A recent report has indicated that a chef shortage has left culinary professionals in hot demand, as many restaurant owners have found it virtually impossible to fill vacancies.
Whilst there is a shortage locally, similar issues face the industry across the Tasman. Chefs have been ranked as the eighth most in-demand occupation, with a high rate of people leaving the profession due to feeling undervalued.
Despite the hospitality industry recovering from the pandemic and the ongoing implications of the cost-of-living crisis, the chef shortage has affected the tourism industry. Chefs have been described as a "keystone occupation" for local tourism industries.
A new report highlighted that chef wellbeing and working conditions have forced chefs in New Zealand and Australia to experience financial hardship and mental health issues, which have been key reasons for the dwindling numbers.
Prominent academics and experts in the hospitality industry, including Shelagh K. Mooney from the Auckland University of Technology, Matthew Brenner from Southern Cross University, and Richard Robinson of The University of Queensland, have researched the reasons behind the chef shortage and how it could impact other industries.
The report is the first quantitative survey to examine the working conditions and mental health issues among chefs in New Zealand and Australia and was based on data accumulated from various culinary associations.
Kitchen environments have been widely regarded as challenging and kitchen staff considered it to be a "toxic" workplace atmosphere, which had started long before the pandemic.
Just under half of those who participated originally come from outside New Zealand or Australia, and had been in the industry for an average of 16 years.
Of the 300 chefs surveyed in the report, 44 percent said their employment was precarious, and 67 percent worked more than 38 hours per week. A fifth of the chefs surveyed worked between 52 to 61 hours per week, whilst 6.33 percent worked over 62 hours. Although the kitchen is a fast-paced environment, a quarter of surveyed chefs did not get their legally entitled break either.
Many feared economic instability as a growing concern, while one in five had experienced financial hardship, and a quarter of respondents had gone without meals due to financial strain. Almost two-thirds had worked while sick, which totalled an average of nine days a year.
The 2023 Umbrella Wellbeing report outlined New Zealanders' perceptions of their workplaces and well-being. It warned that poor workplace cultures and long working hours had caused adverse health outcomes, with New Zealand's outcomes faring worse than Australia's.
The report highlighted the opportunity for new governments in Australia and New Zealand to act upon the worsening decline of chefs. It also acknowledged the plans to repair the crisis under previous governments and how the problem could deteriorate even further.
Chef Shortage Report Summary:
- 300 chefs completed the survey: 226 from Australia, and 74 from New Zealand.
- 44 percent said their employment was precarious.
- 67 percent worked more than 38 hours.
- One fifth of respondents worked between 52 to 61 hours per week.
- 6.33 percent worked over 62 hours.
- 15 to 20 percent of chefs experienced financial hardship.
Click here to read the full report.
To read more about the local and international culinary industry, click here.
