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As the staffing crisis ramps up in all countries - with some 700,000 hospitality workers leaving the industry on average each month in the past year in the US alone - experienced chefs are becoming an ever more in-demand asset for restaurants and hotels.
One such job posting that illustrates how chefs may be able to command considerably higher wages was for Bob Bob Ricard, a French and Russian-themed restaurant in London's Soho district, which advertised a salary of £91,000 for a head chef.
Hospitality staff and chefs have been chronically over-worked and underpaid for decades, but with tough conditions and a lack of benefits turning many away from the profession, those that have stuck with it can now command salaries in line with any C-suite executive, as well as benefits like health insurance and, in the case of Bob Bob Ricard, meals worth up to £6,000 per year.
It follows in the wake of a shakeup to the restaurant business model, which has seen restaurateurs reconsider how to attract and keep top talent. Anything from cooperative enterprises to removing or increasing tipping structures and increasing employee wellness are being trialled by business owners in order to increase wages and make kitchen work more attractive.
Daniel Humm’s Eleven Madison Park in New York - already under fire by some for removing meat from the menu, yet maintaining the same prices - has just announced a reversal of their much-vaunted no-tipping policy. Previously, service tips had been included in their $335 menu. This, which effectively equals a 20% price rise, is in order to make sure that staff are paid enough in relation to market fluctuations.
“The cost of operating a restaurant in Manhattan has never been higher,” said an email to customers from Eleven Madison Park. “As ever, our priority is to find ways to support our team; the individuals whose heart, dedication, and significance to this restaurant cannot be overstated.”
No one can argue with the need to pay hospitality workers more for the work that they do, but with supply chain issues and inflation already seeing prices creep upwards on menus, the hit will ultimately be taken by the customer. Some customers are more committed than ever to getting back to the dining rooms, others have happily ordered in for the last two years. Does this mean fine dining will become more expensive and more exclusive?
