Start your search to find your closest local or specialist agency
Our specialist hospitality recruiters will help you find the perfect addition to your company, whether you are looking for cleaners, head chefs or front-of-house managers. Each of our recruiters specialise in a specific sector discipline, so you will be working with a knowledgeable consultant who understands local and national sector trends.
Floor 4, Pearl House, Friar Lane, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG1 6BT
+ 62 other offices
24H Recruitment Solutions is a recruitment consultancy that is an ALP member and specialises in the provision of talent in Warehousing, Distribution, Manufacturing & Production, Packaging, Administration & Clerical, and Food industries. They provide services such as targeted candidate identification, training, and assistance for candidates.
147-149 Alfreton Road, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG7 3JL
Cartwheel Recruitment deals primarily with the Catering and Hospitality sectors. From their offices in London, Nottingham and Milton Keynes, they provide full-time and permanent positions to employers and job seekers throughout London and the surrounding areas. Examples of roles they advertise include Staffing Manager, Executive Chef and Retail Manager.
Bridgford Business Centre, 29 Bridgford Road, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG2 6AU
Staffline operates within the Manufacturing, Food & Catering, Logisitics, Media, Driving, Administration, Automotive, Sales, and Agriculture sectors across the UK and Ireland. Formed in 1986, they have worked with established global brands such as Marks & Spencer, Tesco, GHL, Sainsbury's, Arla, and more. They support both permanent and temporary recruitment needs, and also offer managed services to employers.
19 - 20 The Triangle, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG2 1AE
Gi Group UK offers employment for a wide range of areas including Industrial, Driving and Professional to anywhere in the nation. They have found their expertise in hiring permanent and temporary jobs for large and multinational organisations. The Gi Group was founded in 1998 and has branches in over 40 countries in Europe, Asia, the Americas and Africa.
2nd Floor, 3-7 Middle Pavement, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG1 7DX
+ 16 other offices
Pertemps is a recruitment consultancy that supplies permanent, contract and temporary staffing solutions to a wide variety of sectors. The firm is a part of the Pertemps Network Group, which has over 250 branches and offices serving the whole of the UK. The agency has an e-service called PAWS that allows clients to order staff using an electronic catalogue. Pertemps offers a 24/7 service.
Building D82 South, 1 Thane Road, Beeston, Nottinghamshire, NG90 1BS
+ 61 other offices
Blue Arrow connects job seekers with employers seeking permanent, temporary and contract personnel in driving, manufacturing, office and more. Theyve worked with employers such as Royal Mail, Hovis Bakery, Sodexo and Lloyds Banking Group. With the help of their London team, previous successes include 1,500 remote workers in 15 days. They are members of the Association of Labour Providers and are a Crown Commercial Service Supplier.
Foxhall Business Centre, Foxhall Lodge, Foxhall Road, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG7 6LH
+ 41 other offices
Catering recruiters across Nottinghamshire will talk through pay bands before you commit, so you can benchmark roles against the local labour market. Kitchen porters and bar staff often sit around £11 to £12 per hour for entry shifts, with commis chefs at £12 to £14 per hour depending on site and shift pattern. Chef de partie roles can reach £14 to £17 per hour, and sous chefs can command £15 to £19 per hour with premiums for nights or large banqueting. Head chefs in hotels and high volume venues can range from £35,000 to £50,000, with benefits tied to bonuses and rota control. Temp bookings usually include an agency margin on top of pay rates, and permanent fees often fall in the 12% to 20% range of basic salary. Budget for uniform, knives, or food safety refreshers, and set aside small onboarding costs such as a DBS check at around £18 to £25. Some agencies ask for a minimum booking value like £250 to cover short notice shifts, so ask for the rate card upfront and compare like for like.
Most hiring managers in the county look for Level 2 Food Safety as a baseline for kitchen and front of house. Level 3 Food Safety helps when supervising a team or running a section. Allergen awareness training is now routine, and many sites ask for evidence at interview. For bar work, personal licence experience is useful in venues with late trading. Venue caterers around Trent Bridge, the city centre, and conference sites value first aid, manual handling, and COSHH familiarity. For driving roles, a clean licence and recent van experience matter when moving equipment between sites.
