About
On the surface, TOPJAW is the story of two best friends, Jesse Burgess and Will Warr, traveling the world to document the best places to eat, drink, and explore. But beneath the cinematic gloss of their YouTube channel lies a well-built, multi-platform media enterprise built on a foundation of elite professional credibility, a pivotal strategic pivot to short-form content, and an influence so potent it can reshape the fortunes of London’s restaurants overnight. What began in 2015 as a “side project” has evolved into a example of modern brand-building, where the founders’ pedigrees—one a high-fashion model turned TV host, the other a filmmaker trusted by global brands and British royalty—are as crucial to their success as any algorithm.
TOPJAW: How It Started
The partnership of Jesse Christopher Burgess and Will Ernest Warr began in 2015 at a co-working space in West London. That same year, they launched the TOPJAW YouTube channel, starting with a series to find the “Best Burger In London.” From its inception, the venture was treated with a degree of professional foresight; corporate records confirm the legal entity TOPJAW LTD was incorporated on December 8, 2015.
For years, the channel remained what the founders called a “hobby,” its growth modest as they balanced it with their demanding primary careers. Burgess was an established international model, appearing in campaigns for Lacoste and French Connection, gracing the pages of Italian Vogue and GQ, and walking runways for Moschino and Diesel. His public profile was cemented in 2011 with a feature role in the E4 docu-reality series ‘Dirty Sexy Things’. Warr, meanwhile, was building his London-based film production company, Detail Films, into a go-to for major corporate clients like McDonald’s, Guinness, and Uber Eats, while also running a bespoke wedding videography service and earning commissions for sensitive projects with the British Royal Family.
The brand’s inflection point arrived around 2022 with a strategic pivot away from infrequent, long-form videos to a high-cadence, daily schedule of short-form content for Instagram Reels and TikTok. They perfected a rapid-fire interview format designed to be, in their words, “no mucking about, don’t hold the dopamine.” This shift was transformative. A clip of Michelin-starred chef Marcus Wareing naming Pizza Express as his favorite pizza “made headlines,” creating a viral moment that signaled their newfound reach. The 12 months leading into early 2024 marked the fastest growth in their nine-year history, with their social following expanding tenfold in a single year. It was a trajectory they aptly described as taking “nine years to become an overnight success.”
TOPJAW Content: Evolution and Style
TOPJAW’s content library is built on a few core formats that have evolved with their strategy. Their foundational work consists of long-form, cinematic city guides, often titled “48 Hours In…” or “24 Hours In…” destinations like New York and San Sebastián. These videos showcase the channel’s signature production quality, a direct result of Will Warr’s professional filmmaking expertise.
Their explosive growth, however, was fueled by the short-form “Best of…” interview series. In these clips, Burgess energetically queries chefs, celebrities, and industry insiders for their definitive picks on everything from the “Best Curry” to the “Best Pub,” often including the provocative “Most Overrated” spot. More recently, the duo launched “Pint Shopping,” a long-form series featuring relaxed, in-depth conversations with personalities such as Idris Elba and food critic Grace Dent in London pubs.
The channel’s aesthetic, a premium and crisp visual style they call the “TOPJAW look,” is a central part of the brand. The on-screen dynamic is equally critical; it relies on the natural chemistry between Burgess as the on-camera host and Warr as the off-camera director, a relationship Burgess defines as, “TopJaw has always been me talking to Will.”
How TOPJAW Makes Money
TOPJAW operates as a highly diversified business. The legal entity, TOPJAW LTD (Company Number: 09907743), is a UK-based Private Limited Company filing as a “Micro company,” with its registered office at 32 Willoughby Road, London, since March 5, 2020. Their commercial strategy is guided by the major global talent management agency YMU Group, whose commercial director, Leon Harlow, has publicly commented on their rapid growth.
