Temporary Catering Staff Agency That Fills Your Kitchen & Floor Fast
Stop losing covers to staff shortages. Team Catering supplies vetted chefs, kitchen porters, waiting and event staff to UK caterers, hotels, schools and venues, on temp, contract or permanent terms.
- ⚡ Cover in 24–48 hrs
- 🛡 Right-to-work & reference checked
- 🌙 24/7 emergency line
- 🇬🇧 UK-wide coverage
Catering Recruitment Agencies Built Around Employers, Not Job Boards
If you run a restaurant, hotel, school kitchen, hospital, contract catering site or events business, you need people who turn up, work to standard and stay. Team Catering is one of the specialist catering recruitment agencies that does the sourcing, vetting and matching for you.
What is a catering recruitment agency?
A catering recruitment agency is a staffing company that finds, screens and supplies chefs, kitchen porters, waiting staff, event crew and catering managers to employers. The best catering recruitment agencies check right-to-work and references, match skills to your service style, and provide temporary, contract or permanent staff so you can fill gaps fast without advertising or interviewing yourself.
Team Catering is a catering staffing agency based in Ilford, London, supplying employers nationwide, with a 24/7 line for urgent cover.
The Staffing Problems Catering Businesses Face, and How We Fix Them
Hospitality has one of the hardest hiring markets in the UK. These are the problems employers tell catering recruiters about most often.
Last-minute no-shows and sickness
A kitchen porter or server drops out an hour before service and you can't cover the shift.
Call our 24/7 line for same-day and next-day agency catering staff.
Chef shortages and high turnover
Good chefs are scarce, and every leaver costs you training time and lost consistency.
Shortlists of experienced chefs from our chefs recruitment agencies London network.
Rising wage and agency costs
National Living Wage rises and employer NI changes squeeze margins on every shift.
Transparent rates, no hidden extras, and flexible temp-to-perm options.
Unvetted or unreliable candidates
CVs that look good but fall apart on reference, hygiene or right-to-work checks.
Pre-screened candidates with ID, right-to-work and reference checks.
Seasonal and event peaks
Weddings, festivals, school terms and Christmas demand far more crew than you employ.
Scalable event crews through our event catering staff service.
No time to advertise and interview
Posting, sifting and interviewing eats hours that managers don't have.
Send one brief; we source, screen and shortlist for you.
Skills mismatch for your service style
Fine dining, volume school cooking and banqueting need different people.
Specialist school cook, contract and fine dining matching.
Hiring across several locations
Multi-site operators struggle with a different supplier in every city.
One national catering recruitment agency for London, Manchester, Birmingham and beyond.
Compliance and paperwork risk
Right-to-work, payroll, holiday pay and agency worker rules create legal exposure.
We handle onboarding documents and payroll so you stay compliant.
Catering Staff Agency London and UK-Wide: Roles We Fill
From a single kitchen porter to a full contract catering team, our specialist contract catering recruiters cover back-of-house, front-of-house and management.
Chefs & pastry chefs
Head, sous, CDP, commis and pastry chefs in London, plus chef agency cover in Manchester.
Kitchen porters
Reliable kitchen porters in London and nationwide, on daily or ongoing cover.
Waiting & event staff
Banqueting, weddings, corporate hospitality and event waiting staff in Wembley.
School & contract catering
School cooks, catering assistants and crew for education, healthcare and corporate dining.
Hotel & concierge
Concierge, receptionists, night porters and housekeeping for hotels and venues.
Catering managers
Permanent and interim catering managers and supervisors, including a catering crew chief to lead on-site teams.
Hire Through Our Catering Recruitment Agency in 4 Steps
A simple, fast process designed around service times and rotas.
Brief us
Tell us the role, dates, location and standard via Book Staff, email or phone.
We match
We search our vetted pool of chefs and hospitality staff and shortlist the best fit.
You approve
Confirm candidates or let us send a trusted, pre-briefed team.
Staff start
They arrive ready to work. We handle timesheets, payroll and replacements.
Catering Recruitment in the UK: Key Facts and Figures
Quick reference data for employers planning hospitality hiring in 2026. Cite or share freely with a link back to this page.
| Hiring model | How you're charged | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| Permanent placement | % of first-year salary | 10–20% |
| Temporary / agency staff | Hourly or daily rate (pay + margin) | Varies by role & shift |
| Contract catering crew | Agreed weekly or monthly rate | Quoted per contract |
| Temp-to-perm | Reduced fee after set period | Agreed upfront |
| Role type | Typical time to fill |
|---|---|
| Temporary kitchen porter / server | Same day – 48 hours |
| Temporary chef | 24 – 72 hours |
| Event crew (10+ staff) | 2 – 5 days |
| Permanent chef | 1 – 4 weeks |
| Catering manager | 2 – 6 weeks |
| What matters to you | DIY job adverts | Generalist agency | Team Catering |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catering & hospitality specialism | — | Partial | Yes |
| Out-of-hours / 24/7 cover | No | Rarely | 24/7 line |
| Pre-screened candidates | You screen | Yes | Yes |
| Temp, contract & perm in one place | No | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-city UK coverage | No | Varies | Yes |
| Your management time | High | Medium | Low |
| Fact | Figure | Why it matters to employers |
|---|---|---|
| Jobs in UK hospitality | Around 3.5 million | Large sector means strong competition for staff |
| National Living Wage (21+) from April 2026 | £12.71 per hour | Sets the floor for most catering wage budgets |
| Employer National Insurance rate | 15% above £5,000 per year | Increases the on-cost of every payroll hire |
| Typical permanent agency fee | 10–20% of salary | Budget this against cost of vacancy and turnover |
Industry figures are indicative and drawn from UK Government and UKHospitality publications; check the latest releases before quoting. Time-to-fill and fee ranges are typical market guidance, not guarantees.
