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Streamlining Payroll for an Independent Restaurant

By Trending

Our client operates a busy independent restaurant in London, with a team of 20 staff including kitchen, bar, and front-of-house roles.

As trade picked up post-pandemic, the owner faced increasing pressure to manage staff costs, comply with payroll legislation, and keep on top of admin — all while focusing on delivering a high-quality dining experience. With no in-house HR or finance team, payroll had become a stressful, time-consuming task that risked costly errors and staff dissatisfaction.

OVERHAULING A DISJOINTED PAYROLL PROCESS

Built for Hospitality Rotas

The restaurant relied on a weekly rota that changed frequently based on bookings, seasonality, and staff availability. We implemented a payroll system specifically designed for shift-based hospitality businesses, allowing managers to upload approved hours directly from the rota without retyping or spreadsheet guesswork.

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Real-Time Holiday Pay and Transparency

Staff worked a mix of full-time, part-time, and zero-hour contracts — making holiday pay calculations a challenge. We introduced real-time holiday accrual and automated payslip breakdowns, giving employees visibility and reducing queries to management.

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Compliance with NMW and Pension Duties

Our solution included automated checks for National Minimum Wage compliance, even when tronc or unpaid breaks were factored in. We also ensured pension auto-enrolment duties were being met — something that had previously been missed for some part-time staff.

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Simple, Timely Payroll Processing

We took full ownership of monthly payroll processing, from timesheet validation to payslip delivery and HMRC submissions. Payroll reports were sent directly to the owner each month, including total labour costs, NI contributions, and departmental breakdowns.

THE OUTCOME

With a streamlined payroll process and a compliant, cloud-based system in place, the owner now spends far less time managing admin — and more time focusing on the restaurant and its customers.

Staff have greater visibility and confidence in their pay, holiday, and hours worked, while the risk of compliance issues has been eliminated. Most importantly, payday is no longer a source of stress — for the owner or the team.

Introductory Meeting

To arrange an introductory meeting,
or for a quote, please complete the below form.





    With over 30 years of combined experience, our digitally-enhanced finance function provides restaurant and hospitality entrepreneurs with financial clarity and specialist advice to navigate past obstacles, identify opportunities and growth with confidence.

    ✔ Chartered Certified Accountants
    ✔ Full service – bookkeeping, accounting, payroll and tax,
    ✔ Free up time and frustration,
    ✔ Dedicated finance partners,
    ✔ Grow with confidence,
    ✔ Powered by Xero.

    15/07/2025

    Transforming Payroll for a Multi-Site Hotel

    By Success Stories, Trending

    Our client runs a group of boutique hotels across four sites in London and the South East, employing over 150 staff on a mix of full-time, part-time, and zero-hour contracts.

    With high staff turnover and complex rotas, payroll had become a time-intensive bottleneck for the HR Director, with manual processes dominating each monthly cycle. They approached Prysm Financial for a more reliable, compliant, and scalable payroll solution.

    OVERHAULING A DISJOINTED PAYROLL PROCESS

    We began with a full audit of their existing payroll setup, engaging closely with the operations director, HR manager, and general managers at each site. Our focus was on reducing admin, improving accuracy, and ensuring payroll compliance.

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    Hospitality Payroll Built for Flexibility

    We implemented a cloud-based payroll system designed for flexible, variable-hour workforces. The system could handle split shifts, variable pay rates, and last-minute rota changes – all without needing manual re-entry each week.

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    Seamless Rota and Timesheet Integration

    Previously, managers submitted spreadsheet based timesheets, often leading to errors or delays. We integrated their staff scheduling software directly with payroll, ensuring approved hours flowed automatically into each pay run. This removed double entry and significantly reduced pay disputes.

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    Real-Time Holiday Accrual and Pay Transparency

    Calculating holiday pay for zero-hour staff had been a major challenge, especially with changing legislation. We implemented real-time holiday tracking based on hours worked, ensuring compliance and reducing confusion for both staff and managers. Payslips were made available via a secure portal, increasing transparency and reducing queries to head office.

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    Onboarding and Leaver Automation

    We introduced a digital onboarding process that allowed new joiners to submit details and right-to-work documents electronically. Leavers were processed efficiently, with final pay calculations and P45s issued automatically – saving hours of admin each month.

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    Consolidated Payroll Reporting

    Each month, we delivered detailed payroll reports, broken down by site, role, and pay type. Wage cost percentages were benchmarked against revenue, helping the leadership team spot anomalies and optimise staffing levels across quieter periods.

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    Monthly Consolidated Reporting
    We built bespoke monthly management accounts, including consolidated P&L by site, food and labour cost ratios, and operational KPIs. This gave the directors a clear view of underperforming locations and helped inform pricing and staffing decisions.

