Free for Candidates · London · Central · Greater London

Hospitality Jobs in London: Find Your Place in London Hospitality.

Cookaburra is a free recruitment service for hospitality professionals in London. We place chefs, managers and front of house staff in permanent roles at independent venues. Every application is read by a recruiter, your details stay confidential until you agree, and candidates never pay a fee.

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✓Free for Candidates, Always✓Permanent Placements Only✓London Hospitality Specialists

free to apply

Senior Roles

London Only.

Front of house professional setting a table at an elegant restaurant in London

Our Promise

Free for

Candidates.

LDN

specialists

Free for Candidates · London · Central · Greater London

Hospitality Jobs in London: Find Your Place in London Hospitality.

Apply NowSee How It Works

✓Free for Candidates, Always✓Permanent Placements Only✓London Hospitality Specialists

free to apply

Senior Roles

London Only.

Our Promise

Free for

Candidates.

LDN

specialists

Why Cookaburra

What You Get When You Work With Us

Most agencies send your CV anywhere and hope something sticks. We publish the Cookaburra Standard for how venues treat their people, and our goal is that every venue we work with meets it. We would not send you somewhere we would not work ourselves.

We publish the Cookaburra Standard for how venues treat their people

Salary published · Rotas a week ahead · Two consecutive days off · No unpaid trials · Real wellbeing support

Read the Standard

Roles That Aren't Advertised

Senior hospitality positions in London rarely appear on Reed or LinkedIn. Cookaburra works directly with venues, giving you access to opportunities before they ever go public.

A Personal Advocate

We present you with context and conviction. You're not a CV in a pile; you're someone we're personally recommending to venues we know and trust.

Complete Confidentiality

Currently employed? Your employer will never know you're exploring options. We never share your details with anyone without speaking to you first.

Free for Candidates, Always

Cookaburra's fee is paid by the employer on successful placement. There is no cost to you at any stage. Ever.

Included with every placement

Wellness Perks Included

Land a role through Cookaburra and you receive exclusive discounted access to our Wellness Perks Portfolio: gyms, sauna, pilates, yoga and more across London. At no cost to you.

Gyms Sauna Ice Baths Pilates Meditation Yoga Breathwork Steamrooms+ more

Wellness Partner Benefits, Included With Every Placement

Who We Work With

We're Not a Job Board. We're Your Career Partner

We don't work with everyone who applies, and that's the point. We only represent professionals we'd genuinely recommend, so when we put your name in front of a client, it means something.

Hospitality Is Your Calling

You didn't fall into hospitality. You chose it. You talk about it, you read about it, and you'd do it even if there was an easier option.

You've Earned Your Stripes

You've worked in quality venues, taken on responsibility, and built a track record. You know the difference between good and exceptional.

Ready for Your Next Move

You're not just looking for a job. You're looking for the right role at the right venue. You want to grow, lead, and be part of something excellent.

Culture Matters to You

The best venues have teams that feel it. You care about the environment you work in, and you want to find somewhere you can stay and thrive.

The Roles We Place

Every Senior Role, Front and Back of House

If it's a senior hospitality role in London, we place it. Browse the categories below to see where you might fit.

Head chef and kitchen team working in a professional kitchen at a London restaurant

Currently viewing

Kitchen & Chefs

Currently viewing

Front of House

Currently viewing

Bar & Beverage

Currently viewing

Events & Hotels

Currently viewing

Specialty Food & Beverage

Kitchen & Chefs

Back of house leaders who command with craft and calm

Executive Chef Head Chef Sous Chef Chef de Partie Pastry Chef

Front of House

The face of the venue, guest experience from first to last

Restaurant Manager Front of House Manager Floor Manager General Manager Maître d'Reservations Manager Guest Relations Manager

Bar & Beverage

Specialists who know every pour, every roast, every vintage

Bar Manager Beverage Manager Head Bartender Head Barista Sommelier

Events & Hotels

Leaders built for scale, pressure and seamless delivery

Hotel Manager Food & Beverage Manager Events Manager Functions Manager Catering Manager

