We still have around 20 chefs out on relief at the moment.
We have met a few chefs here in Moffat this week and still very keen to keep on meeting relief chefs and permanent chefs.
I know our relief chefs are waiting patiently for relief jobs to come in and hopefully this will be very soon.
We will start looking at taking new relief chefs on around Mid-March, all you need to do is email a copy of your updated CV along with recent contactable work references. jojo@chefsinscotland.co.uk
Relief chefs get £11 - £17 per hour paid net of tax and NI, return travelling expenses once there and once home either at 30p per mile or at cost price by public transport (bus or train) clean single accommodation at no charge (this may be in the hotel or staff accommodation) and you will get a minimum of 40 hours per week pro rata over 5 days.
Thanks for all your hard work and continued support.
There are over 20 relief chefs out working in Scotland and the north of England.
I will be calling some of the relief chefs we have marked available to invite to Moffat to meet at our office as we would like to have met all relief chefs we are looking to get out this season.
We are free most days Monday to Friday and can be flexible on times to meet.
Michael George was down in Lockerbie at The Townhead Hotel, Jamie Atkinson and Kenny Bruce are both in Dumfries at The Caledonian Hotel, Jason Paxton is at the Links Hotel, Stuart MacColl was at The Creggans Inn, Andras Rethi is at Burts Hotel, Graham McLeish is at Drovers Inn near Loch Lomond, Vytis Baltrunas is at The Bothy Bistro, Mark Murray is at Springkell, Peter Norrie is back at The Grant Arms in Monymusk, Alan Baird was in Dollar at The Kings Seat Restaurant, Gary Imlach was back at Ardvasar Hotel in Skye, Sarah Pozzi is also back in Skye at The Duisdale Hotel, Michael Njoroge is at The Newton Hotel, Dale Paton and Jonny Lewis are helping out at The Dryfesdale along with John Taylor, Gareth Connelly is at The Kingsmills Hotel, Shaun Murray is at Cross Keys in Kelso and Jenny Quashie is back at Mackays Hotel in Wick.
Thanks to everyone for your continued support and hard work
When I was working in kitchens there was always a lot of fun and some pranks pulled especially when I was starting out. When I was working in an Indian restaurant when I was 17 the chefs used to hide my lunch inside the tandoor oven and I used to have to go in and get it. Other times I have been locked in the walk-in fridge, and nearly set on fire also. But I must admit it was all in good banter and I never felt it was anything else.
I have also been sent to get a leg of salmon out of the freezer, covered in a bucket of water on a last shift and had chilli rubbed round the rim of my glass all day. One time the chef had asked me to ring through to the bakery for our bread order and gave me a random number for the local town. An elderly lady answered the phone and had no clue what I was on about. It wasn’t until the chef was in stitches until I realised what he had done. I have also been asked to try the salt crust but that is one that I didn’t fall for.
All of the time I thoroughly enjoyed myself travelling about Scotland.
What is the worst thing you have been asked to do when you were starting out in kitchens?
Head chefs
There are head chef candidates in central Scotland if paying good money in excess of £28,000 and upwards for head chef jobs.
In rural Scotland including Inverness and all the highlands and islands, there are a few head chefs and we advise offering accommodation with permanent head chef jobs to attract candidates. Otherwise you may have to wait some time until a relevant local candidate becomes available.
In rural Scotland and particular 2AA Rosette country house hotels relevant candidates are scarce. Skye, Shetland Islands and rural Argyll there are candidates if paying good money (about £35,000 for 2AA Rosette head chef)
Suggest paying £28,000 upwards to £40,000 according to requirements and demands of the job. Ideally we advise for a five day week and over-time paid on a pro rata basis for extra days worked and for hours in excess of 48 on a pro rata basis.
Aberdeenshire, Dundee and East coast, and Perthshire there are quite a few Head Chefs registered.
The more central, the more candidates you will expect to get and the more rural, the harder it can get.
With all the social media currently available, many chefs are becoming very savvy about where they wish to work and establishments with records of poor chef retention may find it harder to attract good quality permanent candidates. Scotland is quite a small country.
Sous chefs
If it is a live in position for 4 star hotel suggest paying £24,000 to £30,000.
In central areas such as Glasgow, Edinburgh, Perth and Stirling can try live-out and there are a few relevant chefs. In rural Scotland, it can be harder to get candidates but there are some candidates available if there is a good package in place.
2AA Rosettes there a few available. Suggest wages of £25,000 - £28,000 upwards to £30,000 for 3AA Rosette sous chef.
A good way to attract candidates is to pay hourly rates for every hour worked by chefs. For sous chefs suggest £12 to £14 per hour this will help to attract and retain good candidates.
If paying salaried, we suggest five day week with overtime pro rata over 48 hours.
Chef de parties
Availability currently ok in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Perthshire and central belt. Quality can be mixed. In rural Scotland with accommodation there are a few candidates if wages are decent, suggesting £10 to £12 per hour.
There are some chefs looking for live in accommodation and may be happy to relocate and again are of varying quality.
If paying by salary suggest £19,000 for a 45 hour week works out £8.11 an hour which is on the low side. Suggest paying up to £22,000 or hourly rate £9.50 - £12 per hour with live in accommodation at a small charge. We would hope you will get decent candidates with this.
Commis chefs
Few bodies available. Enclosed link to minimum wages.
www.minimum-wage.co.uk/
Pastry a few available happy to have a look
For perm we can look if pay “fee of interest” or advertise
Availability of Relief Chefs change daily and we can advise.
So here we are into the 3rd week in January and we are getting lots of permanent positions registered and relief still remains quite quiet. Alannah Morrison will be joining us back in the office next week. Hopefully bringing some samples from The Harris gin distillery she has been working in over the winter and we look forward to seeing her next week.
We are still pushing on with recruitment in the North of England including Cumbria, Northumberland, Lake District and North Yorkshire and I arranged some interviews there yesterday which are taking place on Friday so fingers crossed.
Michael is working predominately on head chef recruitment
and has lots of positions registered all over Scotland.
I am working on all junior recruitment including sous, chef de partie and
commis chef recruitment. I have been busy placing lots of chef de parties and
commis chefs and it is a real joy to have an effect on their career and getting
them really good opportunities.
Johanna Watson who is in her 7th year of working in Chefs In Scotland will be sorting out a lot of the property aspects of our business and of course dealing with any relief work as and when it comes in.
We are still keen to meet chefs at our new and refurbished offices in Moffat. Which are looking very lovely I must say. So if you want to come and discuss either permanent positions or relief work please give us a call and we will check our availability.
Jessica
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