Culture: The Secret Ingredient Nobody Puts on the Menu

Culture.

It’s one of those words that gets thrown around in hospitality almost as much as passion, family and fast-paced environment.

But what does it actually mean?

Because culture isn't the framed values on the wall. It isn't the team-building day, the free pizza after being spoken to like shit all week, or the WhatsApp group full of birthday messages. Eye roll emoji.

Culture is what actually happens when nobody is watching.

It is how people speak to each other when service gets difficult. How a new starter is treated on their first Saturday night. How mistakes are handled. Who gets listened to. Who gets protected. Who gets blamed.

And, perhaps most importantly, whether people feel they can actually be themselves at work.

I've experienced a fair few versions of hospitality culture over the years.

Some have been genuinely brilliant.

Welcoming teams. Encouraging chefs. Managers who actually managed. People who supported each other when service went sideways and celebrated each other's successes when things went right.

The kind of kitchen where you knew someone had your back.

I've also experienced the other end of the spectrum.

The kitchens where everyone is perfectly pleasant to each other's faces, then spends the moment they leave the room calling them a see-you-next-Tuesday behind their backs.

The awkward hug at 10am followed by the character assassination at 10:05.

That's not culture.

That's theatre.

When Culture Turns Sour

Then there are cultures that are simply hostile.

Where shouting is considered leadership.

Where humiliation is disguised as development.

Where people are frightened to admit they've made a mistake because they know the response will be disproportionate.

Where favouritism becomes normal.

And where the loudest voice in the room somehow becomes the person with the most authority.

I've also experienced environments where the balance can swing so far in the opposite direction that boundaries, structure and accountability almost disappear.

Everyone has to be treated fairly, absolutely.

But fairness doesn't mean there are no standards.

A good workplace should be inclusive, respectful and supportive. But it should also have expectations.

You can be supportive without accepting poor performance.

You can be kind without avoiding difficult conversations.

You can create equality without removing accountability.

And you can respect people without putting anyone on a pedestal.

Because once certain individuals become untouchable, culture starts to fracture.

The rules aren't really the rules anymore.

They're optional.

And that's dangerous for everyone.

Good Culture Can Still Go Bad

Here's the uncomfortable bit.

Even a genuinely good culture can become detrimental over time.

A team can become so comfortable that standards slip.

The banter becomes excessive.

The informal ways of doing things replace proper processes.

Long-standing employees start believing they are beyond challenge because they've "always done it this way".

New people aren't really welcomed unless they fit the existing mould.

That sadly is where being inclusive or genuine, fails, the structure/boundaries or pulling back is lacking.

And eventually, what once made the culture brilliant becomes the very thing holding it back.

It's a bit like a great stock.

Leave it on the stove forever and eventually you're not getting more flavour.

You're just burning the bloody thing.

Sometimes You Don't Know It's Bad

This is probably one of the biggest lessons I've learned.

Sometimes you don't realise you're working in a bad culture until you leave it.

Why?

Because you believe in the product.

You believe in the business.

You believe in the people around you.

You have friendships.

You have history.

You've invested years of your life into it.

And when you're surrounded by people experiencing the same thing, abnormal behaviour can start to feel normal.

"That's just how they are."

"That's just service."

"Every kitchen is like this."

"No point saying anything."

"It's always been that way."

No.

It doesn't have to be.

Hospitality has spent far too long accepting poor behaviour as part of the job.

Pressure is part of hospitality.

Long hours can be part of hospitality.

Busy services are certainly part of hospitality.

Being treated badly shouldn't be.

So What Actually Creates Good Culture?

For me, it starts with a few fairly simple things.

1. Consistency

The rules should apply regardless of who you are.

Chef, GM, owner, waiter, dishwasher, superstar or Saturday casual.

If something isn't acceptable from one person, it shouldn't magically become acceptable because someone else does it.

2. Accountability

Support doesn't mean avoiding accountability.

Good leaders don't just tell people when they've done something wrong.

They explain why, help them improve and then hold the standard.

3. Psychological safety

People should be able to say:

"I made a mistake."

"I don't understand."

"I think there's a better way."

"I'm struggling."

Without immediately wondering whether they've just put a target on their back.

4. Respect

Not forced respect.

Not "respect your elders".

Not "I've been here longer than you."

Actual respect.

For people's time, opinions, skills, boundaries and contribution.

5. Communication

Most toxic cultures don't explode overnight.

They deteriorate through thousands of tiny conversations that never happen.

The issue nobody addresses.

The behaviour nobody challenges.

The resentment nobody discusses.

The manager who assumes everyone knows what's expected.

Clear communication isn't glamorous.

But neither is clearing up the mess afterwards.

And What Can Change It?

Leadership.

