A POPULAR seafood restaurant chain with a base in Winchester has been recognised as one of the UK's Best Companies to Work For.

The Rick Stein Group, which has an eatery on the High Street, placed number 88 at the Best Companies Live event on November 3.

It has also been ranked at number 14 in the Top 25 Leisure & Hospitality's Best Companies to Work For. 

Geoff Goater is a kitchen porter at the Winchester restaurant. He said: "I have been at Rick Stein since 2014, and it has been an honour and privilege to work alongside some incredible chefs, front of house and management.

"I have enjoyed every minute at this brilliant company. It's very tough going sometimes, but we have help and support when we need it.

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"I would like to pay tribute to our head chef, Chris, who has been there for me and always helps me so much. Words are not enough to express my gratitude to him."

Geoff has also just come sixth in kitchen porter of the year - a competition run by The Caterer in association with warewash manufacturer Winterhalter UK. 

"It hasn’t really sunk in yet," he added. "But it's a brilliant surprise and I'm not sure how to take it as I've never received such recognition before. It's an honour for me.

"I was awarded kitchen porter of the year in 2018 through Rick Stein and I proudly wore a special apron. I would definitely recommend Rick Stein to anyone looking to further their catering career."

Celebrity chef Rick Stein first opened the seafood restaurant with his ex-wife Jill in 1975.

The company has since grown to incorporate multiple restaurants in Cornwall, as well as sites in Sandbanks, Marlborough, Barnes, and of course Winchester.

Further to the restaurants, Rick Stein offers a range of hotel rooms and self-catered cottages in Cornwall, an award-winning cookery school, coffee shop, deli, fishmongers and gift shop.

The Best Companies survey is the largest in the UK, surveying both employees and management to determine the true measure of a workplace. 

The company achieved a 50 per cent increase in survey responses from the team compared to 2019, when they ranked 55 in the UK’s Best Companies to Work For 2020.

In 2022, the three top-scoring questions included: I feel proud to work for this organisation, my manager cares about how satisfied I am in my job, and I love working for this organisation. 

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Group director and son of Rick, Charlie, said: “To be recognised by Best Companies in this way is something to be immensely proud of.

"Ever since my parents started the business in the 1970s, looking after our staff, as well as our customers, and making sure they feel valued has been a priority.

"We want everyone to feel that they’re part of a team, that they belong, and they feel motivated coming to work. What we’ve achieved here is down to the hard work of everyone across all of our business and I’m delighted for the whole team.”

The group offers a range of initiatives to staff such as quarterly awards, in-house and on-site knowledge training, supplier visits and product tastings. 

Furthermore, it recently announced a major new partnership with One Feeds Two, aiming to donate 225,000 meals a year to children in some of the poorest parts of the world.