£30,000+ Chef Jobs in UK for Foreign Workers

The United Kingdom has a huge hospitality industry covering restaurants, hotels, resorts, pubs, catering businesses, private clubs and event venues.

Professional chefs are employed throughout:

• England
• Scotland
• Wales
• Northern Ireland

For experienced foreign chefs, the UK can offer opportunities in commercial kitchens, particularly for workers with strong culinary skills, management experience or specialist cuisine expertise.

A professional chef can potentially earn £30,000+ per year, while sous chefs, head chefs and executive chefs can earn considerably more.

However, foreign applicants need to understand an important change in the UK’s immigration system.

Under the current Skilled Worker occupation classifications, chefs — SOC 5434 — are classified as medium-skilled, while cooks — SOC 5435 — are listed as ineligible.

Therefore:

Chef job ≠ automatic Skilled Worker sponsorship.

And:

Chef and cook are not interchangeable immigration classifications.

How Much Do Chefs Earn in the UK?

Chef salaries vary substantially according to:

• Experience
• Location
• Employer
• Restaurant type
• Hotel category
• Cuisine
• Responsibility
• Working hours

For experienced professional chefs, salaries of:

£30,000–£40,000+ annually

can be achievable.

Senior chefs can earn substantially more.

The wider UK labour market had median annual earnings of £39,039 for full-time employees in April 2025, according to the Office for National Statistics. The ONS also reported continued earnings growth across all major occupational groups.

Individual chef earnings can sit above or below that national figure.

Monthly Chef Salary

At:

£30,000/year

gross monthly salary averages:

£2,500.

At:

£35,000/year

it is approximately:

£2,917.

At:

£40,000/year

it is approximately:

£3,333.

At:

£45,000/year

it is:

£3,750.

At:

£50,000/year

it is approximately:

£4,167.

At:

£60,000/year

it is:

£5,000.

These amounts are before UK income tax, National Insurance and other applicable deductions.

Use the salary calculator as a planning tool only. Actual take-home pay depends on your tax circumstances, earnings and applicable UK rules.

Types of Chef Jobs in the UK

Professional kitchen positions include:

• Chef
• Chef de Partie
• Sous Chef
• Head Chef
• Executive Chef
• Pastry Chef
• Banquet Chef
• Hotel Chef
• Specialist Cuisine Chef

Foreign applicants should pay close attention to the actual responsibilities of the position.

The UK immigration system uses occupation codes rather than simply accepting whatever job title appears in an advertisement.

Chef vs Cook in UK Immigration

This distinction is extremely important.

Current UK occupation information lists:

5434 — Chefs — Medium Skilled

while:

5435 — Cooks — Ineligible.

Changing a job title from “cook” to “chef” does not legitimately change the occupation.

The actual duties must correspond with the correct occupation code.

Foreign applicants should be suspicious of employers or agents offering to manipulate a job title purely for immigration purposes.

Chef de Partie Jobs

A Chef de Partie normally manages a specific section of a professional kitchen.

Examples include:

• Grill
• Sauce
• Fish
• Pastry
• Vegetables

The role normally requires genuine professional kitchen experience.

Sous Chef Jobs

Sous chefs are senior kitchen employees who typically support the head or executive chef.

Responsibilities can include:

• Supervising kitchen workers
• Food preparation
• Quality control
• Staff training
• Stock management
• Menu development
• Food safety

Experienced sous chefs can potentially earn significantly more than junior kitchen employees.

Head Chef Jobs

Head chefs can be responsible for:

• Kitchen operations
• Menu development
• Staff management
• Food purchasing
• Scheduling
• Food costs
• Hygiene
• Quality control

Head-chef salaries can be considerably higher than entry-level chef salaries.

Executive Chef Jobs

Executive chefs are senior culinary professionals.

Large employers can include:

• Luxury hotels
• Resorts
• Restaurant groups
• Event venues
• Large catering businesses

Executive chefs can manage:

• Multiple kitchens
• Large teams
• Budgets
• Menus
• Purchasing
• Food standards

Extensive professional experience is normally required.

Pastry Chef Jobs

Pastry chefs specialise in:

• Cakes
• Desserts
• Bread
• Pastries
• Chocolate

They can work in:

• Hotels
• Restaurants
• Bakeries
• Luxury hospitality businesses

Specialist culinary experience can strengthen a candidate’s profile.

