Our People Promise
We believe great pubs are built by great people. That means investing in skills, wellbeing and long‑term career opportunities, while removing barriers to work and progression wherever we can. From inclusive recruitment and development pathways, to creating meaningful opportunities for people who face challenges entering employment, our focus is on practical action that delivers lasting impact.
Our People Promise is to create a culture of engagement, support and development that attracts, retains and supports the best people from diverse backgrounds. We support our People to ‘come as you are’ by building an inclusive culture among our employees, Pub Partners and suppliers which reflects the diversity of our guests and communities.
Priorities and Targets
Our People Pillar focuses on three priorities: Equity, Diversity & Inclusion, Communities, and Charitable Giving. Together, these shape how we recruit, develop and support our teams, while strengthening the communities our pubs serve.
Our targets include:
- Employee engagement score of over 8
- Striving towards being an inclusive employer that attracts and appeals to diverse, disadvantaged, and vulnerable groups of people and that nurtures and develops people joining from all backgrounds.
- Assess and enhance our performance across diversity and inclusion, and health and wellbeing.
Here’s where we are making progress on our People initiatives...
Voted No.1
Employer in UK pub industry by Financial Times
77 People
employed through our Excel programme
Over 200
Apprentices in learning across the business
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
A culture where everyone belongs
We believe that diverse teams make us stronger. Our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (ED&I) strategy is designed to ensure our pubs are welcoming places to work and visit — underpinned by clear policies, meaningful training and data‑led action.
Communities
Creating pathways into work
We are proud to be recognised as a leader in inclusive employment, particularly for people facing barriers to work. Our community programmes focus on creating sustainable jobs, long‑term careers and second chances.
Charitable Giving
Having a positive local impact
Giving back has always been part of who we are. Through the Marston’s Foundation, we are building a more structured, transparent and scalable approach to charitable giving - supporting both national partners and local causes in the communities our pubs serve.
Our Impact
Come as you are
Diversity and inclusion is central to our core values and our People Pillar. We are committed to promoting an inclusive environment that represents many different backgrounds, cultures and points of view and will always strive to reflect the communities we serve.
Supporting Rehabilitation and Employment through our Excel Programme
Unlocking potential and creating pathways to employment, our Excel Programme is helping to transform lives by embedding kitchen training academies in UK prisons, supporting ex-offenders to build meaningful careers in hospitality.
Raising a Glass for the Royal British Legion
Marston’s raised a staggering £128,184 for the Royal British Legion’s (RBL) Poppy Appeal through its 2025 Raise a Glass campaign, which saw the sale of limited‑edition commemorative pint and half‑pint glasses at more than 1,000 local Marston’s pubs in November.
Fancy another?
Come as you are
Diversity and inclusion is central to our core values and our People Pillar. We are committed to promoting an inclusive environment that represents many different backgrounds, cultures and points of view and will always strive to reflect the communities we serve.
‘Come as you are’ is our Diversity and Inclusion strategy which captures our objectives of wanting Marston’s to be a place where our teams:
- Relate to, feel represented by, and trust each other
- Feel valued and supported
- Feel involved in the bigger picture
- Are appreciated as individuals
- Communicate openly, have a voice, and are listened to
Our employee network groups support our D&I plans and activities. They create safe spaces for our People to connect, share their thoughts and experiences, influence real change and work collaboratively with the business to deliver our business and D&I strategy.
Read more about our inclusive culture on our Careers website.
Supporting Rehabilitation and Employment through our Excel Programme
Unlocking potential and creating pathways to employment, our Excel Programme is helping to transform lives by embedding kitchen training academies in UK prisons, supporting ex-offenders to build meaningful careers in hospitality.
Following the success of The Lock Inn kitchen training academy at HMP Liverpool, we have expanded our network with two new openings since FY2025: The Crown & Key at HMP Stoke Heath and The Hope & Anchor at HMP Styal - the UK’s first commercially-led hospitality academy inside a women’s prison.
These purpose-built academies provide hands-on culinary training and professional qualifications, preparing up to 40 men at HMP Stoke Heath and 32 women at HMP Styal each year for Line Chef roles and a fresh start in our pubs. Delivered in partnership with Novus Education and the New Futures Network, the programme offers real kitchen experience and a direct route into employment at one of our pubs.
Raising a Glass for the Royal British Legion
Marston’s raised a staggering £128,184 for the Royal British Legion’s (RBL) Poppy Appeal through its 2025 Raise a Glass campaign, which saw the sale of limited‑edition commemorative pint and half‑pint glasses at more than 1,000 local Marston’s pubs in November.
The glassware featured special designs illustrated by Royal Marine veteran and artist Colin Waite, inspired by the rugged Falklands landscape where he served, which captured the imagination of guests across the country, helping to raise vital funds to support serving personnel, veterans and their families.
The campaign was officially launched at The Oakingham Belle in Wokingham, where RBL ambassador Ross Kemp joined Colin alongside several Marston’s publicans who are themselves veterans. Together, they raised a glass in recognition of the Armed Forces community and the vital work carried out by the Royal British Legion.
The latest fundraising total builds on the £95,587 raised during the 2024 campaign, bringing the overall amount raised for the Royal British Legion through Raise a Glass to over £223,000.