A year at M&B: 2024 wrap up

What a year 2024 has been at Mitchells & Butlers! 

From welcoming new brands to achieving big sustainability wins, launching exciting concepts, and celebrating the amazing people that make it all happen, it’s been a whirlwind of innovation, growth, and togetherness. 

As we prepare for the festive season and all the magic it brings, let’s take a moment to reflect on the incredible milestones we’ve reached this year.

New businesses, brands and ideas

We kicked off the year by welcoming Ego Restaurants to the M&B family, an established Mediterranean brand serving quality food and drink from Europe, with a focus on value and friendly service. Over the past 12 months we’ve opened 5 new Ego restaurants each in stunning locations. The future looks bright for Ego! 

In February, we launched Orleans, a vibrant new concept featuring live jazz bands, cinema showings, and self-serve frozen custard. With its deep-south hospitality and generous portions, Orleans has quickly become a favorite. Becca, our Recruitment Partner, shared her excitement: "After helping with pre-opening recruitment, I couldn't wait to visit Orleans. The grand opening was fantastic, and I've been back multiple times since. The 8-hour smoked Jacob's Ladder is a must-try!"

One of the many perks of working at M&B is the chance to get creative and enjoy fantastic rewards. Our team was challenged to create cocktails, with winners from each brand competing in the Shake Off competition for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

In September, we opened our corporate graduate schemes, attracting a flood of applications from across the country. Programs in HR, Marketing, Finance, and Area Management were especially popular. Grace, who went from Graduate to Area Manager, shares her journey in this blog: Grace's Story. 

Going green and giving back

We're proud to have our sustainability targets approved by the Science Based Target Initiative, joining an elite group of just 4,000 companies. This year, we installed food recycling bins in every restaurant and revamped our food packaging to be more sustainable. Did you know we saved 7.8 tonnes of plastic in just one year? Our efforts were recognized when we won Operator of the Year for Energy Efficiency and Sustainability at the FEJ Awards. 

In September, many of our team members took on the 100 Miles Challenge to support our new national partnership with Social Bite. We also raised money for both Shelter and Social Bite at a gala event in February, thanks to the combined efforts of Browns, All Bar One, Nicholsons, and Castle.

And in October, O'Neill's opened its first accessible Arrowsmiths interactive dartboard, with dart legend Vincent D’hondt launching the inclusive oche. Vincent said, "It's great for inclusion, and I really enjoyed trying out all the games."

Celebrating the Apprentices

We celebrated National Apprenticeship Week in February with events in Manchester, Birmingham, and London. Our chef apprentices shone in the MABsterchef competitions, and we were thrilled to win Best Employer in the large category at the Apprenticeship Guide Awards. Check out the stories of our divisional winners here: Celebrating our Apprentices of the Year winners | M&B Careers

Celebrating togetherness

We also celebrated the strong relationships formed at M&B, whether long-standing like the Chater family or new friendships made at work. Armed Forces Day in June was a highlight, with Will, our Operations Director for Nicholson’s, sharing how hospitality roles are perfect for those leaving the military. He even supported Social Bite by sleeping rough outside one of our London pubs!

June also saw us celebrating Pride in Birmingham, with many from our M&Be Yourself group marching in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community. We also joined the parades in Manchester and London

Ready to make 2025 your year?

As we gear up for the festive season—preparing over 2 million pigs in blankets!—it's great to look back on all we've achieved in 2024. 

If you’re inspired by all we’ve achieved and want to be part of a team that’s making a difference, now’s the perfect time to explore a career with us. Let’s make 2025 a year to remember—together.