Restaurant Chef Jobs

Restaurants employ chefs throughout the UK.

Opportunities exist across:

• Fine dining
• Casual dining
• Hotel restaurants
• Gastropubs
• Restaurant groups
• Independent restaurants

Large cities provide particularly diverse restaurant markets.

Hotel Chef Jobs

Hotels can employ:

• Breakfast Chefs
• Chef de Parties
• Sous Chefs
• Pastry Chefs
• Head Chefs
• Executive Chefs

Large hotels can have several restaurants, banqueting operations and room-service kitchens.

Catering Chef Jobs

Catering businesses employ chefs for:

• Weddings
• Corporate events
• Conferences
• Schools
• Hospitals
• Private functions
• Large venues

High-volume food-production experience can be valuable.

Chef Jobs in London

London has one of Europe’s largest hospitality industries.

It contains:

• Luxury hotels
• Michelin-starred restaurants
• International restaurant groups
• Independent restaurants
• Event venues
• Private clubs

Experienced chefs can potentially earn higher salaries in London.

However, housing and transportation costs can also be substantially higher.

A higher London salary does not automatically mean greater disposable income.

Chef Jobs in Manchester

Manchester has a large restaurant and hospitality industry supported by:

• Tourism
• Business
• Universities
• Sport
• Entertainment

The city can offer professional chef opportunities while generally having different housing costs from central London.

Chef Jobs in Birmingham

Birmingham has a large multicultural food scene.

Restaurants include cuisine from around the world.

Professional chefs can find opportunities in:

• Hotels
• Restaurants
• Catering
• Events

Chef Jobs in Edinburgh

Edinburgh’s tourism industry supports substantial hospitality employment.

Demand can increase around:

• Summer tourism
• Festivals
• Major events

Hotels and restaurants recruit professional chefs throughout the city.

Chef Jobs in Glasgow

Glasgow also has a large:

• Restaurant
• Hotel
• Entertainment

industry.

It provides another significant Scottish employment market for chefs.

Chef Jobs in Rural and Tourism Areas

Chef opportunities are not limited to major cities.

Employment can exist in:

• Country hotels
• Resorts
• Golf clubs
• Coastal hotels
• Tourist destinations
• Rural restaurants

Some employers can offer staff accommodation.

This can be particularly useful where local housing is difficult to find.

International Cuisine Chef Jobs

The UK’s multicultural population supports restaurants specialising in:

• Indian cuisine
• Pakistani cuisine
• Chinese cuisine
• Japanese cuisine
• Korean cuisine
• Thai cuisine
• African cuisine
• Caribbean cuisine
• Middle Eastern cuisine
• Mediterranean cuisine
• European cuisine

Foreign chefs with genuine specialist experience can target restaurants where their culinary background is relevant.

Qualifications for Chef Jobs

Employers can consider:

• Professional culinary qualifications
• Commercial kitchen experience
• Food-safety knowledge
• Specialist cuisine
• Kitchen management
• Staff supervision

Experience requirements increase significantly for senior positions.

Food Hygiene

Professional chefs must understand food safety.

Important areas include:

• Personal hygiene
• Food storage
• Temperature control
• Allergens
• Cross-contamination
• Cleaning

Food businesses have legal food-safety responsibilities.

English Language

English is important for working in a UK commercial kitchen.

Chefs need to communicate with:

• Kitchen staff
• Managers
• Suppliers
• Front-of-house employees

UK immigration routes can also have separate English-language requirements.

Can Foreign Chefs Work in the UK?

Yes, provided they have appropriate permission to work.

Some foreign nationals already have UK work rights through another immigration status.

Others require an immigration route that authorises employment.

For people considering the Skilled Worker route, current occupation eligibility must be checked carefully.

Skilled Worker Visa

The Skilled Worker route generally requires an applicant to have a qualifying job with an approved sponsor and satisfy the applicable immigration requirements.

Having a UK job offer alone is not enough.

The employer generally needs to be authorised to sponsor workers.

The applicant also needs a Certificate of Sponsorship and must satisfy the applicable requirements.

Are Chefs Eligible for Skilled Worker Sponsorship?

This needs careful explanation.

Current government occupation information classifies chefs under SOC 5434 as medium-skilled.

Medium-skilled occupations do not simply have unrestricted access to the Skilled Worker route.

Current immigration rules contain specific provisions governing which occupations can qualify, including occupations appearing on applicable immigration lists and transitional arrangements.

Therefore, an applicant should not assume:

“Chef is an occupation code, so every chef vacancy qualifies for sponsorship.”

That is incorrect.

The exact position, occupation code, sponsorship circumstances and immigration rules applicable at the time of application must be checked.

Cooks Are Different

Current government occupation information lists:

Cooks — SOC 5435 — Ineligible.

This makes the distinction between a genuine professional chef and a cook especially important for overseas applicants.

Approved Sponsor

An employer normally needs the appropriate sponsor licence before sponsoring someone through the Skilled Worker route.

A restaurant existing in the UK does not automatically mean it can sponsor foreign workers.

Similarly:

sponsor licence ≠ every vacancy is sponsorable.

The particular job must satisfy the applicable immigration requirements.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Where sponsorship is permitted, the employer assigns a Certificate of Sponsorship.

The certificate contains information about the employment.

It is not itself a visa.

The worker still needs to submit the appropriate immigration application and receive approval.

Salary Requirements

Skilled Worker immigration has salary requirements.

Applicants should never confuse:

the average salary for a chef

with:

the immigration salary requirement.

The £30,000 figure used in this article describes an employment-income benchmark.

It does not mean £30,000 automatically satisfies the Skilled Worker rules.

Salary eligibility depends on the applicable immigration rules and occupation circumstances.

Temporary Shortage List

The UK’s current immigration rules include a Temporary Shortage List for specified occupations.

The rules state that inclusion on this list is subject to its specific conditions and, under the current provisions, certificates of sponsorship for occupations using the list must be issued before the applicable deadline of 31 December 2026.

Foreign workers should always check the current version of the rules because these lists can change.

Immigration Rules Can Change

UK work immigration has changed considerably in recent years.

Occupation eligibility, salary requirements and immigration lists can be amended.

An article or recruitment advertisement published several months earlier can therefore become outdated.

Always verify the current rules before paying fees or making relocation plans.

Can Chef Jobs Lead to Permanent Residence?

Potentially, depending on the immigration route used and whether the worker continues to satisfy the requirements.

Some qualifying work routes can eventually lead toward settlement.

However:

chef job ≠ automatic permanent residence

and:

working in Britain for several years ≠ automatic settlement.

The worker must qualify under the applicable immigration rules.

Family Members

Whether a worker can bring:

• Spouse
• Partner
• Children

depends on the immigration route and current dependant rules.

Recent UK immigration changes have made dependant eligibility particularly important to verify before accepting overseas employment.

Do not assume every sponsored worker can automatically bring family members.

Working Hours

Professional chefs frequently work:

• Evenings
• Weekends
• Public holidays
• Early mornings

Some kitchens also use split shifts.

Applicants should check:

• Contracted hours
• Overtime
• Breaks
• Holiday entitlement
• Shift patterns

before accepting employment.

Cost of Living

Salary should always be compared against living expenses.

Major expenses include:

• Rent
• Council tax
• Transport
• Food
• Utilities

London can be particularly expensive.

A chef earning £40,000 outside London can sometimes have a very different financial situation from someone earning the same amount in central London.

Staff Accommodation

Some:

• Country hotels
• Resorts
• Rural restaurants
• Tourism employers

can provide or arrange staff accommodation.

Ask the employer:

• Is accommodation included?
• What is the rent?
• Is it shared?
• Are utilities included?
• Is rent deducted from salary?

Never assume accommodation is free unless the contract clearly states this.

How Long Does the Process Take?

Someone who already has unrestricted or appropriate UK work rights can have a straightforward recruitment process:

1. Prepare a professional CV.
2. Search for chef vacancies.
3. Apply.
4. Interview.
5. Receive an offer.
6. Begin work according to existing immigration conditions.

An overseas applicant who requires sponsorship can face a more complicated process:

1. Prepare a professional chef CV.
2. Gather qualifications and employment references.
3. Search for legitimate employers.
4. Determine whether the employer is an approved sponsor.
5. Confirm the actual occupation code.
6. Confirm whether the occupation qualifies under the current immigration rules.
7. Confirm the salary satisfies the applicable requirement.
8. Complete interviews.
9. Receive a genuine qualifying job offer.
10. Employer completes sponsorship procedures.
11. Receive a Certificate of Sponsorship where applicable.
12. Prepare the visa application.
13. Complete identity, English, financial and other requirements where applicable.
14. Complete health-related requirements where applicable.
15. Wait for a decision.
16. Travel after receiving the necessary permission.
17. Begin employment according to visa conditions.

The wait-time calculator provides a planning estimate only.

It does not guarantee recruitment time, sponsorship, Certificate of Sponsorship issuance, visa processing time, visa approval, entry into the United Kingdom or any decision by UK Visas and Immigration.

Chef Job Scams

Foreign applicants should be cautious about advertisements claiming:

“Guaranteed UK chef sponsorship.”

“Pay £10,000 for Certificate of Sponsorship.”

“Cook job with guaranteed Skilled Worker visa.”

“Guaranteed UK permanent residence.”

A Certificate of Sponsorship does not guarantee visa approval.

Be especially cautious where an employer appears to be changing a cook position into a chef title simply to make the position appear immigration-eligible.

Building a UK Chef CV

A strong chef CV should highlight:

• Professional job title
• Years of experience
• Cuisine
• Culinary qualifications
• Commercial kitchen experience
• Food hygiene
• Staff supervision
• Menu development

Senior chefs should quantify their responsibilities.

For example:

Sous Chef — supervised a 12-person kitchen team serving approximately 350 customers per day.

Use only information that is accurate.

Documents to Prepare

Depending on the job and immigration route, useful documents can include:

• Passport
• CV
• Culinary certificates
• Employment references
• Education documents
• English-language evidence
• Employment contract
• Certificate of Sponsorship where applicable

Additional immigration documents can be required.

How to Find Chef Jobs in the UK

Useful searches include:

• Chef jobs UK
• Chef jobs UK foreign workers
• Sous Chef jobs UK
• Head Chef jobs UK
• Hotel Chef jobs UK
• Chef jobs London
• Chef jobs Manchester
• Chef jobs Scotland
• Chef jobs with accommodation UK
• Chef sponsorship jobs UK

Applicants requiring sponsorship should verify the employer and immigration eligibility rather than relying only on the wording of a job advertisement.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can chefs earn £30,000+ in the UK?

Yes. Experienced professional chefs can potentially earn £30,000+ annually, while senior chefs can earn considerably more.

Can foreign chefs work in the UK?

Yes, provided they have immigration status that permits the employment.

Are chefs eligible for Skilled Worker visas?

Chefs are currently classified as medium-skilled under SOC 5434. Whether a particular chef position can qualify for the Skilled Worker route depends on the current immigration rules and the circumstances of the job and applicant.

Are cooks eligible?

Current government occupation information lists cooks under SOC 5435 as ineligible.

Does a £30,000 chef salary guarantee sponsorship?

No. The article’s £30,000 figure is a salary benchmark, not a Skilled Worker immigration threshold.

Can a chef job lead to UK settlement?

Potentially through an immigration route that leads to settlement, provided the worker satisfies all applicable requirements. Employment itself does not guarantee settlement.

Final Thoughts

The UK has a large restaurant and hospitality industry offering opportunities for professional chefs.

Experienced chefs can potentially earn:

£30,000+ annually

while:

Sous Chefs

Head Chefs

and:

Executive Chefs

can earn considerably more.

Opportunities exist across:

restaurants + hotels + catering + tourism + specialist cuisine.

However, the immigration environment has changed.

Current government occupation information distinguishes between:

Chefs — SOC 5434 — Medium Skilled

and:

Cooks — SOC 5435 — Ineligible.

Therefore:

chef vacancy ≠ sponsorship

chef title ≠ automatic Skilled Worker eligibility

£30,000 salary ≠ automatic immigration eligibility

and:

UK chef employment ≠ automatic permanent residence.

Foreign chefs should verify the current occupation rules, sponsor status, salary requirements and immigration pathway before accepting an offer or paying any recruitment-related costs.