general manager

assistant manager

shift manager

head chef

chef

Honest-Burgers

At the offset honest likes to paint a picture of its self as a relaxed, fun, and stress free environment to work in, it claims to be all about its employees and likes to portray its self as a trend setter much like a google or something to that effect. 

The truth however is the complete antithesis of that idea, you can expect
long hours, no less than 48-50, expectations which are not achievable mainly in part due to labor cuts, and management which could not care less about your personal circumstances, situation or happiness.

Honest likes to promote the idea of quality above all else, however once again this is not true, the product which it sells to its customers arrive every day in plastic bags, many of the items that arrive daily are damaged not to spec or in some cases rotten, more than once i have had food arrive to my restaurant in plastic crates which have clearly been urinated on, after reporting this to management i was told to just "wash it off with water", again i must stress, this was not just a one off, this has happened atleast 3 times to my knowledge. All of this while setting a GP(gross profit) 
on each item of 85% or more, which means that 85% of what they charge on any given product will be profit, for example if a portion of slaw were to cost 1£ then 80p of that would be profit to the company, this in contrast to other companies which have GP margins or just 70% such as mcdonalds.
This is not an indication of quality, but it does suggest that the company puts making money infront of anything else. Although it is true that making money is the soul purpose of any company, in the case of honest they pretend to be something different, i was sold on the idea of working for them by a slick talking area manager who openly lied to me about what the company was and its core values.

My advice to any chef who has thought about going to work for them is  to run, run as far away from them as you possibly can, honest is a company which is at the moment in a economic boom and is expanding rapidly, however much like other brands which came before them, it is destined to crumble and go the way of GBK and the like, it may not be within the next year or so, but they will start to close down sites,  the  business model which they function on is not one based on longevity, it is based on getting cash as quickly as possible to placate its investors.

With all that being said, Honest burgers is without a doubt the worst company i have ever had the misfortune of working for, and i genuinely wish i would have listened to my gut and rejected the job offer they gave me, this job caused me nothing but stress and misery.

Unfortunate Experience at
Honest Burges Portobello

I regret to share a rather disappointing experience during my tenure at Honest. Unfortunately, my time there was marred by an unfortunate incident and subsequent actions that left a significant impact on my overall perception.

The primary issue arose from a misunderstanding with a colleague, which, unfortunately, escalated as the head chef opted not to consider my perspective on the matter. Despite the situation being relatively minor, it led to excessive criticism. Matters took a turn for the worse when, due to a back problem, I had to take a 3-day medical leave. Regrettably, upon my return,I few days after I found myself terminated from my position.

Adding to the challenges, I was not given the one-week notice period explicitly outlined in my employment contract.

This experience has left me disheartened, especially considering the initial optimism I had for my role at Honest. The lack of communication, fair treatment, and adherence to the agreed-upon terms in my contract have significantly impacted my overall view of the company.

While I understand that workplace dynamics can be complex, I hope that future employees will encounter a more transparent and supportive environment at Honest Burges.






What is the best part of working at the company?
The best company I've ever worked for, I was devastated when our location closed. The support i received from both within the restaurant and from upper management was exceptional. One of the few companies that say they look after their employees and mean it

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The pressure of a working restaurant can be intense, but that is true of all successful restaurants

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Like working with friends. There is a very comfortable relationship between all levels from workers right up to senior management

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Very little downtime, you have to be prepared to work hard

I've had a great experience working at Honest Burgers in Kings Cross. The staff here is not only friendly but also incredibly supportive, creating a positive and welcoming atmosphere. The head chef is a fantastic individual who efficiently manages everything, contributing to a happy and collaborative work environment. I appreciate the amiable team and the positive energy that makes each day enjoyable.The hardest part of the job may be the occasional challenges that come with the fast-paced environment, but the supportive team and effective management make overcoming these hurdles a rewarding experience. If you're looking for a workplace where you feel supported and valued, Honest Burgers at Kings Cross is the place to be!

My tipical day is depend on which kind of shift i have,but normaly i prepare everything we need for open the front of the restaurant and the bar,than my attention is completely for the costumer and follow honest steps for give them a great atmosphere and time.in the end i reorganized all the restaurant for the day after.frequentaly i have the goals to teach everything to news guy,waiter or manager. obviosly i improve a lot team work skill,it is foundamental in our work, than i improve a lot my English.The hardest part of my job is sometimes handle complain or stress costumer.....the most enjoyable part is the feeling that we have in our team,we spent most of the time together and naturally we treat each other as a family

i actually really enjoyed working there and only left for a job more suited to my profession. the company is nice and the staff are cool. the only problem i had working there for 1.5 years is the supervisors and management in the restaurants are sometimes under qualified and are protected by area mangers even if the team doesn't get along with them. i struggled keep getting used to new management because of different work styles or them making you feel stupid because you were young. work perks are good:food on shift, smoke breaks, holiday days and food swaps locally. 
overall a good company to work for you just might have some problems with management but there are plenty of restaurants to transfer to

My experience of honest burgers was short lived, between mismanagement of under 18's to clear nepotism with in the branch's management it became torturous to continue working there. the issues with management may have been resolved in the year that I haven't worked there, but judging by the incompetence displayed to me by upper management. nothing will change. the food is excellent, the patrons tip will and the pay isn't bad, the cultish sense of family that try to create does not exist, the management are back stabbers

After a year working for Honest i had to quit because that was completely unhealthy for me. Not even the management cares about you and they dont appreciate and value you as they should do. Always cutting hours, having managers that the only thing they did was sit in a chair looking how you did everything by yourself and they never offered help. 

Working in the kitchen at Honest isnt easy. If you arent able to fully commit during a rush or arent willing to learn youll get eaten up.

Management are very kind and genuinely care about their employees, their mental and physical health. There is a slight disconnect between the Head Honchos and the ground troops as they do not understand just how demanding the job can be sometimes.
Overall I genuinely can recommend working here if you want to progress fast in a non white jacket kitchen.


The business takes it times to try to balance the best for everyone which is a very hard task in itself but does so with transparent communication.

Great people and energy where there is clear hunger to advance careers, deliver better service and expand on community impact. There is lots of collective work as one unit - supporting shift covers, employee referrals etc. 

Feels like an exciting time to join the business as we are eyes forward and working on some exciting, "projects". 

Top Job Titles	Average salary
General manager 4 salaries reported	£44,750 per year
Assistant manager 4 salaries reported	£31,363 per year
Shift manager 3 salaries reported	£13.00 per hour
Head chef 1 salary reported	£13.00 per hour
Chef 1 salary reported	£14.75 per hour

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