September 19, 2025
Dishoom Spices up the EXA25 Awards, Wins Best Employee Experience Journey
The UK Employee Experience Awards (#UKEXA25) might be heavy on big business and digital companies, with weighty expectations. But there were plenty of nominees at the Hilton Hotel event to add some delight and surprise to proceedings.
One such winner was Indian Restaurant, Dishoom. Rishi Anand, the chain’s culinary artist, innovator, mentor and Head of Research & Development stepped up twice. He received a Bronze for Team of the Year, and Gold for Best Learning and Development, Employee Experience Journey.
Celebrating A One-Two Dishoom Punch
Opened in 2010, just a stone’s throw away from the Paddington Awards venue, the first Dishoom (the term for the sound of a punch from Bollywood movies) restaurant opened in Covent Garden. The company now has a string of venues across London, stretching north to Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester and Edinburgh.
Dishoom provides employees with a “Welcome-Walla” program, focused on exceptional onboarding and retention, with benefits like team meals, flexible work options (“Your Work Your Way”), a monthly wellbeing allowance, mental health support, training opportunities like the Bombay Bootcamp, and the opportunity to earn a trip to Bombay for long-serving employees.
Rishi talked to CXM about the long road to success. “The award is for the kitchen academy we run, as well as the training for the back of house staff. The focus is to grow the team from within, growing and nurturing them as humans and as employees. We focus on a “big-heart” and a first-class approach.”
The Bombay Bootcamp takes staff with five years service to learn about the culture, perform charity work and provide an insight into authentic India. As part of that effort, a charity partnership has now seen over 25 million meals served to school children in the UK and India.
See the full list of winners here.
