Suffolk is far from the region with the most opportunities in the catering industry. With no Michelin starred restaurants in the area, it cannot claim to be a focal point for the catering industry, but Suffolk is an area where quality of life and, just as importantly, quality of produce can be factors in persuading job applicants to search for employment in the area. With a strong heritage in agriculture catering businesses are able to source fresh food from local suppliers with relative ease.
While Ipswich is the largest town in the region it is Southwold which is home to the greatest number of catering opportunities – ranging from commis chefs to waiting staff and hotel managers to bartenders and pot washers. As is to be expected in this sector, staff must work hard for their salaries across long hours – often on evenings and weekends when catering establishments do the majority of their trade.