Hospitality Agency London
Cookaburra is a London hospitality recruitment agency placing permanent staff across the capital, from Mayfair's fine dining rooms and Soho's independent restaurants to the City's corporate venues and neighbourhood gastropubs across every borough. We recruit exclusively for permanent roles because we believe permanent hires are the only real solution to hospitality's retention problem.
Get in TouchWhy Use Cookaburra to Recruit for Your London Venue?
We work with independent restaurants, hotel groups, members clubs, gastropubs, event venues and every other type of hospitality operator across London. Our placements cover the full range of senior front and back of house roles: Head Chefs, Sous Chefs, Pastry Chefs and kitchen brigades; Restaurant Managers, Front of House Managers and senior floor teams; Bar Managers, Head Bartenders and Sommeliers; General Managers, Food and Beverage Managers, Events Managers and hotel operational leads. Every candidate we present is personally vetted by a recruiter who has worked in professional kitchens and London's restaurant industry. We do not send bulk CVs. We send shortlists of people we would genuinely hire. You pay only when we place the right person.
Cookaburra is a London hospitality recruitment agency founded by someone who has worked the industry from the ground up, starting as a dishwasher in Perth at 16, through to Michelin-starred kitchens in London. Every placement is permanent, and every recommendation is personal.
We don't fill seats. We find people who fit.
The SHRM Workforce Research (2023) found that 68 per cent of hospitality workers leave within their first year. A bad hire costs up to three times the role's annual salary, and key positions in London sit unfilled for an average of six weeks. Permanent recruitment, done well, solves all three problems at once.
Permanent Only
No temp placements. We build teams that stay.
Industry-Led
Founded by a hospitality professional, not a generalist recruiter.
No Placement, No Fee
You only pay when we find the right person.
London-Based
Local knowledge, city-wide reach.
Staffing London Venues in London
London venues have staffing challenges that generalist agencies often fail to appreciate. The pace, the service style, the guest expectations and the team dynamics specific to London operations require candidates with genuine relevant experience, not people who have simply listed the right keywords on a CV.
Cookaburra places permanent staff across all key positions in London venues, from kitchen leadership through to front of house management and bar teams. Our search is active rather than passive. We approach candidates in our network directly, including those who are performing well in current roles and may be open to the right opportunity.
Our matching process for London venues begins with a thorough brief from the hiring venue. We want to understand the culture, the service style, the existing team structure and what a successful hire looks like in practice. That brief informs every stage of the search and results in a curated shortlist of people who fit genuinely, not just on paper.
Every Cookaburra placement in a London venue comes with a rebate period. If the person we place leaves within that window, we conduct a replacement search at no additional cost. Permanent recruitment done properly is a long-term investment, and we stand behind every placement we make.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Cookaburra charge for hospitality recruitment?+
Cookaburra operates on a no placement, no payment model. You only pay a fee when we successfully place a candidate. There are no upfront costs, retainers or ongoing fees.
How long does the recruitment process take?+
Most placements are completed within 2–4 weeks of taking a brief. We present a curated shortlist of personally vetted candidates rather than bulk CVs, reducing the time you spend screening.
What happens if a placement doesn't work out?+
All Cookaburra placements come with a rebate period. If a placed candidate leaves within the rebate window, we will conduct a replacement search at no additional cost.
Do you only recruit permanent roles?+
Yes, Cookaburra specialises exclusively in permanent hospitality placements across London. Permanent recruitment builds teams that stay.
More Venue Types We Recruit For
Let's Talk About Your Next Hire.
Book a free 15-minute call or send an enquiry. We respond within one business day.