Specialty Food & Beverage

Artisan specialists where craft is everything

Butchery Manager

Executive ChefHead ChefSous ChefChef de PartiePastry ChefRestaurant ManagerFront of House ManagerFloor ManagerGeneral ManagerMaître d'Reservations ManagerGuest Relations ManagerBar ManagerBeverage ManagerHead BartenderHead BaristaSommelierHotel ManagerFood & Beverage ManagerEvents ManagerFunctions ManagerCatering ManagerButchery ManagerExecutive ChefHead ChefSous ChefChef de PartiePastry ChefRestaurant ManagerFront of House ManagerFloor ManagerGeneral ManagerMaître d'Reservations ManagerGuest Relations ManagerBar ManagerBeverage ManagerHead BartenderHead BaristaSommelierHotel ManagerFood & Beverage ManagerEvents ManagerFunctions ManagerCatering ManagerButchery Manager

Don't see your role listed? Apply anyway and we'd love to hear from you.

The Process

What Happens After You Apply

Our vetting process is thorough, because our clients expect the best, and so do you.

Step 01

Submit Your Application

Fill out the form below. It takes a few minutes: your CV, a short statement about your best role and what you're looking for next, and anything else that shows your craft such as photos, certifications, or your Instagram.

Step 02

A Matching Role, Straight to Your Inbox

If your experience is a strong match for a role we're actively filling, we email you the job description shortly after you apply, with the venue kept confidential. A few quick questions about your salary expectations, notice period, and availability help us line you up properly. If nothing live matches yet, we keep your details on file and reach out when the right role opens.

Step 03

In-Depth Interview with a Cookaburra Recruiter

If your application stands out, a Cookaburra recruiter will reach out personally for a conversation about your experience, goals, and what the ideal role looks like for you.

Step 04

Reference Verification

We contact your previous employers to confirm your experience and work ethic. Honesty in your application matters here.

Step 05

Matched to the Right Brief

When a client role matches your profile, including your pay expectations and whether you're after full time or part time work, we'll present you as part of a curated shortlist, never a bulk CV drop. You'll always know before we present you.

Step 06

Check-Ins That Keep You Supported

We don't disappear once you start. At 4 weeks, 12 weeks, and for some placements 20 weeks, we check in personally to make sure you're settling in well and the role is everything it was meant to be. On some placements you'll also get a short private feedback form before each check in. Your answers stay with us unless you choose to let us share them. We're here if anything needs addressing.

Show Us Your Work: This Sets You Apart

Anyone can write a CV. What we want to see is your craft. Include photos of dishes you've plated, service you've led, events you've run, or kitchens you've been proud to call yours. If you post your work on Instagram or LinkedIn, let us know. We love to see it. This is the part of the application that tells us who you really are as a hospitality professional.

Meet Alexander

Alexander founded Cookaburra with one conviction: that great hospitality professionals deserve a recruiter who actually understands their craft. He reads every application personally, not because it's efficient, but because it's the only way to get it right.

When you apply, you're not entering a database. You're starting a conversation with someone who cares about finding the right fit for you, not just filling a role.

Permanent Placements OnlyLondonPersonally Reviews Every Application

Alexander Scrase, founder of Cookaburra Recruitment

Our Promise

We never send you somewhere we would not work

We publish the Cookaburra Standard: salary shown on every role, rotas a week ahead, two consecutive days off, no unpaid trials, and real wellbeing support in place. Our goal is that every venue we work with meets it, and we check at the 4 and 12 week placement check ins.

76%

of hospitality workers have struggled with their mental health

1 in 10

venues offer structured wellbeing support

published requirements in the Cookaburra Standard

Know what you should be paid

The legal minimum for your age, the Real Living Wage, and your rights on tips and trial shifts, in plain English.

Check the minimum wage rates

Read the Cookaburra Standard

Apply Now

Submit Your Application

We read every application personally. Be honest, be specific, and show us what makes you exceptional.

