Chefs for Chefs Chefs for Chefs

A chef recruitment agency specialises in connecting hospitality businesses with professional culinary talent. Unlike general recruitment firms, a dedicated chef agency understands the specific demands of working kitchens — from the skills required at each level to the pace of the industry. Chefs for Chefs handles everything from sourcing and screening candidates to onboarding, so you can focus on running your business.

An agency chef — sometimes called a relief chef — is a professional cook who works through a recruitment agency on a temporary or flexible basis. Businesses use agency chefs to cover holiday absence, sickness, staff shortages, or seasonal peaks such as Christmas. Agency chefs are vetted, trained, and managed by the agency, meaning they can step into a kitchen with minimal disruption.

A relief chef is another term for an agency or temporary chef — a culinary professional who fills short-term staffing gaps in professional kitchens. Relief chefs are particularly valuable during busy periods, when permanent staff are on leave, or when a business needs extra hands without the commitment of a full-time hire. Chefs for Chefs maintains a large pool of experienced relief chefs available across the UK.

An enhanced DBS chef has passed an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check — a thorough background screening required when working in care homes, schools, or education settings. Chefs for Chefs provides DBS-cleared chefs specifically for these sectors through our sister service Nightingale Chefs, ensuring every placement meets the safeguarding standards required.

Recruitment as a service rivals the traditional hopsitality recruitment service. essentially, you can have us as a recruitment partner to your business on a monthly basis, where you can cancel anytime. Our fee is £299 per month and if you hire a chef with us, there are no additional fees to pay!

Chefs for Chefs is a specialist hospitality recruitment agency founded in 2014 by chefs who identified a gap in the market for genuinely industry-led recruitment. We're based in Yorkshire but operate nationally, and have been trusted by over 2,000 UK hospitality businesses over more than 11 years. Our team includes consultants with real kitchen experience — not just recruiters who happen to work in hospitality.

We were founded by working chefs, which means we understand kitchens from the inside. Our consultants have lived and breathed hospitality, allowing us to assess candidates — and understand client needs — in a way a generalist recruiter simply can't. We combine that industry knowledge with investment in modern recruitment technology, and back it all with a personal, relationship-driven service.

We work with restaurants, hotels, pubs, contract caterers, event and corporate catering companies, care homes, and educational institutions across the UK. Whether you're an independent restaurant needing one chef or a multi-site group requiring an ongoing staffing partner, we can tailor our service to suit your operation.

We offer three core services: permanent recruitment (finding your next long-term hire), temporary and relief chef cover (for holiday, sickness, or seasonal peaks), and enhanced DBS chef placements for care and education settings.

For temporary relief cover, we can often place a chef as soon as the next working day. We are constantly recruiting new talent into our network, so we're well placed to respond to urgent requirements. For permanent roles, timescales depend on seniority and the specifics of the position, but your account manager will keep you updated throughout.

We start by learning about your business, kitchen culture, and the specific requirements of the role. We then market your position to our candidate database, post customised adverts on leading UK job boards, and screen applicants on your behalf. Once we have suitable candidates, we introduce them to you — and support the offer and onboarding process from there.

All chefs in our network hold a minimum of Level 2 Food Hygiene and allergen training as standard. We can arrange updated certification where needed. For our enhanced DBS service, every chef undergoes a full Disclosure and Barring Service check before placement. For relief chef and DBS chef placements, all workers are onboarded onto our PAYE — so there's no payroll burden on your business.

Head to jobs.chefsforchefs.co.uk to browse current vacancies and register your profile. Alternatively, get in touch with our team directly. Registration is quick and straightforward — our consultants will take time to understand your experience, preferred roles, and availability before matching you with suitable opportunities.

We recruit across all kitchen levels — from commis chef and chef de partie through to sous chef, head chef, and executive head chef. We have both temporary and permanent opportunities available, covering a wide range of establishments including restaurants, hotels, pubs, and care settings across the UK.

Yes — if you're looking for flexible work, our relief chef service lets you take on temporary placements that suit your schedule. You'll be onboarded onto our PAYE, meaning we handle your payments directly. It's a great option for chefs who want variety, are between permanent roles, or want to supplement existing employment.

Absolutely. As well as temporary relief work, we run a full permanent recruitment service. We'll work with you to understand what you're looking for in your next role — whether that's a step up, a new cuisine, better hours, or a specific type of venue — and match you accordingly.

Our rates start at £24ph for a CDP and raise from thewre depending on the position of cover required. For central London, prices are slightly increased to meet the London Living wage.

Contact our team for an accurate quote.

Our Recruitment as a Service package is priced at £299/month with no additional fees. You can cancel this anytime you wish.

No there are no onboarding charges for jobseekers. The only costs may arise are for any training modules or certification for example a DBS check. However this is completely optional.