No place I'd rather be - Abdoul, Kitchen Manager

 

WHAT makes Whitbread different is how united we are. We’re one team. We care about each other, we back each other up, and when we get it right, you can feel it in the room. Guests notice it too – they feel that connection between us.

 

I’ve worked in other big hospitality businesses but I never realised how huge Whitbread really is until I joined. With Premier Inn alongside the restaurants, you see the scale, the stability, the opportunities. This isn’t just another job; it’s a career you can build, with a company that invests in you.

 

That’s what keeps people here. Managers are encouraged to train and develop their teams, and the training is clear and practical. You can see the pathway, you know the timeframes and you know how far you can go. Most of my team have been here five years or more and they’re still learning, still growing.

 

It’s not all about the job at hand, it’s about equipping you to become a better Chef. I think we make it easy to learn with the online training and the courses we have. 

 

I’ve even invested in the company through the Sharesave scheme. I’d never thought about doing something like that before, but it just makes sense — why wouldn’t I share in the success of a business I believe in?

 

At the heart of it, though, it’s about pride. Premier Inn is famous for a great night’s sleep. In our restaurants, we’re famous for a great steak. That reputation doesn’t happen by chance. It’s built, every single day, by teams who care.

 

And that’s what I love most about being here. The team. The atmosphere. The passion for getting it right. When the bar is buzzing, when the restaurant is full, when the steaks are hitting the pass perfectly – that’s when I know we’ve done our job.