A Chef For All Seasons

Taking the worry out of temporary chef recruitment!

Why are we different?

There is no doubting that the hospitality sector is a people industry. Front or back of house, it doesn’t really matter, people skills count and Ray Brizell of ‘Chef for all Seasons’ has it in spades. The cheery Liverpudlian is as approachable as they come and with his ‘open all hours’ mentality towards his clients, it shows that nothing is too much trouble. Getting a temporary chef at the last minute, thus relieving the pressure, is one such example, as Mr Lundy of Home Farm Hotel, Devon, can testify:
“After e-mailing (Chef for all Seasons) at midnight, I was astonished to receive an immediate reply, followed by a phone call. An excellent relief chef was found without delay. He continues to work for us on an occasional basis to this day and has become an extremely valuable addition to our team at times of high volume and holiday cover. If only all agencies were like this”

Created in 2008, Ray Brizell set up ‘Chef for all Seasons’ because he could see a gap in the market; after spending a large part of his working life in professional kitchens, Ray could visualise the possibilities, and along with his connections in the West country ‘Chef for all Seasons’ started to attract attention. Now five years on, ‘Chef for all Seasons’ has a national presence, supplying local chefs to nearby businesses; reinforcing the right candidate for the job, with local knowledge. The demand for Ray’s services was such that more staff were required. Steve Richards joined Ray at ‘Chef for all Seasons’ in July 2010,  with over thirteen years experience in recruitment.

One of the main things that separates Ray & ‘Chef for all Seasons’ from other temporary chef recruitment agencies, is the way he communicates with chefs. There are no fancy apps etc, but just a simple no nonsense approach. After registration, the chefs may call in but more often than not it’s just a group text when a vacancy is available. Thus ensuring a speedy placement for his clients, who were the first to receive the ‘Chef for all Seasons’ innovative pricing. Ray believes prior to his simple pricing structure, hotels & restaurants were being exploited & chefs not being paid what they should have been. Although some agencies persist with charging clients an hourly rate for their chefs, & paying the chef sometimes only 60% of that fee, Ray does things differently. By charging a flat fee & letting the chef bill directly, Ray’s fee could work out at as little as a pound an hour on top of the chef’s hourly rate; incredible value for money.

 

Having utilised Facebook for a number of years, ‘Chef for all Seasons’ has recently moved into new territory with a Twitter account (@chef74). Again, Ray’s down to earth personality makes him instantly likeable and interesting chefs, tweeting about: chefs; food; media and his beloved Liverpool football club. Hence the reason award winning chefs such as Adam Grey (Skylon), Matthew Tomkinson (The Montagu Arms) & Eric Snaith (Titchwell Manor) follow him. It is the mantra of doing a simple thing well, coupled with hard work that keeps Ray at the forefront of temporary chef placement.

 

The Executive chef at Bowood Hotel, Chris Lee, left the following review on the ‘Chef for all Seasons’ Facebook page:

“I have used ‘Chef for all Seasons’ for the last six months and have had exceptional service from Ray. From commis chefs to 2 rosette, the standard has always been good. Ray has a good knowledge of the chefs he uses which helps you get the right chef for the job. I have used other agencies but they do not compare to the service you get from ‘Chef for all Seasons’.”

 

Again reinforcing the top rate service that Ray & ‘Chef for all Seasons’ provides.

 

So ultimately you could pick a temporary chef recruitment agency which is interested in the short term game, or you could speak to Ray & ‘Chef for all Seasons’, who is interested in building positive and long lasting relationships. You are guaranteed to get somebody who will listen to you, and make meeting your needs their paramount aim, which will allow ‘Chef for all Seasons’ to partner the right chef with the right job. A winning combination.