News

Terms of Engagement for Perm Chef Recruitment

You, the hotelier agree to these terms by dint of engaging Chefs In Scotland to do chef recruitment.

You agree to acknowledge receipt of all applicants sent over within three days of the applicants being sent over.

You agree to advise CIS if you wish to interview or to regret candidates submitted within a week of the candidate being sent over. Otherwise, we will automatically regret said candidates.

CIS expressly forbids the employer to make an offer of employment directly to the candidate.

You agree to notify CIS should you wish to make an offer of a position to the candidate.

CIS will then make the offer on your behalf with confirmation of working terms, hours worked, days worked, over time rate, start date, cost of accommodation.

This will constitute a contract of employment between you the employer and the chef.

CIS will then confirm in writing by post with both parties if the candidate verbally accepts the position.

Availability of Chefs Sous, Chef de partie, Commis and Relief as at 18th February 2016

Availability of chefs at sous chef, chef de partie and commis chef level. Also relief chefs.

Sous chefs

There are quite a few sous chefs looking for work.

If it is a live position for 4 star hotel suggest paying £22,000 to £30,000.

In central areas such as Glasgow, Edinburgh, Perth, Stirling can try live-out.

More rural availability currently ok as in there are some candidates about but this is changing the closer we move towards Easter

2AA Rosettes and above can be quite scarce. Suggest wages of £23,000 upwards to £30,000 for 3AA Rosette sous chef.

A good way to attract candidates is to pay hourly rates for work done by chefs. For sous chefs suggest £11 to £14 per hour will help to attract and retain good candidates.

If paying salaried, we suggest five day week with overtime pro rata over 45 or 48 hours.

We also suggest being flexible with time off to retain chefs as the hospitality work force is much more mobile than they were say 20 years ago before the advent of the internet.

Chef de parties

Availability currently good in Glasgow , Edinburgh and central belt.

Availability is reasonable currently in rural Scotland if offering accommodation.

There are quite a lot of chefs looking for live in accommodation and may be happy to relocate.

There do seem to be issues with staff retention in rural Scotland and we are happy to give advice to hoteliers and meet them to discuss at our offices in Moffat.

Suggest £17,000 (low side) to £22,000 or hourly rate £8.50 - £11 per hour with live in accommodation at a small charge of say £3.45 per day. We would hope you will get decent candidates with this.

Commis chefs

A few bodies available. Suggest £14,000 live in or out. Or minimum wage. Which is currently £6.70 per hour for those over 25 going up to £7.20 in April. Age 18 to 20 the minimum wage will still be £5.30 per hour.

Pastry a few available happy to have a look

For perm we can look if pay “fee of interest” or advertise

Relief

Currently good although can change daily but we update our database on a daily basis and very happy to look if you are paid up to date with us.

Happy to advertise all positions or us to look with Fee of interest.

For sous and below can look and advertise. Fee of interest deducted from finders fee.

Out and About 18th February 2016

Relief is starting to pick up with 11 relief jobs out so far this week.

We have also met quite a few chefs over the past few weeks and have availability for next Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday.

Relief chefs out working is around 30 – 35

Michael Njoroge is at Murrayshall for a 4 week stint, Sara-Jayne Moffat is over at Auchrannie along with Max Nisbet, Dmitrij Cvilij is at The Caladh Inn, Roger Brown at The Queens Hotel in Oban, Steve Moffat is at Lodge at Carfraemill, Andras Rethi at The Links Hotel, Jonny Lewis at The Dunavon, David McConnachie at The Burnett Arms, Piotr Miga at Dryburgh Abbey, Rene La Barre is at The Scalloway Hotel, Glyn Musker at Dalmunzie Castle and Gareth Connolly is still at Loch Fyne Hotel there are a lot more to mention.

Great job guy and girls

We look forward to a busy season ahead

Availability of Head Chefs

Availability of Head Chefs 12^th February 2016

The availability of head chefs is getting less as we move into the middle of February and chefs take up jobs, particularly in rural Scotland. There are still quite a few about which will lessen as we move towards an early Easter at the end of March.

Good in central location including Glasgow, Edinburgh and Stirling. Suggest paying £25,000 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.

Currently decent in Perthshire, less so in the highlands, Inverness-shire and west coast.

Aberdeenshire, Dundee and East coast, there are quite a few Head Chefs registered and the low oil price is having a knock on effect on the availability of chefs as some come back on shore due to cut backs.

Head Chefs are being put off jobs that offer set wage for 5 or 6 days per week and are preferring 5 day weeks or if six paid by the day.

We are also finding it more difficult to fill seasonal head chef jobs.

Suggest wage from £25,000 upwards will get some candidates, ideally over £28,000 and suggest paying overtime for extra days and for hours worked over 48 sanctioned by management.

Ideally this will get candidates with verifiable work histories and often well known to Chefs In Scotland. Below quality will be hit or miss.

3AA Rosette head chefs (suggest £35,000 to £45,000) can be scarce, some 2AA (suggest £27,000 to £32,000) and happy to look.

The more central, the more candidates you will expect to get and the more rural, the harder it can get.