    THE OUTCOME

    Within three months, our client transitioned from a disjointed payroll setup to a centralised, compliant system built for hospitality. Errors and late payments dropped dramatically. Staff satisfaction improved thanks to transparent pay and faster resolutions to queries.

    Introductory Meeting

    To arrange an introductory meeting,
    or for a quote, please complete the below form.





      With over 30 years of combined experience, our digitally-enhanced finance function provides restaurant and hospitality entrepreneurs with financial clarity and specialist advice to navigate past obstacles, identify opportunities and growth with confidence.

      ✔ Chartered Certified Accountants
      ✔ Full service – bookkeeping, accounting, payroll and tax,
      ✔ Free up time and frustration,
      ✔ Dedicated finance partners,
      ✔ Grow with confidence,
      ✔ Powered by Xero.

      15/07/2025

      Improving Profitability Through Smarter Finance

      By Success Stories, Trending

      Our client operates a group of casual dining restaurants across six locations in the UK, with an annual turnover of £4.1 million.

      As the group expanded, the owners faced increasing pressure to manage cash flow across sites, monitor food and labour costs, and ensure timely, accurate reporting. With limited internal finance capacity, they approached us for support in upgrading their finance function and gaining better visibility over the business.

      STREAMLINING A CLUNKY FINANCE PROCESS

      We started by conducting a full review of the restaurant group’s finance processes, working closely with the operations manager and site-level teams. Our aim was to streamline their back-office systems and empower the directors with timely insights to drive profitability.

      Our tailored solution included:

      Migration to Cloud Accounting
      We transitioned the group to a cloud-based accounting platform, providing centralised access for head office and site managers. This enabled real-time financial visibility across all locations and reduced reliance on manual spreadsheet reporting.

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      Integration with EPOS and Stock Systems
      Sales data from each restaurant’s EPOS system was integrated directly into the accounting software, enabling daily sales tracking and accurate VAT reporting. We also introduced a stock management system to track wastage and cost of sales, giving the directors greater control over gross margins.

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      Labour Cost Monitoring
      Labour is one of the largest costs in the hospitality sector. We implemented a solution that links staff rota and payroll systems to the accounts platform, allowing site-level wage costs to be monitored weekly against sales targets.

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      Automated Purchase Invoice Processing
      We introduced a digital solution for supplier invoice capture and coding, including approval workflows for the head chef and general manager at each site. This helped control spending and ensured invoices were matched to agreed pricing and delivery.

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      Cash and Till Reconciliation
      Cash variances across sites were creating reconciliation issues and lost time. We set up daily till reconciliation procedures and linked bank feeds to the accounting system, enabling more accurate cash control and reducing errors.

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      Monthly Consolidated Reporting
      We built bespoke monthly management accounts, including consolidated P&L by site, food and labour cost ratios, and operational KPIs. This gave the directors a clear view of underperforming locations and helped inform pricing and staffing decisions.

      THE OUTCOME

      Our work created a robust, cloud-based finance infrastructure tailored for the fast-paced restaurant sector.

      With automated processes, integrated systems, and accurate reporting, the directors now have full visibility over site performance and tighter control over key cost areas. Most importantly, they can spend less time chasing numbers – and more time focused on growing their brand.

      Introductory Meeting

      To arrange an introductory meeting,
      or for a quote, please complete the below form.





        With over 30 years of combined experience, our digitally-enhanced finance function provides restaurant and hospitality entrepreneurs with financial clarity and specialist advice to navigate past obstacles, identify opportunities and growth with confidence.

        ✔ Chartered Certified Accountants
        ✔ Full service – bookkeeping, accounting, payroll and tax,
        ✔ Free up time and frustration,
        ✔ Dedicated finance partners,
        ✔ Grow with confidence,
        ✔ Powered by Xero.

        09/07/2025

        Finance automation

        By Success Stories, Trending

        Our client operates a multi-site retail business with an annual turnover of £3.2 million. As the business expanded – both in-store and online – the directors found that their finance function was struggling to keep pace.

        Manual processes, lack of real-time visibility, and inconsistent reporting were making it increasingly difficult to manage cash flow, control margins, and make informed decisions. When the internal bookkeeper left, the directors approached us to review and overhaul their finance systems.

        STREAMLINING A CLUNKY FINANCE PROCESS

        We began with a detailed review of the client’s finance processes, working closely with the operations and finance teams to understand their challenges.

        From this, we developed and implemented a tailored solution that addressed key retail-specific pain points:

        Transition to a Cloud Accounting System
        We moved the business from a desktop-based accounting package to a cloud-based solution, enabling multi-location access, integration with e-commerce platforms, and real-time data visibility for the management team.

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        Automated Supplier Invoice Processing
        High volumes of purchase invoices from multiple suppliers were previously entered manually, leading to errors and delays. We introduced automated invoice capture and approval workflows, significantly improving processing speed and accuracy.

