Why work at Dishoom?

If the past couple of years of pandemic have taught us anything, it’s that our relationships sustain and nourish us. Without strong and meaningful connections, we quickly become untethered.

This is true in every part of our lives. Most of us spend more than half our day at work, and it’s our sincere belief that the relationships you build there are fundamental to your happiness and fulfilment. 

When you work at Dishoom, we see it as our responsibility to support you, develop you and help you flourish, so that your life – in work and out of it, now and in the future – can be richer and more rewarding. We care deeply for you exactly as you are today, and we’re deeply committed to helping you realise your true potential. We want to help you be the best you can be.

This combination of big-hearted devotion and first-class development is our promise to every Dishoom-walla. It is the greatest form of service we can provide as managers and leaders, and indeed as peers and team members. 

Of course, we work hard on the basics too – healthy pay, generous benefits, a strong culture built on care and respect. The opportunity to work in award-winning restaurant, kitchen and office teams, and build rewarding relationships with some of the most big-hearted, first-class people in hospitality.

There are times when our relationships are tested. During corona, we all did everything we could to sustain one another through the crisis. GP appointments, daily phone calls, emergency loans, mental health support, sober Zoom briefings and sweaty exercise classes, endless dissection of the intricacies of furlough pay. None of it was cool or sexy or fun, the sort of stuff that wins awards or gets social media likes – just honest, big-hearted human beings grafting to get one another through and leave no-one behind. In fact, we stated an early and clear objective to keep everyone’s jobs – and despite everything the pandemic has thrown at us, we achieved this. 

Though we’ve always been focused on people rather than prizes, it was a welcome surprise when we were named 4th Best Company to work for in the whole of the UK, and #1 in hospitality. On the recent Glassdoor rankings, we placed #12 best employer in the UK and #1 in hospitality. This is a testament to the strength of our relationships, and our whole team’s devotion to supporting one another through the pandemic in the most big-hearted, first-class way. This is so very important to us.

Even though we managed to keep everyone’s jobs, our family is growing – so we're on the lookout for more brilliant and lovely people to join us: from chefs to bar to front of house. So, if you're looking for a rewarding career at a place that genuinely gives a damn about you, kindly visit our Careers site to explore our current opportunities. (And check out our Glassdoor page for more about life at Dishoom.) 

Read the café stories

Suggested Reading

See the journal

Unravelling the Vibrant History of Chintz

The origins of chintz can be firmly – and humbly – traced back to 16th century India. The word ‘chintz’ is derived from the Hindi word ‘chint’, meaning spotted or splattered. These intricate designs and endless patterns were traditionally hand-printed using wooden blocks - kalamkari - and brilliantly coloured natural dyes. 

Caring hands at Ramadan

Ramadan

We often find it too easy to hurtle through the days, in an attempt to outpace the bustling city – be it London or Bombay – which always seems to be running away like a steam-engine train on a rickety track. Occasionally, it does us good to pause for thought, to disembark the carriage and sit on the platform awhile.

The Art of Hosting, with our friend Kirthanaa Naidu

How does one create a space where people can truly connect over food? How can a host make their guests feel relaxed, at ease, and suitably cared for? Since launching our all-new Dishoom Crockery, we have been pondering the answers to these questions even more than usual. We recently discussed them with Creative Director - and frequent dinner party hostess - Kirthanaa Naidu when we invited her to create a first-class tablescape in our Canary Wharf café.

Navroz

Each year, the spring equinox – when day and night are equal length – marks a transition in earth’s relationship with the sun. This event, sacred to many cultures throughout history, today thrives as a new year celebration for hundreds of millions.
In Bombay, London, and throughout the South Asian diaspora, you’ll find many folks of the Zoroastrian faith (amongst others) celebrating this new year, or Navroz as we like to call it.