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A shortage of skilled chefs is causing some restaurants to consider shutting up shop, says Anna Lubetzky, executive account manager at hospitality recruiter Hospoworld.
"There are some restaurants that I've spoken to who are like, 'Hey, if we can't find a head chef, we might have to close our restaurant until we do'," Lubetzky says.
The chef shortage is across the board with many restaurants having multiple vacancies within their kitchens. But some of the worst shortages are at the chef de partie level. The chef de partie supervises a particular section within the kitchen and is answerable to the sous chef and head chef. A big part of the problem is the low pay for what can be quite hard physical work.
"For a chef de partie, a lot of places will pay $37,000 to $38,000, but overseas they can get a lot more," Lubetzky says. "They'll have a formal qualification and they will have worked for a couple of years to get to that level."
After putting in the work to reach that level there is a strong temptation for good chefs to go overseas.
"The other problem that I suppose we're facing in New Zealand is the pay rate because elsewhere in the world chefs are being paid a lot more," Lubetsky says. "There's a lot of opportunity for them to go on cruise liners where they are paid in American dollars and it's also tax free."
Despite the pay and shortage of workers, Lubetzky says local restaurants are becoming more particular when hiring. "They want people with experience. And it's not just in the pub-style restaurants. They want people who have Mediterranean cuisine and Pacific Rim cuisine in their experience as well."
Restaurants are advised not to dither when making a decision about hiring someone.
"You have to move quickly," Lubetsky says. "A lot of my clients have missed out on good chefs because they just can't see them quickly enough or they have to change an appointment - and, within that 24 hours, they're gone, they've got another job." With plenty of jobs available, young chefs are looking to advance their careers as quickly as possible. "A chef may take a role and then they might see something better and they'll go for it. A lot of people want to get up into that head chef level."
But Lubetzky warns that jumping from a well-respected restaurant as a chef de partie into a smaller restaurant as head chef might gain you a job title but not do much for your career.
"In terms of career for them on an international scale, it's not actually that beneficial. If you want to develop a really good career you've got to choose carefully the employer that you work for," Lubetsky says. Qualified and experienced chefs have been added to the Department of Immigration's immediate skill shortage list, which means their visas can be fast-tracked.
But Lubetsky says the system has problems. "Some of them come in on visitors' visas or quite difficult work visas. They can only work for three months for a certain employer and then they have to move on, which doesn't help."
Some restaurants will take someone on for three months if they're desperate, but most establishments need workers for longer periods.
"I'm not sure why Immigration does that. But I have talked to a sous chef that has been in that situation. It's a two-year visa but they can only work for one employer for three months."
Immigrant chefs are also at a distinct disadvantage when applying for jobs from overseas. "How people interview chefs is quite different from other roles because usually they have to do a trial. They want to see what they produce in person, not just a picture or phone interview."
Local chef schools - such as AUT, Auckland Hotel and Chefs Training School, MIT's School of Catering and Hospitality Studies, and some smaller schools throughout the country - are not producing enough good-quality chefs to meet the demand.
"The shortage is growing and we're not getting enough people coming into the industry," Lubetsky says. "With the prediction of raising tourist numbers there is just going to be more and more of a shortage." Some restaurants in rural areas or places like the Bay of Islands where business is more seasonal are really having problems. But some chefs join temping agencies and are happy to travel around for seasonal work. This can benefit chefs and employers. "Some restaurants may say, 'Okay, I can't have a sous chef permanently but at least I know I've got them for six months'."
Lubetsky says chefs are creative people and need the right environment to encourage them to stay.
"They need to be constantly challenged and feel they are improving their skills and that they can learn from the head chef or from the executive chef."
