Really pleased with Sarah, helped so much in getting a new role in a lovely firm. Cannot thank her enough for her help and assistance. Kept in contact throughout the whole process.
Candidate
Chef Jobs Durham
Adkins & Cheurfi helps chefs and hospitality employers find the right fit for chef jobs in Durham and wider hospitality staffing support. If you’re searching for chef jobs in Durham, or you need a dependable recruitment partner for your kitchen, our team is here to make the process clearer, faster and more personal.
Hospitality recruitment should reduce stress, not add to it. Chefs want roles that respect their skills, rota preferences and work life balance. Employers need a passionate, reliable chef, a strong kitchen team or short-notice cover that still protects food safety and standards. We bring practical support to both sides, whether the brief calls for an ambitious chef, an experienced chef or a full agency chef team.
Since 2016, Adkins & Cheurfi has grown from a boutique chef agency into a full hospitality workforce partner, working with temporary and permanent roles across hotels, events, corporate catering, care, education, premium venues and high-volume operations. Our aim for Durham businesses and candidates is simple: match the right people to the right service, with the right level of communication and care.
Temporary Chef Jobs Durham
Whether you’re looking for short-term gigs or longer assignments, we offer flexible placements to suit your availability and lifestyle.
Are you a talented chef seeking exciting temporary opportunities in the vibrant city of Durham? At Adkins & Cheurfi, we specialise in connecting skilled culinary professionals with top-tier restaurants, hotels and catering events. Whether you’re a seasoned executive chef, a creative sous chef, or a passionate line cook, we have temporary placements to match your skills and schedule, including part-time and other contracted arrangements with hours per week varying by booking.
Most temporary vacancies suit chefs with strong culinary skill, fresh food experience and the confidence to cook meals in a busy kitchen as part of a team. Pay is often quoted per hour: some Chef de Partie roles start from £18 per hour, while part-time temporary nursery chef roles pay up to £12.91 per hour.
Employers commonly ask for Food Safety and Hygiene certification, usually Food Hygiene Level 2 or 3, though entry-level posts may accept a basic food safety certificate.
Permanent Chef Jobs Durham
We partner with Durham’s finest dining establishments to bring you the best permanent job opportunities. From acclaimed restaurants to luxury hotels, find a workplace that matches your culinary vision.
Durham’s culinary scene is renowned across the country, and we work with local hospitality venues looking for talented chefs ready to bring their passion for food to the kitchen. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or an up-and-coming chef, we have a range of permanent opportunities across Durham to suit.
Ready to apply? Register with us and we’ll match you against live vacancies rather than leaving you to track closing dates and application details across multiple job boards yourself. If you’re an employer looking to fill a temporary or permanent chef role in Durham, you can get in touch here.
Why Choose Adkins & Cheurfi
Adkins & Cheurfi is the North East’s largest dedicated hospitality recruitment agency, with specialist teams focused on the sectors that matter most to employers and candidates. Trading since 2016, our team of 11 experienced recruiters supports temporary and permanent hospitality staffing across multiple markets.
Our consultants understand the staffing requirements unique to different environments. A school chef brief, a corporate catering role, a hotel vacancy and a fine dining search all need different questions and different judgment, which is why our specialist approach matters for chef jobs Durham searches.
We support employers who need a responsive, dependable hiring partner. Our experience includes work with football clubs such as NUFC, and that high-pressure environment reflects the reliability and pace we bring to hospitality recruitment more broadly.
Chefs also choose us because we take career conversations seriously. An ambitious chef may want progression. An ambitious sous chef may want a bigger remit. A creative sous chef may want a venue that welcomes new ideas. A passionate, reliable chef may just want a better rota and a more supportive team. We listen, then match.
Our recruitment support is especially useful for:
- Hotels needing permanent chefs, relief chefs or kitchen leaders
- Restaurants wanting a dependable kitchen team and consistent service
- Event operators needing chefs who can work under pressure
- Corporate catering businesses needing professional staff
- Care providers needing diet-aware kitchen support and healthy meal preparation
- Education settings needing reliable school chef cover
- Premium venues that want high quality food and attention to detail
Very professional organisation, very friendly and approachable staff. Lucy kept in touch all the way through the process and helped me find my dream job. She is a real asset to the team!
Head of Food Hall
I started working for Adkins and Cheurfi in September 2021. Since starting, my agent, Jak, has been extremely supportive and effective at finding me reliable work. I have not lacked work since I started, there are always different opportunities available. I would highly recommend this company to any other hospitality staff looking to make a change in their career.
Chef
CANDIDATES WE'VE HELPED
I started working for Adkins and Cheurfi in September 2021. Since starting, my agent, Jak, has been extremely supportive and effective at finding me reliable work. I have not lacked work since I started, there are always different opportunities available. I would highly recommend this company to any other hospitality staff looking to make a change in their career.
Chef
Very professional organisation, very friendly and approachable staff. Lucy kept in touch all the way through the process and helped me find my dream job. She is a real asset to the team!
Head of Food Hall
Really pleased with Sarah, helped so much in getting a new role in a lovely firm. Cannot thank her enough for her help and assistance. Kept in contact throughout the whole process.
Candidate
Speak to Adkins & Cheurfi About Chef Jobs Durham
If you’re ready to move forward, contact Adkins & Cheurfi today about chef jobs Durham, temporary cover or permanent hospitality recruitment. We work with chefs and employers across North England, and we’re ready to help you find the right match. Call us or send an enquiry to discuss your next role, your staffing need or a free quote.
FAQs
We recruit across junior, mid and senior kitchen roles, including commis chef, chef de partie, senior chef de partie, sous chef, experienced sous chef and head chef positions, plus temporary, permanent and relief work. The right role depends on your experience, confidence, availability and the type of kitchen you want to work in.
Yes. We can talk through your availability, preferred shift patterns and the type of kitchens you want to work in. We also help businesses that need an agency chef at short notice or a reliable agency chef team for repeated cover.
Yes. We work with employers seeking chefs who fit the service style, culture and standards of the kitchen, whether that means consistent execution to spec, supporting the food assembly process, leading a brigade or training junior team members.
We take rota preferences, travel, shift length and availability seriously. Many candidates want better work life balance, so we aim to match them with roles that fit their needs as well as their skills, whether that’s a permanent role, a relief placement, or a pattern that offers more control over hours per week.
Yes. We support roles in an Italian-inspired farmhouse restaurant, a creative cocktail bar, a premium dining venue, a hub kitchen operation serving multiple sites, a venue with a satellite dining room, and settings that need chefs able to deliver strong food experiences. We also support school chef, care catering and event-led recruitment.
Yes. If you need a seasoned relief chef or urgent support in Durham, contact us with the date, shift, duties and kitchen expectations, and we’ll talk through suitable options.
If you’re looking for chef jobs in Durham, speak to Adkins & Cheurfi about your next step. If you’re an employer, contact our team to discuss your vacancy and request a free quote. We’ll talk you through the best route for a chef de partie, school chef, creative sous chef, experienced chef or any other role you need to fill.