Becoming a head chef or a chef de cuisine is a dream job for many who love working with food. However, working in a top Michelin-starred restaurant in London is highly competitive and demands long hours and extensive training.
Nonetheless, employment for head chefs is projected to increase by 25% over the next decade, which is much faster than many other occupations.
Working as a head chef is a varied and rewarding career. A skilled chef can easily find work at restaurants, residential care homes, boarding schools, state schools, hospitals, prisons, private homes, pubs, factories, and more.
In addition, chefs can work on cruise ships and holiday resorts. Although the settings can differ, the working environments of head chefs are often very similar.
How Much Does a Head Chef earn in London Compared to the Rest of the UK?
Are you interested in pursuing a career as a head chef? Then, understanding how much you are likely to earn is very important.
The average annual salary for a head chef in the UK is £44,635 gross. However, a head chef’s salary can vary enormously according to their experience and the location of the position. An entry-level head chef working in a hospital kitchen, for example, will earn less than a late-career head chef in a five-star London hotel restaurant.
Most chefs are paid for their work on an hourly basis, although many vacancies are advertised with an annual salary. In common with the nation’s economy as a whole, head chef wages are higher in the southeast and lower in the north, although there are exceptions to the rule.
Short-term accommodation is often included as part of an employment package for a role in a hotel, which can be worth a significant amount of money.
A starting head chef’s salary outside the capital ranges between £19,000 and £21,000 per annum, with an experienced head chef earning considerably more.
Experienced chefs at the peak of their careers can earn upwards of £70,000 per year, and of course, celebrity chefs with TV careers can command even higher salaries.