FAQs
The first Wimpy opened in The Strand, London in a Lyons Corner House in 1954. Wimpy, then owned by J. Lyons & Co, was the first hamburger chain to be set up in the UK and rapidly became known as the “home of the hamburger”. The name “Wimpy” came from Popeye’s friend, Wellington Wimpy, who loved hamburgers just as much as Popeye loved spinach.
The Wimpy brand is owned by Famous Brands Limited and is Africa’s largest branded food services franchisor. The Group comprises a portfolio of 24 brands represented by 2,797 restaurants across South Africa, the Rest of Africa and the Middle East (AME), and the United Kingdom (30 October 2017).
All of our restaurants are owned and operated by our dedicated franchisees. Some have been part of the Wimpy family for many decades and some are multi-generational, with parents passing their Wimpy knowledge on to their children. We are always on the look-out for enthusiastic and dedicated new franchisees across the UK and you can find out more by visiting this page.
Find out more about how you can own your own Wimpy restaurant here.
A nutritional booklet is available in all Wimpy restaurants, so please ask your server for a copy. This provides the full nutritional information for each menu item, as well as listing the presence of any allergens. In addition, we also publish an Ingredients and Allergen guide giving details of the component food products that we use to assemble our meals. This is available on our website and for reference in our restaurants.
Our burgers are made from 100% British Beef with just an added seasoning. This means that the burger patty recipe is actually 99% beef (which is 100% British) and 1% seasoning. The seasoning is made up of salt, pepper and spices and because some of the spice is carried on wheat flour there is therefore a very small amount of wheat gluten present in the finished product. Our burgers have always contained our unique seasoning and we give full information about the ingredients and allergens that are present in our nutritional booklets in-store and on the Wimpy website.
This recipe has been established for many years and we are proud to use only British Beef as is flashed on the front of menus. We use only approved and independently accredited manufacturers to supply all of our products.
This recipe has been established for many years and we are proud to use only British Beef as is flashed on the front of menus. We use only approved and independently accredited manufacturers to supply all of our products.
The Wimpy menu includes many meat-free alternatives and non-meat items. However, because our meat-free menu items may be cooked in the same oil as meat or fish products, we do not currently offer any item as being specifically suitable for a vegetarian or vegan diet.
We recognise that individual customers’ needs can vary significantly and are always happy to discuss your specific requirements at the restaurant.
We recognise that individual customers’ needs can vary significantly and are always happy to discuss your specific requirements at the restaurant.
A number of items on our menu are free from ingredients containing gluten. However, we cannot absolutely guarantee that cross-contamination will not occur within the restaurant environment and therefore do not currently promote any foods with a specific “gluten-free” claim. We would always advise that you seek guidance from your doctor or medical professional to discuss the suitability of any of our menu items in relation to specific dietary requirements. Details of ingredients and allergens in our foods can be found in our In-Restaurant Information Guide available on-line and in-store by request.
We do not currently have Halal accreditation for any of our restaurants and do not specifically identify any of the products on our menu as being suitable for a Halal diet.
Many of our menu items could be suitable for a Halal diet and a number of the ingredients we use are Halal certified at origin. However, we have common food preparation areas within our kitchens and use the same cooking equipment for all products and cannot therefore guarantee that this will not compromise their status for customers with this dietary requirement.
We recognise that individual customers’ needs can vary significantly and are always happy to discuss your specific requirements at the restaurant.
Many of our menu items could be suitable for a Halal diet and a number of the ingredients we use are Halal certified at origin. However, we have common food preparation areas within our kitchens and use the same cooking equipment for all products and cannot therefore guarantee that this will not compromise their status for customers with this dietary requirement.
We recognise that individual customers’ needs can vary significantly and are always happy to discuss your specific requirements at the restaurant.
Whether you have a fabulous Wimpy story to tell, great service to share or a complaint you want recorded, contact our Head Office.
If you are not 100% satisfied with your Wimpy experience, it’s important you raise your complaint with the restaurant staff at the time to ensure issues are resolved swiftly. All Wimpy restaurants are franchised, which means they are independently owned and managed, therefore Wimpy does not have control over the day-to-day management of the restaurant. If however you are not satisfied with the way in which your complaint has been dealt with, please contact our Head Office here.
