Recruiters face chef skills shortage this Christmas

A restaurant price hike could lie ahead this festive season as recruiters struggle to find enough chefs for restaurants and other hospitality firms due to a skills shortage.

In November, the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) surveyed hospitality recruitment agencies, with 89% reporting that demand for chefs has increased over the last three years as the UK restaurant industry has boomed. Some 61% will be unable to provide enough chefs to restaurants and other hospitality firms over Christmas due to the skills shortage.

Ninety-three per cent (93%) of agencies surveyed said there are not enough trained chefs in the UK to meet demand, while than eight in ten (83%) expect demand for chefs to continue to increase over the next 12 months.

The REC has warned that the shortage is likely to get worse due to a combination of poor staff retention in the hospitality industry, and potential changes to immigration policies which would make it harder for EU chefs to fill vacancies in the UK.

REC Chief Executive Kevin Green said: “As we approach the festive season the shortage of chefs is causing real headaches for restaurants. Training and progression needs to be improved so that more people are encouraged to become chefs. That’s a longer-term fix, but there’s an immediate skills crisis which needs to be addressed. Any restrictions on access to chefs from the EU, such as a salary threshold for work visas, will only exacerbate the problem.

“Without a supply of chefs to meet growing demand, restaurants, bars and hotels will have to pay more for their staff and it’s likely that these costs will be passed on to the customer. We may even see restaurants close their doors if they can’t remain competitive and profitable.”

Katie Mellor, Director of Sales and Operations at specialist hospitality recruitment firm CJUK, commented: “We know that a huge number of chefs leave the industry after just a short time because they’ve had a bad experience. To encourage more chefs to stay in work, restaurants need to provide better flexibility and pay.

“One of the key reasons a chef will choose to work via an agency is so they get paid for every hour they work, rather than working unpaid overtime in a permanent role. Restaurants are already struggling to keep their kitchens staffed ­– chefs need more flexibility and better conditions if this is to improve.”