Part one of our UK Uniform Report revealed Britain’s best and worst supermarket uniforms, along with a clear message about what people actually want from workwear: professionalism and comfort matter far more than designer labels. For part two, we turned our attention to Britain’s coffee shops and fast food chains. We asked 2,000 UK adults to name up to three brands with the best staff uniforms and up to three with the worst. The results were striking. Coffee chains dominated the top of the rankings, while burger brands found themselves at the other end of the table.
Britain’s best-rated coffee shop and fast food uniforms
Caffè Nero takes the top spot, with 34.0% of respondents placing it among their three favourite uniforms. Costa Coffee and Starbucks complete an all-coffee podium, while Pret a Manger makes it four coffee brands in the top four places.
KFC was the only fast food chain to break into the top five.
| Rank | Chain | % who put it in their top three |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Caffè Nero | 34.0% |
| 2 | Costa Coffee | 27.7% |
| 3 | Starbucks | 25.4% |
| 4 | Pret a Manger | 20.9% |
| 5 | KFC | 19.6% |
| 6 | Greggs | 16.8% |
| 7 | Nando’s | 15.8% |
| 8 | McDonald’s | 15.3% |
| 9 | Subway | 13.1% |
| 10 | Burger King | 10.5% |
| 11 | Five Guys | 7.3% |
Respondents could select up to three brands, so totals exceed 100%. 5.6% selected “don’t know” or “none”.
The comments from respondents suggest that brand consistency plays a major role in how people judge uniforms. One respondent told us:
“I love the Costa uniform. I like how the colours match well with the Costa brand.”
Another said:
“I love the Starbucks one, mainly because the brand identity is so clear.”
Those comments closely reflect the wider findings from part one of the report. People tend to favour uniforms that are simple, practical and instantly recognisable. The highest-rated brands were not necessarily the most fashionable. They were the ones with a clear identity and a uniform that felt like a natural extension of the brand.
Britain’s worst rated uniforms: McDonald’s and Burger King finish neck and neck
At the other end of the rankings, McDonald’s and Burger King were effectively tied for last place. McDonald’s was placed in respondents’ bottom three by 30.5% of people, while Burger King received 30.2%. Across a sample of 2,000 adults, that gap amounted to just seven votes.
Worst uniform rankings
| Rank | Chain | % who put it in their bottom three |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | McDonald’s | 30.5% |
| 2 | Burger King | 30.2% |
| 3 | Five Guys | 25.7% |
| 4 | Greggs | 18.8% |
| 5 | Nando’s | 16.7% |
| 6 | Subway | 16.5% |
| 7 | Pret a Manger | 12.0% |
| 8 | KFC | 11.2% |
| 9 | Caffè Nero | 10.7% |
| 10 | Costa Coffee | 9.7% |
| 11 | Starbucks | 8.9% |
Respondents could select up to three brands, so totals exceed 100%. 9.5% selected “don’t know” or “none”. Importantly, these ratings reflect people’s views on the uniforms rather than the brands themselves. The most common criticism echoed one of the biggest findings from part one of the report, where “looks cheap or dated” emerged as Britain’s biggest uniform turn-off. As one respondent explained:
“While recognisable, I feel the uniforms are too basic and outdated, especially compared to more modern fast food brands.”
That theme appeared repeatedly in the responses. Familiarity was not the problem. Most people instantly recognise a McDonald’s or Burger King uniform. Instead, many felt the designs had not evolved at the same pace as competitors. Starbucks, meanwhile, received the fewest worst uniform votes of any brand in the survey at 8.9%, making it arguably the least divisive uniform in the sector.
KFC proves fast food can compete
One fast food chain bucked the trend. KFC ranked fifth overall for best uniforms and recorded one of the lowest negative scores in the survey. One respondent summed up the appeal simply:
“I think KFC has one of the best uniforms. They look presentable and aesthetic.”
The result shows that coffee chains do not have a monopoly on public approval. Fast food uniforms can score highly too when people feel they look modern, professional and consistent with the brand.
The generation gap appears again
Part one of the UK Uniform Report revealed significant age differences in how people view workplace uniforms. Those differences became even more pronounced in this category.
Burger King’s worst uniform rating more than doubled across age groups, rising from 21.9% among people ages 55 to 64 to 45.0% among people aged 18 to 24.
Starbucks saw the opposite trend. Just 18.0% of 55 to 64 year olds ranked it among the best uniforms, compared with 36.7% of 18 to 24 year olds.
Greggs proved particularly divisive, with 29.2% of younger respondents placing it among the worst uniforms compared with 14.6% of older adults.
There was one bright spot for Greggs. The chain’s strongest support came from North East England, where it achieved its highest best uniform score and lowest worst uniform score. It seems the sausage roll heartland still has plenty of affection for its local favourite.
What this means for businesses choosing staff uniforms
The brands that performed best in this survey all had something in common. Their uniforms felt intentional. People responded positively to uniforms that looked professional, matched the brand clearly and appeared comfortable enough to wear throughout a shift. None of the top performers relied on high fashion or expensive-looking designs to win approval.
For businesses reviewing their own workwear, that’s encouraging news. A good uniform does not need to be complicated. It just needs to look like it belongs to the company wearing it. The lower-ranked brands also offer a useful lesson. Respondents rarely described these uniforms as awful. The criticism was much more subtle. In many cases, people simply felt the designs looked dated.
That’s a much easier problem to solve.
Coming next in the UK Uniform Report
One final sector remains: the delivery and logistics companies that arrive on Britain’s doorsteps every day. And it contains perhaps the most surprising result in the entire report. Follow us on LinkedIn to see the final rankings when they are released.
About the UK Uniform Report
The UK Uniform Report is an annual study by Clothes2order, one of the UK’s leading suppliers of personalised workwear and staff uniforms. The 2026 edition surveyed 2,000 UK adults aged between 18 and 64 on 21 April 2026 via the independent Pollfish research panel. Respondents rated staff uniforms across the supermarket, coffee and fast food, and delivery and logistics sectors, while also answering broader questions about what makes a uniform effective.
Percentages shown throughout this report represent the share of respondents selecting each brand. Participants were able to choose up to three brands for each question. Some brands appeared in the survey under shortened names, such as “Pret” rather than Pret a Manger. Correct trading names are used throughout this report. For media enquiries or full data tables, contact us.
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