The Chef Hub’s Top 5 Secret Sauces to Recruit (and Keep) a Great Chef
- Tony Lewis
- Mar 1
- 3 min read
At The Chef Hub, we speak to chefs every single day. From commis to executive level, the conversation is rarely just about pay.
Number 5 will shock you.
It’s about culture. Structure. Honesty. Leadership.
You already know chefs hate taking over someone else’s menu or inheriting a “problem” site… but that’s not the worst part.
The worst part?
It’s the other stuff - the cracks behind the pass that show up every single day.
Here’s the real secret sauce to recruiting a chef who stays.
Brutal Honesty in the Job Description
If it’s 6 days a week over summer and drops to 4 in winter - say it.
If it’s high-volume Sunday roasts that feel like service in the Premier League - say it.
If margins are tight and you’re rebuilding - say it.
If your moving away from 3AA Rosettes to casual and volume - say it.
Chefs don’t quit hard work.
They quit surprises, non descriptive, vague bullshit - there I said it.
Honesty filters in the right people and filters out the wrong ones. That’s not a weakness - that’s leadership.
Structure Beats “Let’s Wing It”
“No real systems, we just make it work” is not a badge of honour - exactly the same as burn out.
Have:
Clear GP targets
Defined prep systems
Ordering processes
Realistic labour budgets - No, ACTUAL realistic ones
Supportive leadership structure - dictatorships are out, experience is in
Data - insight into the info, its simple, where to drive more, or where to repair
Chefs thrive on rhythm. Believe it or not, structure creates creativity, and confidence - Chaos kills it.
That also goes for the interview itself, not just a CV with a circle around the dates that are questionable, or a person you may know of 10 years ago that could be a help, actually have an interview structure, score system, value of answer, review process and actual feedback, instinct is great, but have you tried being structured for genuine 360dg conversation and answers? Toolbox support is out there.
GIVE and Take - Humans Aren’t Rubber Bands
You cannot stretch people endlessly and expect them to bounce back.
If you need flexibility in peak season, give flexibility back when it slows.
If they give you 60 hours in August, don’t question them for leaving at 8pm in November.
For those at the back that didn't hear - Burnout isn’t a badge.
Reciprocity builds loyalty.
Real Conversations - Not Corridor Whispers
Menu development.
Revenue.
EBITDA.
Guest feedback.
“The lady on table 7 didn’t like the steak.”
We need 20 guests per day increase to ensure its viable
All valid conversations.
It’s not what you discuss - it’s how you deliver it.
If feedback feels like blame, culture erodes.
If feedback feels like collaboration, culture compounds.
Bring chefs into the numbers. Into the strategy. Into the wins and losses.
Ownership creates pride - team dig in.
The One That Will Shock You: Measurement
That “great culture” you’re proud of?
That structure you’ve built?
It will not last without measurement.
Not micromanagement. Not dictatorship.
Measurement.
Weekly numbers review
Labour vs revenue tracking
GP accountability
Team targets
Clear development plans
And here’s the key: collectively work at it. Every. Single. Day.
Most venues fail not because chefs can’t cook - but because no one measures what matters consistently. Gamification builds motivation, and engagement for all, its under used and undervalued.
The Real Truth
Chefs don’t hate taking over someone else’s menu. (Alright, well - Mostly...)
They hate walking into:
Undefined expectations
Empty promises
Invisible targets
Unspoken frustrations
Endless stretch with no return
Most chefs we speak to, dont actually ask about salary, thats a foundation, but not everything - they ask whats missing in the venue, why the previous chef left and are they good people.
Get the foundations right and the menu becomes the easy part.
If you want to recruit a chef who stays, build a kitchen they want to lead.
That’s the real secret sauce.
—
The Chef Hub
Built by chefs. For chefs.
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