How Mitchells & Butlers Transformed Learning with Totara LMS

For organisations with large, distributed workforces, delivering engaging, scalable learning while supporting compliance, career development, and business goals is no small task.

Mitchells & Butlers (MAB), one of the UK’s leading hospitality companies, has transformed its learning platform into a strategic business asset. Working with Totara Partner Think Learning, MAB has evolved its Totara LMS into MABLE—a highly customised platform that supports more than 50,000 employees across multiple brands with personalised learning, streamlined compliance, and continuous innovation.

By treating its LMS as a product rather than simply a training system, MAB has created a flexible platform that continues to evolve alongside the business.

Introducing MABLE: A Product-Centric LMS

MAB’s branded LMS, MABLE, is more than just a learning platform, it’s treated as a product. Dedicated teams use agile methodologies to continuously evolve the system, delivering tailored solutions that align with business goals and user needs.

Key customisations include:

Role-Based Learning Journeys
Training programmes are dynamically linked to employees’ current and aspirational job roles, supporting career progression and internal mobility.

Custom Fiscal Reporting
A bespoke plugin aligns learning engagement data with MAB’s unique five-year accounting cycle, streamlining analysis and reporting.

Third-Party Integration
Seamless integration with Fuel50, a talent management system, enables unified career development and succession planning.

Policy Management
A custom-built tool ensures compliance with the Employment Act 2023, particularly around tipping policies, eliminating the need for external solutions.

Gamification
Learners can unlock avatars and earn real-world rewards, boosting engagement and reinforcing brand loyalty.

Social Learning
Totara Engage powers branded social workspaces that foster collaboration, peer learning, and community building.

Why It Works: Strategic Insights from MABLE

Agile, Product-Led Development
Treating the LMS as a product allows for iterative innovation without compromising upgrade paths. This approach enhances scalability and reduces long-term technical debt.

Personalised Learning by Role
Linking content to job roles ensures relevance and encourages career growth—critical in a large, diverse workforce.

Tailored Reporting for Business Cycles
Custom fiscal plugins demonstrate how LMS platforms can adapt to non-standard business processes, improving decision-making and operational efficiency.

Unified Talent Ecosystem
SSO and data integration with Fuel50 create a seamless user experience, supporting holistic talent strategies.

Compliance Made Simple
In-house policy tools reduce reliance on third-party systems, cut costs, and ensure regulatory alignment.

Community-Driven Learning
Social features promote knowledge sharing and strengthen workplace culture, making learning more engaging and collaborative.

Gamification That Delivers
Custom avatars and tangible rewards turn learning into a motivating experience, driving participation and performance.

Turning an LMS into a Strategic Business Platform

Mitchells & Butlers demonstrates how a modern LMS can deliver far more than online training. Through thoughtful customisation, strong integrations, and a product-led approach to continuous improvement, MABLE supports compliance, career development, employee engagement, and organisational performance from a single platform.

The story highlights what’s possible when learning technology is designed around business needs rather than technical limitations. By combining Totara’s flexibility with Think Learning’s expertise, Mitchells & Butlers has built a scalable learning ecosystem that continues to grow with the organisation.