The Ripe Avocado: London Living Wage commitment
At The Ripe Avocado, we believe good food starts with good values. Fair pay is one of them. That is why we are a proud London Living Wage employer for all permanent and temporary staff and why we welcome the Living Wage Foundation’s new real Living Wage rates for 2025–26.
“From day one of launching our business one of our greatest missions is to ensure our teams are paid fairly for the hard work we do. Becoming Living Wage Accredited this year was a huge milestone for our company and something we are very proud of, so we are delighted to see this year’s increase align further with the high cost of living and working in the capital, an increase that will go straight into our hardworking team’s pockets. We look forward to bringing these increases to our hardworking FOH & BOH teams as soon as possible.”
Jay Burgesson-Carter, Founder, The Ripe Avocado
What’s the difference between the National Living Wage and the Real Living Wage? The names sound similar, but the impact is not. The government’s National Living Wage is a legal floor set each April. The real Living Wage is a voluntary rate calculated from real-world costs like housing, food and transport so people can actually make ends meet. For 2025–26, the Real Living Wage is £13.45 across the UK and £14.80 in London. The National Living Wage for those aged 21 and over will be £12.21 from April 2025.
Choosing the real Living Wage is about dignity, stability and respect at work. It helps our teams feel secure and valued, and it helps us build a culture where people can thrive. Accreditation also signals what we stand for as a business. Just as we choose suppliers who lead with purpose, we choose pay practices that reflect our values.
Quick facts:
• Real Living Wage (2025–26): £13.45 UK, £14.80 London
• National Living Wage (from April 2025, 21+): £12.21
• Nearly 16,000 employers choose to pay the real Living Wage
We look forward to bringing these increases to our hardworking FOH & BOH teams as soon as possible. We continue to champion fair pay across our industry. For us, it is simple. The National Living Wage is the legal minimum. The real Living Wage is the cost-of-living minimum. If we want our people to do their best work and feel proud of it, the real Living Wage is the benchmark we will stick to.
