As it is a service industry, the hospitality and catering sector has a plentiful supply of jobs and finding a good position is not necessarily dependent on where you are in the country.
The wide range of restaurants and hotels across the UK means there are lots of choices for Chefs to find jobs and the many pubs, cafes, restaurants and bars will have opportunities for all kinds of other hospitality positions. Every town and city throughout the UK has schools, hospitals and care homes which employ a large number of catering staff, so these also create opportunities for work in any part of the country. So what kind of things do you need to think about when deciding the best place in the UK to work in hospitality and catering?
Rate of Pay and Cost of Living
The rate of pay is of course a factor when looking for a job as you want to be paid a reasonable wage or salary for the work that you do. However, pay rates alone are not necessarily an indication of the best town to work in as you also have consider the cost of living. When looking at average salaries for catering and hospitality jobs, London, as expected, comes out highest. However, according to data from Numbeo, London also has the highest cost of living, so this is something you need to consider when looking for work there.
If you like the idea of bright lights in the big city and are looking for somewhere with lots of opportunities for exciting jobs, exploring new cuisines in a cosmopolitan atmosphere, then you should consider any of the big UK cities in your job search. While the average pay may be a little less in the Midlands and further north, the cost of living is generally lower so these areas are well worth looking at.
Look here for catering jobs in the big cities:
The best towns for hospitality and tourism jobs
If you are keen to work in tourism and are looking for a hospitality job in a hotel or restaurant that caters to a lot of visitors, then the best places to work are in coastal areas or towns and cities that have a lot of visitors. Hospitality and catering jobs that cater to tourists tend to be seasonal, but they can be ideal for temporary work.
Here are some of the best places to start your job search:
The best choice of catering jobs
You may not want to relocate or perhaps you prefer to go to a smaller town or city. Or maybe you want to find a catering job in an institution such as a school, hospital or care home. With offices around the country Blue Arrow always has a variety of jobs available within the hospitality and catering sector and below are some places to start your job search around the different regions of the UK.
East of England
East Midlands
South East
South West
Wales
West Midlands
Yorkshire and the Humber
If you’re still not sure about what kind of place you want to work in before you start your job search, read about the different working environmentsfor Chefs and catering staff.
