https://www.acas.org.uk/contact
ACAS is a free to use government sponsored facility to help disputes between employees and employers regarding wages.
it is a friendly and helpful service and available to all.
You can call on 0300 123 1150 and they are open usual office hours from Monday at 9am.
It is also possible to have someone deal with ACAS on your behalf, with permission.
This facility is not relevant for self-employed where the small claims court facility at Sheriff Courts in Scotland is the main option if all else fails, although, personally I have found the “shirker of the week” route, albeit perhaps actionable, can get results.
Out and About 17th October
We have 31 relief chefs out from The Moffat Office that we are still charging for working in Scotland and England
Relief is starting to get quieter and the work that is coming in will be given as priority the chefs who have worked all season and who are known to us.
You can still register though please email CV’s to jojo@chefsinscotland.co.uk
Ian has some excellent permanent positions available if you would like to find out more please email ian@chefsinscotland.co.uk
We would love to hear where your best placement(s) have been and if you would like to share any photos
Here are some of the chefs we currently have out
John Derrick is getting on well at Armstrong’s Bar and Restaurant
Mark Shaw is finishing up this weekend at Old Manor Hotel
Craig Coulson was extended by a few days at Monachyle Mhor
Michael George has been extended at Loch Fyne Oysters
Michael Njororge will be due to finish soon at Loch Melfort Hotel
Mike Slater is at The Oyster Inn
Stephen Grant is back at Knipoch Hotel
Thanks once again for all your hard work and continued support :)
Out and About 3rd October
We have 36 relief chefs out from The Moffat Office that we are still charging for working in Scotland and England
Relief is starting to get quieter and the work that is coming in will be given as priority the chefs who have worked all season and who are known to us.
You can still register though please email CV’s to jojo@chefsinscotland.co.uk
Ian has some excellent permanent positions available if you would like to find out more please email ian@chefsinscotland.co.uk
We would love to hear where your best placement(s) have been and if you would like to share any photos
Here are some of the chefs we currently have out
Matt Lee and Colin Carberry are still working away at The Rock Inn in Noth Devon
Michael Njoroge is at the Loch Melfort Hotel, near Oban
Nastasia Costinea is over on the Isle of Arran at The Kinloch Hotel
Stephen Grant just finished his stint at The Knipoch Hotel near Oban and has been confirmed again for mid October
Scott Bolton is also now finished at The Bridge Hotel, Buttermere
Ionel Rizea is working away at The Boat Inn, Aboyne
Michael Young is at The Cover Bay Hotel, near Aberdeen
Mark Shaw is at the Old Manor Hotel, Fife
Patrick Johnstone has been extended at The Cairndale Hotel, Dumfries
Thanks once again for all your hard work and continued support :)
As of July 22, 2025, the salary threshold for new applicants for a Skilled Worker visa as a chef is £41,700, with some specific exceptions for certain jobs or for those who were issued a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) before April 4, 2024, or July 22, 2025, under transitional rules. Individuals with a CoS assigned before April 4, 2024, can apply at a lower threshold of £31,300, provided they have maintained continuous leave in the route. However, be aware that eligibility for chefs under the Skilled Worker visa is ending, with roles at RQF Level 3 to 5 being removed from the eligible list unless they are on the new Temporary Shortage List.
At CIS we often have up to £30,000 of unpaid debt.
The vast majority of establishments pay promptly and for new establishments, we take debit card details and charge after 5 weeks of a relief job or when the job is completed if before and then again after 10 weeks, which is the final bill for relief.
Another fee may be due if the chef takes a permanent job within 9 months of starting from the first CIS introduction.
The working conditions vary hugely in the establishments and almost by dint of them wanting Relief chefs, it will not be totally straightforward for the chef.
Relief works seems to suit a certain type of chef who can go in, get their head down, work away without trying to change the world, complete their time and represent themselves, their fellow chefs and CIS well.
CIS invoices on a meter system, i.e. from day one to the date completed or 10 weeks, whichever comes first, all our terms are on our website, on the front page.
In this day of dynamic pricing, think Oasis, Bruce Springsteen and some hotels which charge as much as they can extract from the market, we have chosen to keep our fees restricted for relief chefs to £70 plus VAT per week per chef placement.
The rates for the relief chefs have also remained unchanged this year.
We will see what 2026 brings after the coming Autumn and winter.
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