When we say working at here is like being part of the family, we mean literally!

I would always recommend a job here for young people. Once you get the bug for Hospitality, that’s it. Other jobs just seem dull in comparison.

It’ll give you skills for life, confidence and get you ready for the real world in a way no other job can. And, if you’re good at it, you’ll get rewarded.

That’s certainly been the case for me.

I love working for Whitbread. I know it sounds cheesy, but it’s true! Look at how supportive they were during the pandemic when we had to close down completely. That was a mark of the business.

Personally, they’ve supported me from being a young lady to a mum-of-three and still pushed me on to achieve even more in my career, developed me with amazing role models and leaders and opportunities.

I think that’s the reason people fall in love with Whitbread and Hospitality and stay here a long time.

I’ve been with Whitbread since I was 18. I’ve put my heart and soul into it and it’s paid off. Now I’m General Manager of an amazing site, with a great team – and part of that team is my daughter Courtney.

We joke she was Whitbread from birth, which is true as she was actually born in the pub I was working in at the time! I was a 'live in' at the time; we lived above the restaurant. I had finished my shift that evening, gone upstairs to bed and later that night she was born!

Once I became a mum, I wasn’t side-lined by the business. I was promoted as a working mother. My General Manager at the time was an amazing woman to work for who made it possible for me to be there for Courtney and develop my career at the same time and I became a Restaurant Manager.

I think Hospitality is more flexible. Yes, we all know it’s weekends and evenings at times but I’ll always listen to my team if they need set days off, it’s how you keep people with you on the journey.

I don’t think I’m alone in doing that as a manager at Whitbread. We can flex with what you have going on outside the Restaurant’s doors.

You build a little family here as a manager and you make life-long friends. Kelly, Hayley and Laura and me all started at the same time. We worked together and stayed best pals, now we’re all GMs in Whitbread.

When it gets tough, people around you step up and help – because we’re made of the same stuff.

The industry’s been really hard since Covid, but together we got my first all green WIN card this year, which was a massive achievement!

To get 100% coming out the back of the pandemic was amazing. I lent my team to other sites who were struggling through illness which got me noticed. But you must understand, this is the kindness that’s been shown to me here, so it didn’t feel strange to do it.

It’s what we do here.

It was nice to with the ‘Hospitality Hero’ award though. It’s on the fireplace, pride of place.

I think Hospitality is good for your mental health… you make memories, the atmosphere’s buzzing, you gain valuable skills. That’s why I bought my Courtney back, I could tell she was missing it in the jobs she did after she left us.

Sarah, General Manager, Table Table

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I joined here at 16. I was really shy when I started but the job bought me out of myself. I then worked in Retail for a while, and then in the Care sector, but it just wasn’t me. I get bored easily. The other jobs didn’t give me the satisfaction working here did, the smiles on the faces, the laughs we have as a team.

So I came back and I’m enjoying it even more second time around.  

People might think ‘you have it easy because she’s your mum’ but honestly she goes harder on me! It’s great though, I’ve really enjoyed working here and the team she’s created. It is like a family here.

Courtney, Front of House Team, Table Table

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