Join us for our open evening at Leiths on Thursday, 16 July 2026, 6.30–8.30pm, and discover how the Culinary Diploma can launch your career in food.
Join us for our open evening at Leiths on Thursday, 16 July 2026, 6.30–8.30pm, and discover how the Culinary Diploma can launch your career in food.
Adaptability is the name of the game in events catering. As a chef working as part of a larger catering team, you’ll be cooking across a variety of locations, sometimes in a prep facility and sometimes on-site at the event.
This role will never be boring as you bring different briefs to life every day, working as a team with your colleagues to overcome challenges presented by the ever-changing nature of the work.
You’ll be responsible for the proper storage of ingredients, the safe transport of food from one location to another, and a considerable amount of due diligence as you work across locations and work under tight time constraints, sometimes in very small kitchens. If you’re an adrenaline-seeking problem solver who finds joy in variety, this could be for you.
The work-life balance can be quite varied for these professionals, as it’s often shift-based and can sometimes require early mornings and late finishes. Equally, this leaves these individuals with more spare time, as they won’t always be catering at events. This gives these individuals flexibility that traditional chefs don’t have, being able to decide when they want to work.
An event catering chef needs to possess an array of hard and soft skills to confidently take on this role. Some of these catering chefs include:
The industry average varies depending on the type of role, whether it’s fixed or permanent, as well as the responsibilities and schedule of the individual. The UK’s current industry average sits between £25,000 and £40,000.
Employment type:
Employed
Working hours:
Monday – Sunday
8am – 2am
(in shifts, depending on the type of event)
Potential Salary:
£25 – 40K
(dependent on level of seniority and experience)
Work/Life Balance
While this isn’t like a restaurant that rarely closes, the work of an event chef is all consuming when you’re on site. Events can be anytime, any place so be prepared to be travelling a lot and working demanding hours.
Private Chef & Food Stylist
After graduating from Leiths in 2020, Michael went to work in Manchester offering private catering and food styling services. Following the end of Covid, he moved to Liverpool and partnered with a business owner to create a vegan small plates restaurant. He then became Head Chef of Oak in Bath, a hyper-seasonal sustainable vegetarian restaurant with a Green Michelin Star and a spot in the Michelin guide. Currently, he is living in Belfast and pursuing a venue for a new sustainable zero waste restaurant.
Since 2010, I have been working in all areas of hospitality. Starting on the bar, I worked largely in the cocktail industry for many years. Following this I have gained a qualification in cooking at Leith’s School of Food and Wine, deciding to move in to the kitchen side of the culinary world.
Travel has always been a huge part of my life, and this reflects in my cooking. I love using ingredients and techniques from all over the world and love to try food from new cultures.
Tasked with preparing delicious, nutritious lunches for corporate employees, responding to specific dietary requirements and creating exciting menu changes based on the calendar.
A role with a thousand lists, this job is for someone who is as comfortable organising canapes for 300 guests as they are getting stuck in and helping their team set up an event kitchen in a new site.
An experienced member of an events team with an impressive ‘little black book’ who has the know-how on bringing the imaginings of their private party and wedding clients to life.
