Breakfast, lunch, à la carte, room service and banqueting from one kitchen: a hotel kitchen needs different cooks from an ordinary restaurant. Read how to decide which level you are looking for, where to find cooks, what really counts in the job ad, how a paid trial shift shows who fits and how to stop a new cook leaving after a few months.
27 October 2026
A hotel kitchen often runs from early morning to late evening and serves several streams at once: breakfast buffet, lunch, à la carte, room service, meeting packages and banqueting. That calls for cooks who can switch between large volumes and individual plates, who work with fixed recipes and HACCP records and who do not mind that the work varies a lot from day to day. Describe that honestly and you attract candidates who suit this kitchen.
Distinguish between a cook who works independently, a chef de partie and a second chef or sous chef. An independent cook executes recipes and keeps a station running; a chef de partie is responsible for a section and directs others; a sous chef plans, orders and stands in for the head chef. Asking for a sous chef when you mainly need hands on the line keeps the vacancy open for longer than necessary.
Look per shift and per day at how many covers, breakfasts and banqueting guests you expect on an average and on a busy day, and how many cooks that requires. Then you can see whether you are structurally short of a cook or mainly fail to cover peak days. See also how to work out kitchen staffing per shift. For peaks such as a large event, temporary cover is often more sensible than an extra permanent contract.
In selection, look for pace under pressure, cleanliness and hygiene, reliability and the ability to work with fixed recipes. A culinary qualification is welcome, but hands-on experience in a busy kitchen, catering or a care facility often says just as much. Your menu, plating, ordering procedures and the way banqueting works can be taught to a new cook in the first weeks.
In the kitchen, communication is mainly about tickets, allergens, timings and safety. Basic knowledge of the team’s working language is often enough, provided allergen information, recipes and HACCP lists are recorded clearly and unambiguously. Do not set a higher language requirement than the role needs; for a cook without guest contact it needlessly excludes good professionals.
Look beyond the big job sites. Tips from your own kitchen team often bring the best candidates, because they know who works well; read how to organise referrals from your own team. Other channels: culinary schools and hotel schools, interns you offer a place after their internship, caterers and staff restaurants in the region, and cooks from the restaurant world who want more regular hours.
State the shifts concretely (for example breakfast shift 6:30 to 15:00 or evening shift 14:00 to 22:30), the number of guaranteed hours, the pay or pay range, whether there are weekend and public holiday shifts and which types of service the kitchen runs. Say who will train the new cook and whether you work split shifts. A pay indication helps; see also how to set pay bands per role.
Good cooks usually have several options and do not wait long. Call candidates back within one working day where possible, plan a short conversation with the head chef and let the trial shift follow quickly. If you can make an offer within a week, you lose fewer candidates to other employers. Agree who handles the steps when the head chef is off, so nothing stalls.
A paid trial of half a shift shows more than an interview: working pace, mise en place, hygiene, how someone picks up instructions and how they work with the team. Agree beforehand which station the candidate will work, have an experienced colleague guide them and do not ask people to come and cook unpaid. Read more about the set-up in when a trial shift makes sense.
Many cooks leave hospitality because of irregular hours and long evenings. A hotel kitchen can stand out precisely there: fixed breakfast shifts, a predictable rota published well in advance and as few split shifts as possible. Read more about the effect of split shifts on retention. Make sure pay and allowances are in line with what comparable employers in the region offer.
Let a new cook work alongside a fixed colleague on one station for the first days, then extend to other stations and types of service. Record recipes, plate photos, allergen lists and HACCP agreements in a place everyone can find them. Review how things are going at the end of the first and second week. See also a solid first week.
Kitchen work is physically demanding and done under time pressure. Realistic staffing per shift, good equipment, clear breaks and a brigade that does not work structural overtime reduce absence and turnover. Ask new cooks after a few weeks what they find difficult; it is often about practical matters such as orders, stock or the handover between shifts.
New cooks often leave when the work, hours or atmosphere turn out differently than promised. Honest information beforehand, room to contribute to the menu and visible progression, for example to chef de partie or sous chef, help. Show that the kitchen is part of the hotel by involving cooks in event menus and in guest feedback.
Does a hotel cook need a culinary qualification? Not always. For an independent cook, hands-on experience in a busy kitchen often counts just as much. For a sous chef, experience with planning, purchasing and HACCP matters more than a diploma alone.
How long should a trial shift last? Half a shift is usually enough to see pace, hygiene and teamwork. Pay for those hours and have an experienced colleague guide the candidate.
Permanent cooks or temporary cover? Cover average demand with a permanent team and handle large events and peak weeks with temporary cover. That gives your permanent team predictable shifts and you do not pay for quiet days.
• Do you know which level you need: independent cook, chef de partie or sous chef?
• Do you know how many cooks you need per shift on an average and a busy day?
• Does the job ad state shifts, guaranteed hours, pay and weekend shifts?
• Do you call back within one working day and can you make an offer within a week?
• Do you select with a paid, guided trial shift?
• Are recipes, allergens and HACCP agreements recorded before onboarding?
AXXAZ Hospitality provides reliable hospitality professionals to hotels across Europe, including for the kitchen. While you recruit permanent cooks, we can cover open shifts and peak days so breakfast, service and events can go ahead. It starts with a clear staffing brief.
Recruit cooks by first deciding the right level, publishing a job ad with concrete shifts and pay, responding quickly, selecting with a paid trial shift and investing in predictable rotas and the first weeks.