When I was working as a chef one of the things that I loved and still miss is the buzz you get after an amazing service and the feeling of working as a team. Knowing that you are working with a team who will help you out if you need it and who have your back is one of the best things about a job in the kitchen. However we all know not every kitchen is like that and not every chef sees it as a team effort but sometimes as a way to make themselves seem better rather than help out a fellow colleague. But it is difficult to know this after an interview which is the reason I think a trial shift is the best way to get an idea of the way a team work.
If you aren’t working with a team and as a team it can really have a negative effect on moral in the workplace and could perhaps explain why some kitchens have issues with chef retention although I know myself it isn’t solely down to this.
Sometimes it can be due to the leader in the kitchen not placing importance on their staff working together as a team but sometimes the constant stream of different employees in the workplace can also affect this.
This is why engagement is really important in a kitchen and communication is key not only between employer and employee but employee to employee also. Some establishments are coming up with innovative ways to secure that team spirit such as team building exercises and daily seated staff meals.
What gives you a team spirit and boosts your moral in the workplace?
There are 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, it is proving hard to get relevant candidates despite the payment of 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, there are 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 becoming available as we come closer to the end of the season if there is a good package in place.
2AA Rosettes and are quite scarce. Suggest wages of £26,000 - £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
A 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.
I was thinking this morning about goal-setting and how many of our chefs out there have aims and goals in their life which they are working towards completing. At Chefs In Scotland we set daily and monthly targets which we aim to meet and then review at the end of the month.
Although I knew I wouldn’t always be a chef I always aimed to be a head chef and I now know after speaking to lots of the junior chefs starting out in their career that seems to be a common goal. They want to gain experience and eventually run their own team of chefs also. I think that vital to this is not only your cooking ability but your management skills and willingness to learn to make it to the top.
How many of our chefs out there have set career goals and have either completed them or are on their way to completing? How did you go about planning your goal to see success?
In the Chefs In Scotland office at this time of year it may seem that it quietens down a little bit. Although relief is still very tight and the adverts a coming in there isn’t the demand for chefs across the country as there has been for the past 3 months. There is still plenty to do in the office between now and until the end of October. This includes processing all of the CVs that come in including chef interviewing and references. This is also the time of year we get things done in the office such as fibre optic broadband this week, refurbishing the office including painting decorating, new carpets and office furniture.
During this time especially over November is a time when we get all of our filing and admin up to date.; the things which are difficult to do in July when the phone is ringing all day. We order our stock for the upcoming season such as the famous Chefs In Scotland pens, daily books and up-to-date hotel guides. We also send out brochures to potential new and previously lapsed customers. So if you may be looking for chefs in the future please get in touch and I will send out a brochure to you with a structure of our pricing and services we offer.
There are 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 not many 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, it is proving hard to get relevant candidates despite the payment of 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, there are a few Head Chefs registered.
In rural Scotland we are advising offering live in also, ideally at no charge to the chef.
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 becoming available as we come closer to the end of the season if there is a good package in place.
2AA Rosettes and are quite scarce. Suggest wages of £26,000 - £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 £9 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 £8.50 - £12 per hour with live in accommodation at a small charge. We would hope you will get decent candidates with this.
Commis chefs
A 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.
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