquired Wireless Social, QikServe and Paytronix, and we’ll continue our acquisition strategy this year,” says Martin. “Our mission is to enhance the guest experience and make it truly memorable, which in turn makes our partners more successful.”

Access offers solutions across the entire guest journey, from venue discovery through DesignMyNight, to reservations via Collins or ResDiary and order and pay functionality with QikServe.

The company also provides electronic point of sale solutions, kiosks and Acteol – a customer relationship management data platform that creates a complete loop for the guest journey.

“My goal is to tie these solutions together into an integrated front-of-house platform,” Martin explains. “We’re also building AI capabilities with our Access Evo brand to make operations easier and faster.”

The company has been doubling in size approximately every four years through both organic growth and strategic acquisitions, focusing on its mission of “empowering businesses to do more.”

Perhaps nowhere is this mission more visible than at Stonegate Group, Britain’s largest pub company with more than 4,500 sites ranging from high-street brands like Slug & Lettuce to traditional locals tucked away in villages nationwide.

Leading the technology charge at Stonegate is Ashlie Thurston, Head of IT and Digital Transformation. After an extensive evaluation process, Stonegate chose Access as its partner to unify its diverse portfolio.

“Access stood out not only by meeting all our requirements but also for their innovation and agility,” she explains. “The integration potential was the deciding factor – QikServe was already part of the Access platform portfolio, enabling seamless connections throughout our systems.”

From supplier to strategic partner

Martin notes that the hospitality sector has traditionally lagged significantly behind retail in technology adoption, but this gap is rapidly narrowing.

“Pre-COVID, a restaurant might have been capturing about 5% of guest data, and now you're seeing guest data reach up to 80%,” he reveals. “That unlocks amazing opportunities in how you gather that data, keep it enriched and leverage it for both business and guest benefit.”

The partnership between Access and Stonegate began building around 2019 when Access established Acteol as Stonegate’s customer data platform. This foundation allowed Stonegate to build effective messaging and loyalty strategies that have transformed their business operations.

“When we integrated Collins, we enabled the capture of reservation data, an area where hospitality has traditionally been weak,” Martin continues. “By adding the MiXR project on top, we created an engagement platform that works across all demographics and sub-brands.”

This approach created what Martin describes as a “virtuous cycle” of building the guest platform, capturing more data and creating better experiences.

“When building a platform, you need to work in lockstep with your clients,” he says. “We frame our approach around driving revenue and profitability through our solutions.

“Access is fortunate to have the resources for acquisitions when needed, which gives us flexibility in how we respond to emerging needs – whether through building, partnering, or acquiring capabilities.”

To read the full Stonegate Group Digital Report, click HERE.

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