Salaries and costs
Catering recruiters in Romford work with pay rates that reflect the London fringe. Catering assistants usually earn £11.50 to £13.50 per hour on temp shifts. Kitchen porters sit in a similar range, with premiums for late finishes. Commis chefs often command £13 to £15 per hour, while a chef de partie can reach £14 to £17 with busy service experience. Sous chefs fall between £16 and £20 per hour on agency books, with permanent salaries around £32,000 to £38,000. Head chef roles vary with venue size, from £40,000 to £55,000 in independent restaurants, hotels or contract catering. Employers should budget 12% to 20% of salary for recruitment fees for permanent hires. Temp margins vary with working time rules, holiday pay and NI, so it is worth asking for a clear rate card up front. Transparent agency costs help with retention planning and rota stability.
Qualifications
Most recruiters prefer Level 2 Food Hygiene for kitchen and food service staff. Level 3 Food Hygiene helps for supervisory posts. Allergen awareness certificates are a common ask across school catering and care settings. A DBS check is often required for education and healthcare contracts, and agencies will talk through updated service status and ID. Right-to-work checks are standard for all starts. Some venues look for first-aid skills, barista skills, or cellar management for multi-skilled roles. A full driving licence helps for mobile chefs and relief cover across multiple sites.
Regional or geographic variations
Romford is in the London Borough of Havering, with commuter links to Liverpool Street and Stratford on the Elizabeth line. That fast connection means candidate pools draw from Ilford, Gidea Park and Harold Wood, and sometimes from Essex towns on the A12 and A127. Pay pressure tends to rise near transport hubs and late-night areas around South Street and the market. Recruiters will factor in split shifts for venues near The Liberty and The Brewery, where peak trade creates short bursts of demand.
Local hiring challenges
The town has strong evening trade and weekend peaks, so last-minute cover is a regular need. Early shifts for schools and healthcare kitchens pull from the same labour market as retail and logistics, which can make breakfast cover tight on Mondays. Some back-of-house roles require heavy lifting and cleaning in hot environments, which narrows the candidate pool. Recruitment agencies manage this through realistic briefings, trial shifts, and clear rota patterns, which help retention in the first month.
Common job roles agencies recruit for
Local recruiters place catering assistants, kitchen porters, commis chefs and chef de partie staff across hotels, pubs and contract catering. Bars and casual dining need bartenders, baristas and waiting staff for event bumps. Education and healthcare sites book cooks and chefs with allergy knowledge, soft diets, and volume batch-cooking experience. Supervisors, sous chefs and head chefs are in steady demand for fresh-led pubs and branded restaurants. Catering managers are hired by care homes, schools and venues with multiple outlets or conference spaces.
Temporary, permanent and contract work
Temp agencies handle daily and weekly bookings for events, race days, match days and private functions in and around Romford. Contract work is common in schools and care homes, where term-time or rota patterns are set well in advance. Permanent roles suit employers who want a stable brigade or service team throughout the year. Recruitment consultants can register candidates for flexible shifts, then move them into longer stints once references and performance are proven. Employers use this to reduce no-shows and test menu fit before committing to a full hire.
Key sectors and employers in the region
Hospitality in Romford spans independent restaurants, hotel kitchens and late-night venues near the station. Contract caterers service schools, colleges, offices and healthcare sites, including large clinics and community hubs. Shopping centres such as The Liberty and The Brewery support quick-service brands and coffee chains. Business parks on the A12 corridor bring steady daytime trade, which suits baristas and grab-and-go operators. Local employers value punctuality, knife safety and allergen control, and recruitment agencies will ask for recent references to back this up.
Regulatory and compliance standards
Food hygiene rules sit at the heart of every placement. Recruiters check for Level 2 or Level 3 certificates, as well as knowledge of HACCP systems and cleaning schedules. Allergen labelling and cross-contamination training are now a standard expectation. DBS checks are required for school and care work, with references covering the last 2 years. Working time rules and rest breaks are part of the briefing for long shifts or doubles. Good agencies document right-to-work, uniform standards, PPE for cleaning chemicals, and knife-handling rules before the shift starts.
Hard to fill positions
Relief sous chefs with fresh prep skills and volume service are hard to book at short notice. Experienced head chefs who can manage GP, stock and rota planning are in short supply, especially for sites with late nights and split shifts. School cooks with strong allergen practices and batch production can find it difficult to secure near-term starts. Baristas with latte art and fast service skills are highly sought during winter mornings. Recruitment agencies help by building standby pools and keeping compliance ready, so employers can hire staff quickly when a gap opens.
Seasonal trends
December peaks drive demand for KP teams, waiting staff and banquet chefs across parties and events. Spring brings weddings and outdoor catering, which need chefs who can adapt to off-site setups. Summer holidays push up daytime demand in leisure venues and family dining. Autumn term restarts create a rush for cooks and catering assistants in education. Temp agencies will suggest block bookings for peak weeks, which protects service quality and keeps pay rates stable for both sides.
Market snapshot and fees
The local labour market mixes experienced London hands with new entrants from nearby colleges. Jobseekers who register with an agency gain access to fast booking systems and on-the-day shifts. Businesses benefit from flexible cover and trial-to-hire routes. Employers should ask for a simple breakdown of recruitment fees, holiday pay and travel, with clear overtime rules. A fair rate for a chef de partie on a Saturday can sit at £16 to £18 per hour, and a school cook on a term-time contract may sit around £28,000 to £32,000. Keeping pay transparent helps with retention and protects the brand.
Quick facts and frequently asked questions
What checks do agencies carry out for school catering roles?
Right to work, references, Level 2 Food Hygiene and a DBS check are standard for school placements.
How quickly can a temp chef start in Romford?
Same-day starts are common for relief chefs if compliance is in place and references have been verified.
Do agencies cover both front and back of house?
Yes. Recruiters place kitchen porters, chefs and cooks, and they place waiting staff, bartenders and baristas for service teams.
Can employers book block shifts for a month?
Yes. Temp agencies can set up rolling rotas for four weeks or longer to stabilise teams during peak periods.