Chefs Bay.
Chef Staffing Agency
You Can Rely On.

Check the agency's fulfilment rate (the share of confirmed bookings it actually fills), whether it runs PAYE or a vetted umbrella for right-to-work, and how quickly it confirms a named chef rather than a "maybe". Chefs Bay runs a 95%+ fulfilment rate and supplies chefs and kitchen staff across England from bases in Liverpool, Manchester, the Midlands, and London. Call 0151 440 2249 and we confirm availability within 2 hours.

We supply across England, with regional bases in Liverpool, Manchester, the Midlands, and London, plus Birmingham served from the Midlands office on the same 0116 line. Response speed depends on postcode density: a named chef within 2 hours in central London, Manchester, and Liverpool, 4 hours across most of the wider UK, and up to 24 hours for rural care homes and schools.

For a buyer, none that matters. "Hospitality recruitment agency", "hospitality employment agency", and "chef agency" all describe the same service: a company that supplies vetted kitchen staff on temporary, relief, or permanent terms and carries the employment obligations. The label changes with who is searching. The duty to check right-to-work, hold insurance, and replace a no-show is identical.

An agency charge rate stacks on top of the worker's pay: the April 2026 National Living Wage of £12.71 an hour, plus 15% employer NIC and 12.07% holiday pay accrual, then the agency margin. Anyone quoting a single "all-in" number without that breakdown is hard to compare. Our UK chef hire rate benchmark sets out the full rate stack by role and region, with no email required.

For a planned booking, same day or next day across our covered regions. For an unplanned gap we answer the duty line 24/7 on 0151 440 2249 and confirm a named relief chef inside 2 hours in central London, Manchester, and Liverpool, with 4 hours the realistic window across the wider UK. If we cannot place, you do not pay.

Yes. Every role tier from Kitchen Porter to Head Chef, plus kitchen assistants and catering staff, across hospitality, contract catering, events, care, and education. If you need front-of-house only, we will tell you rather than send the wrong people.

Search the same way you would for a chef agency: look for a verifiable fulfilment rate, PAYE compliance, and a named contact who confirms availability fast. Chefs Bay supplies catering staff alongside chefs, including kitchen porters, catering assistants, and event catering teams, across England from our Liverpool, Manchester, Midlands, and London bases. For your area, call 0151 440 2249 and we confirm within 2 hours.