Not necessarily the person with the biggest job title.

Culture is influenced by everyone.

But leadership has an enormous responsibility because what leaders tolerate becomes part of the culture.

If a chef screams at someone and nothing happens, the team learns that screaming is acceptable.

If someone consistently undermines colleagues and gets rewarded for performance, the team learns that results matter more than behaviour.

If someone raises a genuine concern and is listened to, the team learns that speaking up is safe.

Culture isn't what you announce.

Culture is what you allow.

And sometimes changing it means having some uncomfortable conversations.

Sometimes it means changing processes.

Sometimes it means changing managers.

And sometimes, unfortunately, it means changing people.

Because you can't build a healthy culture around behaviour that continually damages it.

The Best Kitchens Aren't Perfect

This is important too.

A good culture doesn't mean everyone gets along all the time.

People disagree.

People have bad days.

Service goes wrong.

Mistakes happen.

Arguments happen.

That's hospitality.

The difference is what happens afterwards.

Can people reset?

Can they talk about it?

Can someone apologise?

Can the team learn?

Can everyone walk back into the kitchen the next day without carrying yesterday's argument into today's service?

That's culture.

The goal isn't to create a workplace where nobody ever has a difficult day.

It's to create one where difficult days don't become the standard.

Culture Is Everyone's Responsibility

If you're an owner, ask yourself what behaviour you're rewarding.

If you're a manager, ask yourself what you're tolerating.

If you're a chef, ask yourself how the newest person in your kitchen experiences you.

And if you're part of a team, ask yourself whether you're contributing to the culture you want to work in.

In the F1, there is a strong work culture - all driven to results, safety and absolute optimums as a clear goal, so if something fails, they don't fire someone or scream at them - they review why the system didnt work, not fail a person, or turn on them, they simply rework the system to improve, secure the objective and monitor it.

Because it's very easy to blame "management".

Sometimes management is absolutely the problem.

But sometimes the culture has become a collective creation.

Every joke.

Every whisper.

Every favour.

Every confrontation avoided.

Every person supported.

Every person ignored.

Every standard maintained.

Every standard allowed to slide.

It all adds up.

The Final Course

I've worked in cultures where I'd happily go back tomorrow.

I've worked in cultures where I couldn't wait to leave.

And I've worked in places where I genuinely didn't realise how unhealthy things had become until I was finally outside looking in.

The biggest lesson?

Don't confuse familiarity with good culture.

Just because something has always happened doesn't mean it should continue happening.

And don't confuse being busy, successful or profitable with having a healthy workplace.

You can have an incredible product and a terrible culture.

You can have a brilliant team and poor leadership.

You can have great people working within broken systems.

And you can have a workplace that starts brilliantly but slowly loses its way.

Culture needs maintaining.

Just like standards.

Just like food.

Just like a good kitchen.

Because ultimately, the culture of your business is the secret ingredient.

Get it right and people want to stay, contribute, improve and succeed.

Get it wrong and eventually, even the best people start looking for the nearest exit.

And that's one ingredient no hospitality business can afford to leave off the menu.

How Do You Spot Good Culture Before You Join?

Of course, the million-pound question is: how do you know whether what you're being told about culture is actually true?

Don't just ask, "What's the culture like?" You're almost guaranteed a polished answer.

Ask questions that make people demonstrate it. The next time I hear "like a family" I think I may scream myself....

Try: "How do you deal with mistakes?", "How would you describe the relationship between the kitchen and front of house?", "What happens when someone isn't performing?", "How long do people typically stay in the team?", or "What's the last thing you changed because a member of the team gave you feedback?"

Then watch what happens around you.

How are you greeted when you arrive? Does the person interviewing you speak respectfully to the team? Do people look comfortable? Are staff laughing with each other or nervously around each other? Does the kitchen feel organised or chaotic? How does the manager speak about previous employees? And, importantly, ask the team themselves if you get the opportunity.

A trial shift can tell you even more than an interview. You're not just demonstrating what you can cook - you're observing how people communicate, whether help is offered, how pressure is handled and whether mistakes are treated as learning opportunities or ammunition.

And remember: you're interviewing them too.

A great salary, impressive menu and beautiful venue can all look fantastic on paper. But if the culture doesn't stack up, you'll eventually taste it.

Don't just listen to what they say. Watch what they do.

Because good culture isn't something you can garnish for the interview and scrape off afterwards. It's in the kitchen every service.

What kind of culture have you experienced?

The brilliant ones, the toxic ones, or somewhere in between?

At The Chef Hub, we believe hospitality needs great people and better workplaces.

Because recruitment shouldn't just be about filling the vacancy.

It's about finding the right people for the right environment.

The right culture matters.

For everything else, you can find vacancies here

You can find support here to understand more