NEWS SPECIAL REPORT


Agents mourn demise of Super Break and hope the business is taken over. Juliet Dennis reports


Trade pays tribute to one of travel’s best-loved brands


A


gents and former staff were among those to pay heartfelt tributes to Super Break and its


employees aſter parent company Malvern Group’s unexpected collapse last Tursday. Te short-break operator and its


direct-sell sister brand LateRooms employed 253 staff across sites in York and Manchester. All have been let go except for 43


staff who have been retained while the administrators assess options for the business and seek buyers.


‘Be proud’ Steve Williams, commercial director at Malvern Group, sent out his own personal plea: “To all staff who find themselves in a position of uncertainty following the gut-wrenching events of last week, keep your chin up, put your best foot forward, be proud of


what we achieved and embrace the opportunities that are to come.” Super Break’s head of trade sales,


Gary Gillespie, thanked the trade for its support, saying: “I’m incredibly grateful and proud of all that’s been achieved at Super Break in the last 30 years and I’d like to send a heartfelt thank you to our agents and industry friends for their support.” For agents, Super Break was the


go-to brand to book a UK hotel and theatre break, and despite its move to offer flight-inclusive and Eurostar packages in the last decade, it retained its reputation as a domestic specialist. It was also known as a fun brand


that embraced the social side of the industry. Members of its sales team were familiar faces at industry events. Tickets Travel owner Diane


Coleman said: “It’s sad to see any company go under – some you expect, but what a shock to hear about Super Break. I’m so sorry for all the hard-


working staff who have lost their jobs and sorry for our industry to lose such a respected and supportive company.”


‘Huge potential’ Westoe Travel owner Graeme Bret credited Super Break with helping the agency win awards. He added: “Hopefully another company can see the huge potential and take over the business.” Premier Travel director Paul


Waters said: “Te industry was a bit reliant on Super Break. If someone takes it on, we should support it.” Former Super Break national sales


manager Graham Balmforth, who retired 18 months ago, was one of many who reacted on social media.


Agents on Super Break fam trips


“Hopefully a light will soon shine at the end of the tunnel,” he tweeted. Such is the strength of feeling for


the brand and its staff that Michelle Laverick, vice-chair of the Association of Women Travel Executives, mooted working with recruitment partners to support and advise employees. “For those made redundant, it isn’t


necessarily just about financial security that has an impact, it can also be the loss of belonging and the insecurity this brings. Te travel industry is a social industry and for many it may be their main social outlet.” As Super Break’s era comes to


a close, it is abundantly clear the operator was one of the trade’s firm favourites.


36 YEARS: SUPER BREAK’S KEY DATES


1983 Superbreak founded in Grays Inn Road, London, by two former British Rail staff, offering 91 hotels in 67 UK locations


Sales duo Graham Balmforth and the late Ian Mounser


1990 Management buyout by team including Nick Cust, who went on to become joint managing director


as Ab Fab’s Edina and Patsy


1994 Employees relocate to York as London office shuts


1995 Acquired by Holidaybreak, formerly Eurocamp Travel


1996 Website Superbreak.com goes live; becomes bookable in 1999


2000 Superbreak acquires Hotelnet 2002-07 Superbreak acquires Crystal Britain, the London Travel Service, Bridge Britain and Ireland, Bookit and West End Theatre Bookings


2008 New logo and website launched 2011


Superbreak parent Holidaybreak acquired by Cox & Kings


2012 Superbreak launches flight and hotel- inclusive Atol-protected packages


2014 Rebrands as SuperBreak, with new logo; airs first TV advertising campaign featuring Caroline Quentin


2016 Malvern buys Super Break from Holidaybreak for £9.5 million.


2017 New Super Break logo launches 2019 Malvern Group goes into administration on August 1


12


8 AUGUST 2019


travelweekly.co.uk


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