The county has a strong hospitality core around Nottingham city centre, with event peaks at the arena, university campuses, and Trent Bridge on match days. Mansfield, Worksop, Newark, and Beeston see steady demand from hotels, garden centres, and business parks that host conferences. Sites close to the M1, A52, A46, and A1 favour candidates who can reach early shifts reliably. Sherwood Business Park and Colwick Industrial Estate often need staff for contract catering linked to distribution hubs. Agencies pay close attention to commuter links on the Robin Hood Line and bus routes that serve late finishes.
Same day covers are common after late cancellations, so agencies prioritise workers who answer the phone and can travel. Retention can dip where split shifts are frequent, so setting clear rotas and fair sections helps keep teams stable. Rural venues can struggle for pastry, grill, and CDP talent on Sundays, so planned relief cover is useful. Students and graduates boost headcount during term time, then hours can tighten in exam periods, so employers often blend a bank of temps with a core of permanent staff to keep service levels steady.
Catering recruiters place baristas, KP, food runners, and silver service staff for hotels and venues. Kitchens hire commis, CDP, sous, and head chefs for restaurants and contract caterers. Event operations bring in stewards, bar leads, and back of house porters for load in and load out. With the right mentor, a commis can move to CDP in a year, and a strong CDP can step into junior sous on busy banqueting sites. Many head chefs in the county started on banqueting lines at large hotels or sports grounds, then moved into menu planning and GP control.
Temp agencies cover breakfast, lunch, and evening service, and can scale up for conferences and match days. Contract work suits venue caterers that need full season coverage with set hours. Permanent placements help hotels and independents keep consistency on quality and ordering. Recruitment consultants will ask about rota patterns, overtime rules, and weekend expectations, then set the right mix of temp, perm, and contract staff so your wage bill and service standards stay balanced.
Agencies will explain recruitment fees at the start and confirm any rebate periods on permanent hires. Right to work checks are standard, with references taken for senior kitchen roles. Many clients ask for basic DBS for school or care settings. Allergen, HACCP, and temperature logs are common talking points at interview. For venues with alcohol service, supervisors are briefed on challenge policies and stock counts. Clear job specs reduce back and forth and speed up time to fill.
Local employers across Nottinghamshire lean on staffing agencies during graduation periods, Christmas parties, and summer weddings. City centre hotels can need large teams for weekends, while business parks prefer early midweek shifts for canteens. Event caterers near Trent Bridge and the arena ramp up on fixtures and tour dates. Rural restaurants in Southwell and the Vale of Belvoir often look for chefs with their own transport. Commuter traffic on the M1 can slow late callouts, so many agencies keep standby workers near NG1 to cover rapid requests.
Explain your menu style, covers, and peak trading hours. Share section layouts, equipment quirks, and any live fire or allergen controls. Confirm pay rates, uniform, knives, and travel rules. For temps, set start points, parking, and who signs timesheets. For perm hires, agree interview stages, trial shifts, and what success looks like at three months. This helps recruiters match candidates, reduce agency costs, and cut dropouts. Candidates should register with an agency, keep references current, and be clear on availability for early starts and late finishes.
What are typical catering pay rates in Nottinghamshire?
Most entry shifts sit around £11 to £12 per hour, rising to £14 to £19 for experienced chefs, with head chefs from £35,000 to £50,000 depending on site and scope.
Do agencies handle executive search for senior chefs?
Yes, many recruiters run discrete campaigns for head chefs and group roles, with structured shortlists and clear fee terms.
Can I hire staff for one night only?
Yes, temp agencies cover single events, though minimum booking values such as £250 can apply for short notice or late finishes.
What compliance do I need for school or care catering?
Right to work, references, and a basic DBS are standard, with Level 2 Food Safety required and Level 3 preferred for supervisors.
How fast can a recruiter fill a last minute shift?
Same day cover is common in the city, and faster if the site is near tram or main bus routes and the brief is clear.
Do candidates pay to register with an agency?
No, candidates do not pay to register. Agencies charge client businesses through margins on temp work or a fee on permanent placements.