The UK’s food and drink sector needS to recruit 109,000 people by 2022. could you be one of them?
Working for a food and drink firm has a lot going for it. Not only is it a lively career with plenty of entry-level, part-time and temporary positions, there are excellent opportunities for management-level professionals at the upper end of the ladder. Bars, restaurants, cafés and gastropubs are all looking for hardworking people to commit to their businesses.
While the right training and qualifications are certainly important, so is an enthusiastic personality and the ability to get on with others. Flexibility, tip-top communication skills, a knack for problem solving, being a great team player and thinking on your feet are all useful attributes that will take you far in this dynamic, fast-paced sector.
This sector is a crucial contributor to UK employment and the economy.
According to the Food and Drink Federation (FDF), it employs 400,000 people in more than 6,620 bars, restaurants and cafés throughout the country. And more staff are needed – the FDF estimates 109,000 people need to be recruited by 2022 to meet the skills requirements of the sector.
Food for thought
If you don’t just love eating food, but are also into preparing it, serving it and seeing other people enjoy it, the restaurant business might be for you.
There are dozens of roles in a restaurant, including Waiters and Bar Servers, Receptionists, various types of Chef and the management team.
And in large restaurants and chains, don’t forget those who work behind the scenes, such as Event Planners, human resources staff and marketing teams.
Some people start as waiting or kitchen staff and work their way up to managerial positions, while others join a management training scheme after gaining a qualification such as an HND or foundation degree in hospitality.
Waiting roles pay minimum wage initially, but this will rise with experience and enthusiasm.
Chefs can earn upwards of £18,000, but potentially much more in upmarket establishments. Managers will earn around £24,000.
Flexible hours
A career in one of the UK’s 55,000 pubs involves a lot more than simply pulling pints. While the main role is obviously to sell beers, wines and spirits, increasingly establishments are offering high-quality food throughout the day.
You’ll need to be confident, an excellent communicator, a team player and prepared to muck in and do whatever is required. A lot of pub work can be physically demanding and dirty.
Shifts may be long and anti-social, especially as many city pubs now open for 24 hours a day.
There are lots of casual bar jobs available and many bar staff work part-time, which makes it ideal for those looking to combine work with study or childcare. If you want to move up to management level, you’ll need to be able to demonstrate good organisational and problem-solving skills and be able to manage a team effectively. A head for figures, to help with budgeting and stocktaking, and a knowledge of trends, for ordering, would also be useful.
Bar staff doing casual work can expect to earn the national minimum wage plus, perhaps, tips. The average salary for a Pub Manager is around £24,000, but some earn up to £60,000 or more.
Managers will need a Personal Licence. The British Institute of Innkeeping, the licensed retail industry’s professional body, offers a Level 2 National Certificate.
