Case studies.
Bitesize Consulting
The background.
Running payroll in the hospitality and leisure sector is rarely straightforward.
For Bitesize Consulting, a fast-growing accountancy and advisory firm specialising in hospitality and leisure businesses, payroll had become one of the most time-consuming and operationally demanding parts of the business.
The team had tried both in-house payroll and outsourced providers previously, but neither approach delivered the consistency, flexibility, or support they needed.
“We tried running payroll in-house, and we’ve also tried outsourced payroll providers, with a pretty mixed success rate,” explains George Setchell Ops Director at Bitesize Consulting.
Handling payroll internally created pressure across the wider accountancy team, particularly when payroll deadlines clashed with VAT returns and other client commitments. Outsourcing elsewhere often created more admin instead of reducing it.
With growing client numbers and increasingly complex payrolls, Bitesize needed a specialist payroll partner who understood the realities of hospitality payroll and could integrate smoothly into their client relationships.
That’s when two separate recommendations led them to Your Payroll Manager.
At a glance.
Challenge.
Time-consuming hospitality payrolls
Late timesheets and last-minute changes
Pressure on accountancy staff
Complex payrolls with Tronc, overtime and casual workers
Managing multiple payroll systems and spreadsheets
Difficulty scaling payroll internally
Concerns about outsourcing disruption
Benefits.
Dedicated payroll specialists handling the process
Responsive support and quick problem solving
More time for the team to focus on core services
Flexible payroll support tailored to hospitality businesses
Experience across Deputy, Planday, Workforce, Excel and more
Business growth without additional hiring
Smooth onboarding and collaborative working relationship
The challenge.
Hospitality payroll comes with a unique set of complications.
High staff turnover, casual workers, zero-hours contracts, overtime, National Minimum Wage compliance, weekly payrolls, Tronc calculations, and constant last-minute amendments all make the process far more demanding than a standard monthly payroll.
“One of the biggest challenges is getting the information from clients,” George explains. “Everyone uses different systems. Deputy, Workforce, Planday, spreadsheets, you name it. Accuracy can be a real issue, especially when timesheets come in late.”
The pressure of payroll was starting to impact wider operations within the business. “Handling payroll internally meant our accountancy team were constantly firefighting. They’d be balancing payroll deadlines alongside VAT returns and other urgent client work.” And in hospitality, payroll issues don’t politely wait until next month. “You have to be super on it because things come up last minute,” says George.
“Sometimes everyone’s been paid and a client suddenly says, ‘Sorry, we missed this person’s sick pay, can we rerun payroll?’”
Bitesize needed a payroll provider who could handle complexity calmly, adapt to different client processes, and remove pressure from the wider team rather than adding to it.
The solution.
Your Payroll Manager worked closely with Bitesize Consulting to create a payroll process that felt like an extension of their existing team, rather than an external provider.
A key priority was ensuring onboarding was smooth, practical, and didn’t disrupt day-to-day operations.
“For us, getting onboarding right is just as important as getting payroll right,” says Austin from Your Payroll Manager. “We’re there to reassure people, support them properly, and make the transition feel smooth, not stressful.”
The YPM team quickly supported multiple hospitality payrolls while adapting to the varying systems and processes used by different clients. “Having a team that’s solely focused on payroll really helps keep everything moving and get payroll over the line,” George says.
The relationship quickly evolved into a collaborative partnership built on trust and accessibility.
“I know I can reach Austin at any time, and he’ll be there for us. “We don’t feel like we have to manage Austin and Craig, they feel like part of our team.”
Kind words from the client.
“Austin, Craig and the YPM team are our source of truth in the constantly changing world of hospitality payroll - We’d highly recommend them”.
George Setchell - Ops Director
100
NPS score
The outcome.
Outsourcing payroll to Your Payroll Manager gave Bitesize Consulting the operational breathing room they needed to continue growing confidently.
“Outsourcing payroll to YPM gave my team the space to focus on what they’re good at and what they actually want to do,” says George.
“Critically, it’s allowed us to grow without hiring, which can be time-consuming and expensive.”
Today, Your Payroll Manager handles 25 separate payrolls for Bitesize Consulting across the hospitality and leisure sector.
The partnership has removed pressure from the internal team, improved payroll confidence, and provided a reliable source of expertise in a constantly changing industry.
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