Curry chefs 'in demand'

10/01/2008 16:06:24

Indian restaurants in Scotland are finding chef recruitment more challenging after the introduction of new immigration laws, it has been suggested.

The rules are designed to encourage employers to hire people from within the European Union but many restaurants are used to hiring chefs from India to prepare traditional dishes.

Speaking at an event in Edinburgh, Enam Ali, the founder of the British Curry Awards, warned that finding the right chef candidates is a growing problem, explaining: "Each year, our sector has to recruit several thousand new staff to work in our kitchens."

"[Customers] want to have confidence that the people in the kitchen know what they're doing and that the people serving them are fully conversant with all the dishes on the menu," he said.

The issue could open up opportunities for those with a passion for Indian food who interested in working as a chef.

A spokesman for the Border and Immigration Service told the Scotsman newspaper that there "appears to be no reason why" the restaurant trade would be unable to recruit and train workers who do not hail from India.

Restaurant jobs in Scotland

• Print this page
• Forward to a friend