The English county of Northamptonshire is located in central England, and it has a population of 692,000 according to the 2011 census. The area is blessed with several rail and road links, including the M1 - making it of strategic importance to many different industries in the UK.
Employment opportunities in catering are widespread in Northamptonshire, particularly in the larger towns of Northampton, Wellingborough and Daventry. These busy market towns are home to many restaurant brands such as Frankie & Benny's, Pizza Hut and Nando's. However, these old towns are popular with tourists, and privately owned bed and breakfasts, pubs and cafes are also significant employers of catering staff in the area. Local recruitment agencies in Northamptonshire are inundated with applications for waiting staff at the moment, as gratuities in the industry can greatly enhance take-home pay.
As well as restaurants and service-based environments, Northampton is home to a number of food processing plants, and Weetabix is the county's most high profile employer in that area. Contract catering companies such as Sodexo and Baxter Storey employ hundreds of workers in factories and office buildings across the county, and unlike restaurants and pubs, these jobs give people the chance of working office hours.
Northamptonshire has struggled with rising unemployment in recent years, and the demand for any unskilled work is high. Whilst many people working in the catering industry receive little more than the National Minimum Wage for their services, the opportunities to earn tips in the sector make some jobs very attractive indeed.