Their revenue streams extend far beyond standard ad revenue: * E-commerce: A Shopify-powered store at topjaw.co.uk sells branded merchandise, such as the “Going Places” roll-top bag, and digital products. * Digital Products: They monetize their signature aesthetic by selling custom Lightroom presets and video LUTs directly to their audience. * Memberships & Subscriptions: A Patreon account offers subscribers exclusive content, primarily access to their curated recommendation maps. They have also partnered with the Step Your World app to sell their city guides as a premium, interactive map product. * Brand Sponsorships: The channel has secured partnerships with major brands including Google, Deliveroo, Nutella, and the Post Office, with sponsored content clearly marked with “#ad.” * Product Collaborations: In 2022, they launched a craft beer with Arundel Brewery and have also released a co-branded coffee with Volcano Coffee Works. * Affiliate Marketing: Video descriptions frequently contain commission-based links for products and services they use, from Stubble & Co backpacks to Musicbed licensing.
The founders’ parallel business ventures, including Warr’s Detail Films and Burgess’s work in high-specification property development—such as his 2021-2022 purchase of the historic Old Grammar School site in St Ives, Cambridgeshire—further solidify their professional standing and business acumen.
TOPJAW's Network and Collaborations
The professional credibility of Burgess and Warr has granted TOPJAW a level of access rare among digital creators. Their interview series regularly features A-list celebrities like Idris Elba, Florence Pugh, and Stanley Tucci. This “halo effect” reached a new peak with the announcement that Burgess will host an eight-part AppleTV+ series, Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars, produced by Gordon Ramsay’s Studio Ramsay Global.
Their impact on the hospitality industry is direct and measurable. According to their management, restaurants they feature, such as Trinity and Crisp Pizza, have experienced a 900%+ spike in website visits and thousands of new customers. After a TOPJAW feature on its Sunday roast, the Parlour restaurant in Kensal Rise was forced to double its Sunday staff to handle the surge in demand, cementing the channel’s status as a powerful market-maker.
TOPJAW: Public Reception
In December 2023, TOPJAW faced its most significant public relations crisis after publishing an interview with then-UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Intended as part of their standard “Best of London” format, the video was met with an immediate and intensely negative backlash from their audience. Comments on social media included “Ew,” “Oh boys, you’ve f***ed this,” and a flood of vomit emojis, signaling a categorical rejection of the political association.
Recognizing the threat to their community trust, the duo deleted the video from all platforms “within minutes” of its publication. According to reports from those who saw it, Sunak had named TGI Fridays as London’s “most underrated restaurant” and claimed the “best Sunday roast” was at his own house. Both TOPJAW and the Prime Minister’s office declined to comment on the incident.
The channel has also faced other criticisms. An episode of “The Screen Rot Podcast” labeled them “the top restaurant recommending Toffs in London,” and they have been accused of “affecting working class accents” and focusing on “unaffordable restaurants and gentrified pubs.” An unverified anecdotal comment on Reddit from a user claiming to be a restaurant owner also described them as “rude and unfriendly” during a professional visit.
Philanthropy and Impact
TOPJAW has leveraged its platform for charitable initiatives. In September 2025, they are scheduled to collaborate with NoMad London’s Side Hustle restaurant for the “Tacos with Friends” charity event. The initiative supports City Harvest, a London-based organization that redistributes surplus food to combat food insecurity. For the event, TOPJAW designed a custom taco and cocktail, with proceeds from their sale directly benefiting the charity.
TOPJAW Today
From a West London co-working space to the global stage, TOPJAW has engineered a remarkable transformation from a passion project into a strong media brand. The fusion of Will Warr’s cinematic direction and Jesse Burgess’s charismatic presentation, underwritten by their extensive professional careers outside of YouTube, has created a trusted and highly commercialized platform. While their influence is undeniable, the Rishi Sunak affair served as a stark reminder of the fragile pact between creators and their audience. TOPJAW’s continued success hinges on its ability to navigate this delicate balance, maintaining the perceived authenticity that built their empire while continuing to expand its commercial frontiers.