Free Catering Hiring Tools for Employers
Practical tools you can use today, and share with your team.
Agency fee calculator
Estimate the cost of a permanent placement or a temporary shift.
10-point checklist: choosing a catering recruitment agency
- Specialises in catering & hospitality, not generic temping
- Can cover urgent and out-of-hours shifts
- Documents right-to-work, ID and references for every worker
- Offers temp, contract and permanent under one account
- Publishes clear rates and replacement terms
- Covers every region you operate in
- Knows your sector: fine dining, contract, schools, healthcare, events
- Provides a named account contact, not a call centre
- Handles payroll, holiday pay and agency worker compliance
- Has reviews, case studies or references you can check
Comparing options? See our independent list of the top 5 catering recruitment agencies in the UK and the top catering recruitment agencies in London.
Hospitality Recruitment Agencies UK: London, Manchester, Birmingham & Beyond
Looking for a catering agency in London, a hospitality recruitment agency in Manchester, or catering recruitment agencies in Birmingham? Our regional teams supply local staff who know your market.
London and the South East
Also supporting Gloucestershire catering recruitment, Hammersmith catering and hospitality recruitment and inflight catering recruitment enquiries on request.
Latest Hospitality and Catering Jobs in Your Area
See the roles currently being recruited near you. It shows real market demand and helps you price your own vacancy. Need the same talent? Book staff and we'll match you.
| Role | Area | Sector | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Event & waiting staff | Wembley, London | Events | View role |
| Concierge | Harrow on the Hill, London | Hotel | View role |
| Concierge | Enfield, London | Hotel | View role |
| Hospitality staff | Enfield Town, London | Hospitality | View roles |
| Barista | Hanwell, London | Café | View role |
| School catering | Tower Hamlets, London | Education | View roles |
| School catering | Hounslow, London | Education | View roles |
| Night porter | Birmingham | Hotel | View role |
| School catering assistant | Wolverhampton | Education | View role |
| Hospital porter | Colchester | Healthcare | View role |
| Waiter / waitress | Leicester | Restaurant | View role |
| Waiter / waitress | Middlesbrough | Restaurant | View role |
| Chef | Derby | Kitchen | View role |
| Hotel receptionist | Ambergate | Hotel | View role |
Why Employers Choose Team Catering Over Other Catering Recruitment Companies
There are plenty of catering recruitment companies and recruitment agencies for catering and hospitality. Team Catering is built for the realities of service: late changes, tight margins and zero tolerance for no-shows. Read more about us or see why clients stay.
- Specialist focus: catering, hospitality and food service only
- Always on: a 24/7 line for urgent cover
- Vetted talent: ID, right-to-work and reference checks
- Flexible: temporary, contract and permanent, one supplier
- National reach: UK-wide with local London expertise
Who we help
Restaurants, hotels, pubs and bars, contract caterers, schools and academies, hospitals and care providers, corporate dining, event venues, and food service staffing solutions providers who need reliable cover on demand.
Whether you need agencies who supply catering staff for a weekend or expert recruiters in contract catering hiring for a multi-site programme, our team can start today.
Request staffCatering Staff Agency in Ilford, London
Team Catering
Address
344-348 High Road,
Ilford IG1 1QP
Phone
02030 869080
24/7 line
+44 333 2422 711
Email
[email protected]
Catering Recruitment Agency FAQs for Employers
What is a catering recruitment agency?
A catering recruitment agency finds, screens and supplies chefs, kitchen porters, waiting staff, event staff and catering managers to employers. The agency handles sourcing, right-to-work and reference checks, and shortlisting so you can hire on a temporary, contract or permanent basis without advertising yourself.
How quickly can a catering staffing agency supply staff?
Temporary catering staff can often be supplied within 24 to 48 hours, and Team Catering runs a 24/7 line for urgent cover. Permanent placements typically take one to four weeks depending on the role and location.
How much does a catering recruitment agency charge?
Permanent placements are usually charged as a percentage of first-year salary, commonly 10 to 20 percent. Temporary and agency catering staff are charged at an hourly or daily rate that includes the worker's pay and the agency margin. Ask for the full rate card and replacement terms in writing before you book.
Which roles can I hire through Team Catering?
Chefs and pastry chefs, kitchen porters, waiting and event staff, bar and barista staff, school cooks and catering assistants, hospital porters, concierge and night porters, and catering managers.
Do you cover areas outside London?
Yes. Team Catering is based in Ilford, London and supplies catering and hospitality staff across the UK including Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Sheffield, Liverpool, Leicester and Coventry.
Can you supply staff for contract catering?
Yes. We supply contract catering staff and crew for education, healthcare, corporate dining and events, including cover for sickness, holidays and seasonal peaks.
How do I book catering staff?
Post your requirement on the Book Staff page, email [email protected] or call 0203 086 9080. For out-of-hours emergencies call the 24/7 line on 0333 242 2711.
Need Catering Staff This Week?
Tell us the role, date and location. We'll come back with vetted candidates fast.
Book Staff Online Call 0203 086 9080
