The catering and hospitality sector in Luton
- Head chef salary (September 2019) in Luton: £32,775.5 a year / £15.76 per hour
- Sous chef salary (September 2019) in Luton: £30,500 a year / £14.66 per hour
- Chef de partie salary (September 2019) in Luton: £23,920 a year / £11.95 per hour
One of the largest towns without city status in the UK, Luton is situated on the River Lea (from which it gets its name) about 30 miles (50km) northwest of London. Multicultural, down to earth and industrious, the town represents a great place for hospitality and catering professionals to discover the next stage of their career.
Historically, Luton was famous for its hat-making industry. The town’s football team, Luton Town FC, is even nicknamed “the Hatters” in honour of this trade. The team is currently in the second tier of English football and plays at the 10,356-capacity Kenilworth Road, though planning permission for a new, larger state-of-the-art stadium has been approved. As with most sports stadia, there is plenty of opportunity to pick up hospitality work on a temporary basis.
Car production was also a major employer in the town’s past. Though Vauxhall Motors closed its large plant in 2002, the company’s head office is still based in Luton and production of commercial vehicles still continues. Retail is also a major employer. Located near the town’s rail station, The Mall Luton (formerly known as the Arndale Centre) is one of the busiest shopping centres in the region and hosts a range of restaurants and cafes.
Arguably the biggest employer in the town is London Luton Airport. The fifth busiest airport in the UK and the fourth-largest of the London region’s six airports, Luton Airport opened in 1938 and was used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War. The airport handles over 16.5 million passengers a year and flies to 60 destinations across Europe, North Africa and Asia. It also contains a host of food and drink outlets that require talented staff to provide top-notch service to passengers.
Luton may carry some economic weight, but it’s also got plenty of academic and cultural heft. The University of Bedfordshire also has two campuses in the town in which thousands of students receive their education. The town is also home to the largest one-day carnival in Europe: Luton International Carnival, which is held on the Sunday of May bank holiday.
Famous Lutonians include Great British Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain, documentarian Stacey Dooley, actress Emily Atack and formerly England cricketer Monty Panesar.
Salaries are also among the most competitive in the Home Counties. According to the latest Blue Arrow data, a head chef can earn over £32,000 annually, while a sous chef can earn up to £25,000 a year.
And for chefs looking to expand their culinary repertoire, the Luton area is home to a host of training opportunities.
