Hourly pay for British chefs rises by up to 20% amid staff shortages

The average hourly wage paid to hired chefs has gone up by up to 20% in parts of the UK in the past year, according to data from the online recruitment platform, The Flex.

Indeed, Flex's analysis of tens of thousands of chef shifts posted to its platform shows average hourly wages for assistant chefs across the UK rising 11 per cent, compared to 5 per cent for staff in other restaurant positions.

Such is the demand for professional chefs, job advertisements for chefs on Flex have jumped an average of 97% from last year in Britain, but not all chefs work the long, unpleasant hours that traditionally accompany the job.

Change on the hourly wage for other catering jobs (%) Cardiff 20% 3% Birmingham 16% 4% York 13%-1% London 12% 6% Liverpool 12% 6% Warrington 12% 11%

Towns and cities have seen biggest hourly rise in cooks' salaries between 2022 and 2021

More than half (57%) of chefs who perform shift work with flex choose more sociable work hours such as a traditional 9-5 hour plan, compared to 43% who work late at night.

Novo Constare, chief executive and co-founder of Actually Flex, said: