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Berry Recruitment understands the need for quality and self-assured staff in the Catering industry. With a strong reputation for supplying staff to sports & leisure events, we can source everything from Bar and Events Managers to Chefs and Kitchen Porters, ensuring that the personnel we provide are Food Hygiene Certified and DBS checked. We aim to gain a detailed insight into your business, in order to supply the right staff at the first attempt.
Office 1, First Floor, Charles House, Charles Street, Truro, Cornwall, TR1 2PQ
+ 17 other offices
Smith and Reed Recruitment works with employers in a broad range of sectors including Office Professional, Industrial, Construction & Skilled Trades, and Hospitality & Catering. Their team has more than 85 years of combined recruitment experience and is available 24/7.
The Old Chapel, St Clement Street, Truro, Cornwall, TR1 1EX
Based in Cornwall, Winners Recruitment is a multi-sector staffing agency that works with clients and candidates across the whole of the UK. They cover permanent and temporary roles.
8, Old Bridge Street, Truro, Cornwall, TR1 2AQ
Pay in Cornwall reflects a tourist driven labour market, with hourly rates rising each summer as demand jumps. Entry level kitchen staff often sit near the new statutory floor from April, with £12.21 common for adults, and tips or service pay on top where offered. Chef de partie rates tend to land from £13 to £15 per hour, with relief chefs and festival crews pushing higher in peak weeks. Head chefs in busy hotels and branded sites can command £35,000 to £45,000, with rural fine dining going higher when covers and margins allow. Front of house supervisors frequently earn £12.50 to £14 per hour, with tronc varying by venue. Recruitment fees for permanent hires in the county usually sit in the mid band for the UK, often a percentage of first year salary agreed at brief, while temp agencies will quote an hourly charge that includes pay rates, holiday pay, pension, and margin. Clear talk on agency costs, pay rates, and notice periods keeps retention steady and avoids mid season churn.
Most employment firms and staffing agencies placing food handlers will ask for a Level 2 Food Safety and Hygiene certificate, recent allergen awareness training, and right to work checks. Sites that serve alcohol look for a personal licence at supervisor level, and schools, care homes, and hospitals often require an enhanced DBS. Larger kitchens may reference HACCP awareness, COSHH basics, and recent references verified by recruitment consultants. Candidates who keep certificates current tend to move quicker through screening, and local employers welcome tidy records, uniform standards, and punctuality.
Cornwall runs on spring to late summer peaks, with weekly bookings building from Easter, then spiking through the school holidays. Newquay’s Boardmasters week in August pulls in extra catering teams for bars, concessions, and VIP lounges, and seaside resorts from St Ives to Bude add shifts when the surf and sun align. September wedding season keeps banqueting busy, then Christmas parties lift evening and weekend rosters. Temp agencies scale crews for these swings, and recruiters line up relief chefs, KP cover, and front of house staff to plug gaps at short notice.
Hiring plans should map travel times across the A30 and A38, and factor patchy public transport after late finishes. Truro, Falmouth, St Austell, and Newquay form a handy hiring arc, with Threemilestone and Cardrew industrial areas giving access to storage and prep kitchens. Bodmin and Wadebridge feed crews into Padstow and Rock, and Penzance covers Mounts Bay. Cornwall Airport Newquay helps with visiting head chefs and pop up concepts, yet most shifts still rely on car share, so rota timings matter.
The county’s housing squeeze nudges some candidates out of tourist centres, which stretches commute times for split shifts. Employers that group hours, offer shared lifts, or provide staff meals often fill rotas faster. Late notice cancellations hit hard on stormy days, so recruiters value standby workers. Retention improves when businesses post rotas at least two weeks ahead, give fair tronc rules, and keep kit and kitchens in good order. Executive search briefs for senior roles benefit from relocation support and a clean story on progression.
Recruiters report steady demand for chef de partie, breakfast chef, grill chef, pizza chef, kitchen porter, bar supervisor, restaurant supervisor, and events staff. Pastry chefs and experienced sous chefs can be hard to find in coastal towns on busy weekends. Multi site kitchen managers for holiday parks and large hotels need strong stock control and people management, and these hires often run through specialist recruiters with shortlists built in advance of peak season.
Jobseekers without direct experience can start as KP, commis, or runner, then step into cold prep and breakfast shifts inside a few months. Local colleges support apprenticeships that combine study days with paid kitchen time. Candidates who register with an agency early in the year often gather steady hours, move into permanent posts, and pick up references from several sites, which helps when aiming for senior CDP or junior sous roles.
General managers, heads of food and beverage, and cluster head chefs for hotels and resorts often run through executive search arms of recruiters. These briefs look at P and L control, menu engineering, supplier ties, and team development. Businesses in Truro, Falmouth, and around St Austell’s visitor hubs often want leaders who can hire staff fast, train cross functionally, and keep service smooth through weather shifts and tourist surges. Clear relocation packages and bonus structures make Cornwall based roles more attractive to out of county candidates.
Tourism still anchors hospitality spend across the county, with mixed visitor flows through some attractions and stronger trade in coastal hotspots when the weather plays ball. Local employers working with recruitment agencies can tap wider candidate pools during shoulder months, then scale with temp agencies when the phones start ringing. The labour market stays tight in peak weeks, so early briefs, tidy job specs, and swift feedback help businesses find employees before rivals do.
Do recruitment agencies cover both temporary and permanent catering hires in Cornwall?
Yes, many recruiters handle temporary, permanent, and contract work across hotels, restaurants, events, and attractions.
How soon can temp agencies supply last minute cover in coastal towns?
Same day cover is possible in Truro, Falmouth, Newquay, St Ives, and St Austell, with travel time the main factor after late finishes.
What are typical chef pay rates across the county in summer?
Chef de partie often lands around £13 to £15 per hour, with relief chefs higher during peak weeks, and tips or tronc varying by venue.
Are recruitment fees fixed for permanent placements?
Most staffing agencies and recruiters price as a percentage of starting salary, with clear rebate terms set out in the agreement.
Which qualifications help candidates move quickly through screening?
Level 2 Food Safety and Hygiene, allergen awareness, recent references, and a current right to work check speed up bookings.
How can businesses improve retention across a busy season?
Post rotas early, keep communication tidy, offer staff meals, set fair tronc rules, and plan transport for late finishes where buses are limited.
Agency Central brings together catering recruitment agencies in Cornwall, so local employers can brief roles and hire staff with confidence, and candidates or jobseekers can find shifts that fit. Use the filters, speak with recruitment consultants, and get your next hire moving.