The catering and hospitality sector in Aberdeen
- Head chef salary (November 2019) in Aberdeen: £31,034.56 a year / £14.92 per hour
- Sous chef salary (November 2019) in Aberdeen: £26,915 a year / £12.94 per hour
- Chef de partie salary (November 2019) in Aberdeen: £21,453.33 a year / £10.31 per hour
Nicknamed “the Granite City” for its iconic, locally quarried greystone buildings, Aberdeen is a major regional hub in the northeast of Scotland.
The third-largest city in Scotland and one of the most liveable cities in the UK, this pioneering and enterprising place has grown prosperous in recent decades thanks to its huge offshore oil reserves; kickstarting a boom in a range of other industries — from business to hospitality and catering.
Aberdeen’s location makes it a great place for lovers of the great outdoors. The awe-inspiring Cairngorms National Park is less than an hour’s drive from the city. Even Aberdeen itself offers tranquillity, with a quarter of the city’s land being dedicated to parks and gardens.
It’s also a young city. The historic University of Aberdeen — founded way back in 1495 — is the best in Scotland for engineering, land & property management and creative writing, and it’s also home to a vibrant student population of 14,000.
It may be a cliche, but the city truly is rich in culture and sport. Museums, galleries, theatres, festivals — you name it, Aberdeen probably has it. Located to the north of the city, Old Aberdeen is like a time capsule, with its many historic buildings (some of which have been converted into restaurants) dating back hundreds of years. Aberdeen FC, based at the 20,000-capacity Pittodrie, is one of the most famous football clubs in Scotland. Meanwhile, the city’s flourishing nightlife scene is one of only two in Scotland to receive a prestigious Purple Flag award.
As for food and drink, few places in Britain have such a longstanding heritage to build on. With miles of quality arable land and a 165-mile stretch of coastline, Aberdeenshire is filled with culinary delights — from some of the freshest salmon and trout on Earth to mouthwatering venison and game.
The county is also home to the world-famous Aberdeen Angus beef; Speyside single malt Scotch whiskies (including the two best-selling single malt whiskies in the world, The Glenlivet and Glenfiddich); Dean’s Shortbread; and, more recently, the craft beer upstarts Brewdog.
No wonder, then, that a thriving dining scene has sprung up around the city. Hospitality and catering is a major employer — excluding the whisky sector, the region contributes an estimated 20% of Scotland’s food and drink industry output. Wages, therefore, are among the highest in Scotland. While the average head chef in Aberdeen, for example, earns around £31,000, it’s possible for a head chef to earn as much as £50,000 to £70,000.
For chefs of all levels looking to upskill, Aberdeen and the wider Aberdeenshire region is home to a number of training opportunities.
