# Our Pricing

Your quick guide to our rates

## How much does an Agency Chef Cost?

With so many factors to take into account when it comes to the pricing of an agency chef, I thought it would be easier to break things down into the various elements and give you an insight into agency chef cost.

### What level of Chef do you require?

CDP (Chef de Partie) – who will step in and support your current brigade, helping on a certain section, prepping for service and making sure you have your mis en place ready.

If the chef you require is working under supervision and is not expected to be in charge, then a CDP is all you require.

Our CDP charge rate is between £26.53 and £28.08 per hour dependant on how many hours you book and the type of kitchen you have.

Sous Chef – A Sous Chef will be able to run multiple sections confidently and be able to manage your more junior chefs.

They will be able to cover your Head Chef’s day off, manage any orders and make sure all of your HACAP has been completed.

Our Sous Chef rate is between £29.34 and £31.05 per hour dependant on how many hours you book and the type of kitchen you have.

Head Chef – A Head Chef will be able to manage your current kitchen, be able to work on their own and complete any rotas for the other chefs in the kitchen.

If you require a chef to work on their own and manage service, alongside any junior chefs, you would be best to book a Head Chef.

Our Head Chef rate is between £32.13 and £34.00 per hour dependant on how many hours you book and the type of kitchen you have.

### What type of kitchen do you have?

Your kitchen type will also be a factor when booking a chef, as it takes a different skill to run a rosette kitchen than it does to manage a care home kitchen.

For example, café chefs would not need the same skillset as a gastro pub chef.

Do you require your chef to prepare all the food from fresh, including baking fresh bread and making ice-cream?

Or are they going to be grilling steaks and frying chips?

There is a vast difference in the skill set required between chefs and this will make a difference to the agency chef cost.

If you are a fast-paced pub, with everything being bought in and you require a Sous Chef – it would cost you £29.34 per hour.

However, if you are a Care Home looking for a chef to cook for your residents, having the knowledge of textured diets and making the food the highlight of your residents’ day, the cost would be £31.05 per hour.

### Is your booking a longer-term assignment?

When you book a chef, it’s always worth letting us know your plans for the future – because if you are looking for a longer-term assignment, the agency chef rate will be lower than if you were only looking for one day’s cover.

### Is it a weekend or Bank Holiday?

The charge rates for a care home chef are enhanced for weekend work. If you need a guarantee that the chef will arrive on time and cook a nutritious meal for your residents, then that peace of mind is definitely worth £34.00 per hour.

Bank Holidays are charged at double time of your hourly chef rate.

### What about travel and Petrol?

Dependant on your location, travel could be included. All of the chefs who work with us are based in and around the South West and when they are travelling to jobs we believe that they should be covered for their expenses.

There is a charge of 35p a mile from the chef’s postcode to your postcode. However, our system will show us the closet, most suitable chef in your area. We will always try and cover your booking with the closest chef to your venue.

### The answer – How much does an agency chef cost?

The short answer – based on all of the above is your agency chef will cost between £26.53 and £34.00 per hour – plus petrol.

If you would like to talk to us about your Chef requirements, then please contact us here.

Now not a good time? Why not book a call with one of our experienced office team who will happily talk through any questions or concerns you may have.

Arrange a callback

The Chef Tree portal is really simple to use, you can check whom you have booked in and sign timesheets.

They send chefs in for training, no agency has ever done that, the Chef Tree have taken the time to get it right.

Colin Robb Shaw Healthcare

We have found The Chef Tree send the same chefs often, you've got consistency & they understand the running of our kitchen

Polly Massie Woodhouse