The catering and hospitality sector in Glasgow
Great bars. Great restaurants. Great gigs. Glasgow is Scotland’s creative hub. Edinburgh may have its festival, but Glasgow is the place to be for chefs, baristas and bar managers alike. Not only is it a much cheaper place to live than the capital, but it is also home to some of the most inspiring places to work in hospitality and catering.
Wages are rising in the city. A recent Glasgow Evening Times report revealed that take-home pay grew by 11.3% on average last year, the highest in the UK. Compare this to Edinburgh’s 1.5%, and Glasgow suddenly looks like the place to work in Scotland. Our most recent data suggests that chefs in Glasgow can expect to earn more than £21,000 a year, whilst the average salary for a head chef is over £27,000.
This is a city on the up. As you might suspect, the demand for staff in catering and hospitality is rising fast, especially as these skill sets are becoming ever harder to find not only in Glasgow but throughout the UK. Wages are set to rise in the city for the long term for both chefs and waiters. With events in Glasgow running throughout the year, the city also offers an abundance of flexible, seasonal work too.
Training and upskilling are vital to everyone in our industry. Glasgow isn’t short of options. Tennant’s Training Academy, a dedicated hospitality-based training academy, provides over 40 courses for catering beginners and specialists. And if you work for one of Blue Arrow’s catering employers, you could also have the opportunity to join a Blue Arrow Apprenticeship course.
No wonder there are so many great chefs working in Glasgow. Celebrity chef Tony Singh, who features on Saturday Kitchen and The Great British Menu, moved to work in the city a few years ago, opening Tasty at the Alea Casino. Meanwhile, Glasgow-born Gary Maclean, winner of Masterchef: The Professionals, has worked in eateries across Glasgow. He also happens to be the Chef Lecturer at the City of Glasgow College.
Glasgow is a city with a rich culinary tradition. It’s not just fried Mars bars. Whether you want to cook up neaps and tatties or tikka tandoori, this city has got it all.