Before you apply

Cookaburra places candidates with direct experience working in hospitality venues. Do you have a background working in a restaurant, hotel, bar, cafe, members club or similar?

Got Questions?

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about working with Cookaburra as a candidate. We only recruit permanently, London, always.

No. Cookaburra is completely free for candidates. Our fees are paid by the employer once a successful permanent placement is made. You'll never be asked to pay for anything.

If your experience matches a role we're actively filling, you'll be emailed that job description shortly after you apply, with the client kept confidential, along with a few quick questions about your availability and expectations. Every application is also personally reviewed by a Cookaburra recruiter, and where one stands out we'll reach out directly to arrange a conversation. If there isn't an immediate fit, we keep your details on file and the right opportunity may come up in the future.

Primarily, yes. Most of our clients are looking to fill senior or senior-adjacent positions like Head Chef, Restaurant Manager, Bar Manager, and similar roles. If you're early in your hospitality career, we may not always have the right fit, but we'll be honest with you upfront.

It varies. Some candidates are placed within weeks; for others it may take several months to find the right match. We only present you for roles that genuinely suit your experience and goals. We don't rush it.

Completely. We will never share your details with any employer without your knowledge and consent. Before presenting you to a client, a Cookaburra recruiter will always speak with you first.

Candidates are scored on merit, based on experience, skills and what you are looking for. Personality and team fit are different for every venue and come down to human judgement, which can be affected by bias and cannot be measured with complete accuracy, so we may not always get it right. We take precautions to reduce that risk, including fairness audits of our scoring and a personal review of every shortlist. Fit is confirmed through interviews and trial shifts, and feedback afterwards helps us improve future matches.

Yes. We regularly place candidates who are moving to London from elsewhere in the UK or from overseas. Be upfront about your timeline and current location when you apply, and we'll factor that into how we match you with opportunities. Most of our client venues are experienced in welcoming candidates who are in the process of relocating to the city.

We don't offer or arrange visa sponsorship, and hospitality roles cannot be newly sponsored. The exception is if you already hold a Skilled Worker visa that was approved before 22 July 2025 and you have held it continuously. You can then transfer to, or be sponsored by, a new employer that is a licensed sponsor, though that is entirely the employer's decision and can't be guaranteed. If this applies to you, mention it in your application.

Our focus is London, a market we know intimately. We do not currently place roles outside London, but if you are relocating to the capital, we would love to hear from you.

Salaries vary significantly by role, venue, and experience level. We never send you into a conversation blind. Before presenting you to a client, we'll be upfront about the package on offer and make sure it aligns with your expectations. We advocate for fair, market-competitive compensation.

This is very common, and we handle it carefully. We will never approach your current employer or share your details with anyone without your explicit consent. Everything stays confidential until you're ready to move forward.

Honesty and specificity. Tell us about your best role and what you're genuinely looking for next, not what you think we want to hear. Show us your work: photos, Instagram, certifications. Keep your CV itself clear and easy to read, a busy layout can get in the way of your experience coming through. The candidates who stand out are the ones who make their craft visible and their intentions clear.

Still have a question? Reach out via your application and include it in your passion statement.

Where We Place

Roles Across London

We place permanent hospitality professionals across Central and Greater London. Explore opportunities near you.

Central London

Placement Area

From Mayfair fine dining to Soho's buzzing independents, Shoreditch's creative scene and Islington's neighbourhood bistros, across every postcode in the heart of London.

Greater London

Placement Area

Wimbledon, Croydon, Ealing and beyond, London's outer boroughs have a thriving hospitality scene and we recruit across them with the same rigour we apply everywhere.

Wimbledon Croydon Kingston Ealing Stratford Wembley Bromley Lewisham Chiswick Barnet Enfield Sutton Tooting Balham Harrow Hounslow Ilford Romford Dulwich Crystal Palace

Based outside London? Apply anyway and we'd still love to hear from you.