Heston Blumenthal, Marco Pierre-White, Nick Jones, Tom Kerridge, Jamie Oliver, Robin Hutson, Clare Smyth, Daniel Clifford, James Martin, Fergus Henderson, Angela Hartnett, Marcus Wareing, Tommy Banks. All titans of our industry? Yes. But they also have something else in common. Each of these hugely successful individuals have disclosed that they have a condition which falls under the definition of “neurodivergent”.
It is estimated that as many as 1 in 2 people in hospitality are neurodivergent (The Burnt Chef Project). By not understanding the struggles and the strengths of your neurodivergent team members, you are preventing 50% of your team from reaching their full potential.
No matter your personal views of neurodivergence, the stark reality is that your team will have a significant number of neurodivergent people within it and if neurodivergence has not yet made its way across your desk, I promise you that it will in 2026.
I am by no means, comparing the difficulties I face as somebody with ADHD to that of a wheelchair user. However, I would hope that if even one of your team are wheelchair users, you have considered how conducive your workplace is to their success. If as many as 50% of your team were wheelchair users, then appropriate accessibility would be top of your priorities list. So, the question is, why is understanding neurodivergence not at the top of yours?
What does “neurodivergent” actually mean?
A “Neurodivergent” person is someone whose brain functions in a way that differs from the perceived “normal” or “neurotypical” brain, to the point of clinical definition. It is used as an umbrella term for numerous neurological conditions including, but not limited to Autism, ADHD & Dyslexia.
Why Should I Care?
It is hugely important to remember that each individual with a neurodivergent condition will have a vastly different experience, even within the same condition. However, there is one overarching experience that is shared. Their condition frequently makes completing their job effectively more difficult.
We talk about barriers to success all the time in the context of different projects. So, why not when discussing our team members? An unsupportive workplace is one of the largest barriers to success that your neurodivergent team members face. Once you remove this barrier, your business will go from strength to strength.
How?
Enhance Experience – If your team members feel supported and their struggles are minimised, their strengths can shine through, and they can provide the experience guests truly value.
Increase Revenue – “Happy guests spend more”. A simple fact of hospitality, if the experience you offer improves, your revenue will follow.
Reduce Turnover – Team members who are happy in their roles will inevitably stay with you.
Attract Talent – Neurodivergent candidates significantly favour potential employers that demonstrate a commitment to neuroinclusion (Miller & Doyle, 2025).
Nurture Innovation – Neurodivergent people displayed far greater aptitude for creativity and problem solving in Van Niekerk’s 2025 study. However, they cannot utilise these strengths if they aren’t supported.
Support HODs – Your leaders on the frontline, dealing with the potential issues stemming from misunderstood neurodivergence every shift. Equip them with the tools to do their job.
Decrease Conflict – Conflict often stems from misunderstanding, increased understanding = decreased conflict.
Alleviate HR Workload – How much time does your HR Manager spend dealing with unnecessary conflict each month?
Shrink Costs – How much does recruitment, absences, agency staff, Occupational Health, wastage and a general lack of efficiency cost you every year? All of these costs can be reduced by understanding and supporting your neurodivergent team members.
Protect Yourself – The largest employment tribunal payment ever, was recently made to an employee with ADHD who disclosed their neurodivergence to their employer and was not appropriately supported – £4.6Million! Good luck explaining that outgoing to your shareholders.
Conclusion
I have spent days trawling through scientific research on the topic of neurodivergence in the workplace. The findings of these studies have been hugely insightful, and I would absolutely recommend taking the time to do your own research. However, there is one overarching finding across them all. “Managerial understanding of neurodivergence is critically important to the success of any business that employs neurodivergent people.” For example, your business.
By Gareth Rees
Gareth is an Acorn Award winning hotelier and MIALD Graduate who now runs “ADHospitalityD”.
A business which aims to unlock the neurodivergent potential in hospitality through training, mentoring and sharing his insights as a hotelier who also has ADHD.
Email – gareth@adhospitalityd.com
Web: adhospitalityd.com