Focusing on wellbeing behind the scenes during Restaurant Week 2026

Last week, our team from Dirty Blondes, Abingdon Street Market, and Common Bar & Kitchen stepped away from the day-to-day buzz of service to attend a wellbeing workshop as part of Blackpool Restaurant Week. Hosted in collaboration with The Burnt Chef Project, the session offered something a little different from the usual industry events, an opportunity to focus not on food or service, but on the people behind it all.

Hospitality is fast-paced, high-pressure, and incredibly rewarding—but it can also be tough. Long hours, late nights, and the constant demand to deliver great experiences can take a toll, something that often goes unspoken in our industry. This workshop created a space to change that. It encouraged open and honest conversations about mental health, stress, and burnout, reminding us that these challenges are not only real, but widely shared.

The Burnt Chef Project team led the session with a refreshing mix of insight and authenticity. Rather than being overly clinical, the workshop felt grounded in real hospitality experiences. We explored how to recognise signs of burnout, how to better support each other as colleagues, and how small changes in the workplace can make a big difference. It was a powerful reminder that wellbeing isn’t a one-off initiative, it’s something that needs to be part of everyday culture.

One of the most valuable aspects of the day was attending as a wider team across multiple venues.

Bringing together people from Dirty Blondes, Abingdon Street Market, and Common gave us the chance to reflect not just individually, but collectively. We shared perspectives, compared experiences, and came away with a stronger sense of connection, not just within our own teams, but across the wider LBL.

There were plenty of practical takeaways too. From simple check-ins at the start of a shift to encouraging more open communication, the session highlighted how small, consistent actions can help create a more supportive environment. It also introduced us to resources and tools specifically designed for hospitality teams, giving us a clear path to continue building on what we learned.

What stood out most, though, was the sense that the industry is starting to shift. Events like this show that wellbeing is becoming a bigger part of the conversation, and rightly so. Behind every great plate of food or perfectly poured drink is a team of people, and looking after those people is essential to everything we do.

We left the workshop feeling more aware, more connected, and more motivated to make positive changes. As a group, we’re committed to keeping these conversations going and continuing to build a culture where our teams feel supported, valued, and able to thrive.

A big thank you to The Burnt Chef Project and the organisers of Blackpool Restaurant Week for creating such a meaningful and important session. It’s something we’re proud to have been part of and even prouder to carry forward into our venues.