Real Food Cafe in Tyndrum named one of 30 best places to work in hospitality in UK

The Best Places to Work in Hospitality awards showcase the top 30 operators who lead the way in workplace culture.

By Louise Glen

May 18 2023, 4:30 pm

The Real Food Cafe in Tyndrum has been named one of the best in the UK for its workplace culture. Image: C Austin/DC Thomson

An iconic roadside cafe has been named as one of the UK’s top 30 places to work in hospitality.

The Real Food Cafe in Tyndrum has been recognised in The Caterer’s prestigious Best Places to Work in Hospitality awards.

Owner Sarah Heward said she was “bursting with pride” after her business was recognised for its commitment to staff and openness to change for employees.

The cafe is at the crossroads on the A85 Glasgow to Inverness road, for routes to Fort William, to Oban and to the south.

It serves up a range of food – including fish and chips, vegan, gluten free and cakes for all tastes.

Sarah Heward and Colin McGeoch of the Real Food Cafe play an active role in the community. Supplied Image: The Real Food Cafe.

Real Food Cafe employees rated business

To be recognised in the awards, employees were asked to share what’s important to them at work and rate well their employer is delivering on that goal.

The business received a score of 92% in response to those questions.

Innovative ideas within the cafe also helped them secure their place in the awards.

These include regular culture meetings to discuss how things are working, anonymous staff feedback, paying the Living Wage, and bonuses to staff

Ms Heward, owner of The Real Food Cafe, said: “We have worked hard to build our reputation by taking care of our team, suppliers and focusing on authenticity; being kind, working hard and building a strong culture of warmth, friendliness and inclusivity.”

She thanked her husband, Alan McColm for the way in which he has led the people side of the business, and operations director Charles Mair for his efforts.

She continued: “I am bursting with pride that our team have validated his strategy and the consistent and sometimes challenging work he has led over the past decade to reach this point.

“The journey will continue, we are a work in progress but for now, we’ll take this as a win and enjoy the moment.”

“Sadly, hospitality generally has a poor reputation as an employer which is a significant disadvantage to the sector particularly in a very tight labour market.

“Initiatives like this from The Caterer are great because they help highlight that there are some companies doing exceptional work and which are great places to work in our wonderful industry.”