Head chef pay in London May 2026

How much do head chefs in London get paid?

head chefs in London earn

£10.27-18.24 per hour

Based on 75 employee reviews

head chef salaries can range between £10.27-18.24 per hour in the London area. This data is based on quiz results from 75 employees who live in and around London.

What do top employers pay head chefs?

Center Parcs
£12.37-15.15
See more about Center Parcs pay
Fortnum & Mason
£11.73-14.39
See more about Fortnum & Mason pay

Who are the top head chef employers?

  1. Center Parcs
    7.5
  2. Fortnum & Mason
    7.5
  3. Somerset Larder
    7.5

Who are the worst head chef employers?

  1. Carluccio’s
    3.0
  2. Bob & Berts
    3.5
  3. Six by Nico
    3.5

Recent head chef Jobs in London

  1. Chef at Holcim posted 3 hours ago
  2. Level 2 Chef at Butlin's posted yesterday
  3. Chef at Bella Italia posted yesterday
  4. Pastry Chef de Partie- all levels at The Ned posted 2 hours ago
  5. Chef at Sodexo posted 2 days ago
  6. Chef at Las Iguanas posted 2 days ago
See all head chef jobs in the London area

How are people paid?

67%
by the hour
33%
an annual salary

Based on 75 employees

What contracts are people on?

30%
6%
28%
35%

Based on 113 employees

head chef pay in other places

  1. Head chef pay in Nottingham
  2. Head chef pay in Belfast
  3. Head chef pay in Leeds
  4. Head chef pay in Bradford
  5. Head chef pay in Bristol
  6. Head chef pay in Portsmouth
  7. Head chef pay in Manchester
  8. Head chef pay in Sheffield
  9. Head chef pay in Newcastle
  10. Head chef pay in Liverpool
  11. Head chef pay in Glasgow
  12. Head chef pay in Birmingham

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What do head chefs do?

Chefs have the job of preparing, cooking and plating up food for customers.

Chefs work in kitchens that can be found in:

  • Restaurants
  • Pubs
  • Bars
  • Hotels
  • Hospitals
  • Schools/ colleges
  • Ships
  • The military
  • Private catering events

There are a few types of chef jobs. These are:

  • Apprentice/ trainee chef. This can also be called a commis chef.
  • Section chef. This can also be called a chef de partie.
  • Sous chef. This is the second-in-command chef.
  • Head chef. This can also be called an executive chef or a chef du cuisine.

Each of these types of chef jobs have different tasks. You can read up on what different chef jobs are here.

In general, a chef job may involve:

  • Planning menus
  • Ordering and quality controlling ingredients and kitchen equipment
  • Managing budgets
  • Prepping meat and fish for cooking
  • Cleaning and prepping other ingredients for cooking
  • Cooking food under time pressure
  • Plating up and presenting food
  • Maintaining hygiene, health and safety and licensing laws
  • Working as part of a kitchen team

Chef work is physical. You may spend a lot of time on your feet.

You may have to work early mornings, late nights, weekends and bank holidays.

If you want to apply for a chef job, you might need the following:

  • Kitchen experience and training
  • The right to work in the UK

Qualifications aren’t essential, but can help. These can include a degree, a college diploma or an apprenticeship.

You can be promoted to a junior chef job from a kitchen assistant job.

See more