Bob Bob Ricard yet to fill £91,000 head chef role amid rising competition for staff

The owner of London’s Bob Bob Ricard Soho has revealed the restaurant is yet to fill a £91,000 per year head chef role amid increased competition for top hospitality talent.

In January a tweet advertising the job sparked debate at a time many in the hospitality industry were raising wages and struggling to recruit.

Leonid Shutov, owner of Bob Bob Ricard, told The Caterer the group had increased salaries 10%-15% over the past 12-18 months in response to “shocking” levels of inflation and a scarcity of staff.

Other head chefs or general managers within the group were paid similarly to the £91,000 role, Shutov said.

He added: “We haven’t filled the head chef role yet. I’ve seen some comments [on the advert] that were very superficial, either saying it’s an outrageous amount [to pay] or simply that’s what every chef deserves.

“Actually, it’s the right package for the right individual, because we also expect somebody of real quality for that money. It’s not just going to be offered to anyone coming through the door.”

The number of chef roles with salaries of over £50,000 a year has increased by 373% over the past year, according to data from recruitment site Caterer.com. Some 47% of hospitality businesses have increased tips and bonuses for employees over the same period, and a further 16% planned on introducing this within the next year.

Bob Bob Ricard Soho opened in 2008 and serves a British and Russian-inspired menu including dégustation of three types of caviar (£39) and turbot coulibiac with Champagne sauce (£39). It is famous for its ‘press for Champagne’ button and policy limiting the mark-up on fine wines to £50.

A second restaurant, Bob Bob Cité, launched in London’s Leadenhall building in 2019 and since its inception the group has worked with chefs including Anna Haugh, Eric Chavot and MasterChef: The Professionals finalist Tom Peters.

Shutov said there had been “a bit of an exodus” of people from the hospitality industry over the past two years forcing employers to compete for the “best and brightest”.

Bob Bob Ricard offers private health and sick pay insurance, and an extra two weeks’ paid leave for its senior team to use for either training or stages in other kitchens. Senior staff can also access a £6,000 per year dining account to spend in the restaurant.

Shutov said the impact of coronavirus restrictions on hospitality has been so severe many people did not want to take the “risk” of a job within the sector. He added: “It is disappointing for our industry because it’s entirely out of our hands yet it’s creating this perception of it being a less desirable long-term career path.

“It’s all the more reason for us as employers to make sure our staff, especially seniors, feel they will be looked after if there’s market turmoil, and that they will have same protection and benefits as their peers in other industries.”

A Caterer.com study of 2,000 UK adults found that hospitality salaries were on average 30% higher than perceived by the public. The recruitment site said more needed to be done to challenge misconceptions about pay within the industry.