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        Integrated POS and Inventory Management
        Disconnected systems were creating stock discrepancies and delayed reporting. We helped integrate the POS system with the accounting software to enable real-time inventory tracking and margin analysis, essential for managing retail performance.

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        Automated Bank Feeds and Reconciliations
        We set up daily automated bank feeds to streamline cash management, giving directors a clearer picture of daily cash flow and reducing manual reconciliation time.

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        Mobile App for Expenses and Receipts
        Staff could now submit receipts and business expenses via a mobile app, which linked directly to the accounting system, removing the burden of chasing paperwork.

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        Custom Retail-Focused Management Reporting
        We built tailored dashboards and monthly management accounts focusing on KPIs such as gross margin by product category, store profitability, and stock turnover—giving directors actionable insight into performance.

        THE OUTCOME

        By streamlining and modernising the accounts function, we helped create a more agile and informed finance environment.

        The directors now benefit from accurate, timely reporting and improved financial controls, enabling them to better manage cash flow, respond to stock trends, and make strategic decisions with confidence.

        Introductory Meeting

        To arrange an introductory meeting,
        or for a quote, please complete the below form.





          With over 30 years of combined experience, our digitally-enhanced finance function provides restaurant and hospitality entrepreneurs with financial clarity and specialist advice to navigate past obstacles, identify opportunities and growth with confidence.

          ✔ Chartered Certified Accountants
          ✔ Full service – bookkeeping, accounting, payroll and tax,
          ✔ Free up time and frustration,
          ✔ Dedicated finance partners,
          ✔ Grow with confidence,
          ✔ Powered by Xero.

          09/07/2025
          London based payroll service to small, medium and large corporate companies.

          Employers NICs – Increase from 6 April 2025

          By Trending

          In addition NLW/NMW increases changes, there are significant changes affecting Employers’ National Insurance Contributions (NICs) from 6th April 2025:-

          • Employer NIC (Secondary Class 1) will increase from 13.8% to 15% for employees earning £5,000 per annum (or £416.67 monthly).
            The threshold, at which point at which employers start paying NICs, will decrease from £9,100 to £5,000 per year;
          • The Employment Allowance, which can be deducted from the employer’s NIC bill, will increase from £5,000 to £10,500 (allowance is only applicable across one group company and can only be used to offset employer national insurance due).

          Worked Example

          For an employee earning £35,000 per annum, employer will incur an additional annual NIC cost of £925.80 as detailed below.

          Before April 6, 2025:

          • Threshold: £9,100
          • Earnings above threshold: £35,000 – £9,100 = £25,900
          • NIC Rate: 13.8%
          • Employer NIC: £25,900 × 13.8% = £3,574.20

          After April 6, 2025:

          • Threshold: £5,000
          • Earnings above threshold: £35,000 – £5,000 = £30,000
          • NIC Rate: 15%
          • Employer NIC: £30,000 × 15% = £4,500
          19/03/2025

          UK DPNI scheme for overseas employers

          By Trending

          Overseas businesses without a UK base, who wish to hire their first UK employees can ensure that their staff are paying their national insurance and tax through a DPNI scheme.

          Our specialist payroll team have put together a guide on how the DPNI scheme works and how we can help set up your UK-based employees.

          UK DPNI scheme overview

          Overseas employers with no base in the UK are unable to set up a UK payroll for their UK-based employees, meaning that the employees are responsible for this. However, the process of setting up a UK payroll can be complex and such individuals are usually required to use a PAYE Directs Payments procedure (DPNI) scheme, if eligible. Registering for the DPNI scheme ensures the direct payment of national insurance and tax contributions to HMRC.

          What This Means

          Although all UK residents are obliged to pay income tax and national insurance, it is usually the responsibility of the employer to deduct national insurance contributions from their employee’s salary, however, this is not the case for employers who are based overseas (with no base in the UK) – meaning that the responsibility falls on the employees. However, such employers should understand the DPNI schemes so that they can advise their employees based in the UK and eliminate any anxiety they may be having around ensuring their compliance with tax and national insurance regulations. Employers with no base in the UK are also not responsible to set up auto-enrolment pensions, however, should an employer wish to provide a pension or benefits, they can voluntarily opt for a standard PAYE scheme.

           

          Registering for a DPNI Scheme

          Checking eligibility for a DPNI scheme as well as registering for it can be a lengthy and complex process as various requirements must be filled – which can take up to 2 months to complete. The complexity involved in setting up a DPNI scheme will vary depending on where an employer is based as well as if any other income is generated from assets and activities (both in the UK and overseas). All required checks are in place for HMRC to confirm that the employees are required to pay national insurance in the UK and that they are paying the right level of tax.

           

          02/03/2025