JobsAndCareersWithJamesCaanAutumn2016 - 69

FOCUS :

HOSPITALITY

The UK food and drink
sector's gross value added to
the economy is £21.9billion,
nearly as much as the
automotive and aerospace
sectors put together.

Top Chefs can indulge their
creative side to make
meals look mouth-watering

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

Perfecting
specialist skills,
like barista
training, can
help you rise up
the pay scale

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.
J O B S & C A R E E R S /// 0 6 9
JobsAndCareersWithJamesCaanAutumn2016

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JobsAndCareersWithJamesCaanAutumn2016
