Working as a Chef in Hong Kong

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  1. #1

    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Posts
    158

    Working as a Chef in Hong Kong

    First, I'm asking for a friend from England. He is native English and interested in moving to Hong Kong and would like to know whether it would be plausible for him to move here and get a sponsored visa.

    His background is working as a head chef and that'd be the industry he'd like to work in. His credentials are as follows:

    Level 2 NVQ diploma in professional cookery
    Full health and hygiene certificates
    Qualified for the profession through an assessor
    Ran a kitchen as a head chef in a traditional English pub which had rosette standard cooking awards to its name (2 1/2 years)
    Has performed all tasks such as orders, rotas, stock control, deliveries, etc.
    4 years experience to date.

    So, what he'd essentially like to know is.

    A) Are there jobs available given his experience? (I imagine so - rough indication of salary?)

    B) Would there be any issue in sponsoring a visa?

    Many thanks,

    Adam


  2. #2

    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Gold Coast Marina
    Posts
    17,934

    No idea re salary but I would think he fits the criteria as having skills not possessed by a local so yes, he should be able to get a visa. Getting a job - I would hope he could - plenty of restaurants need better chefs and his quals sound great. I suspect the upmarket places on the Island or hotels are the best bet though. Or starting his own place somewhere ... I'd give it a go!


  3. #3

    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Posts
    383

    Salary will depend on where he gets employed. I'd expect about $20k or above. Visa shouldn't be a problem as long as he finds a restaurant willing to sponsor him, some simply refuse to sponsor anyone.
    Lots of chef jobs out there. Turnover rate for them seems pretty high. Check out sites like JobsDB and you can find heaps of available jobs.


  4. #4

    Expected salary will be about $25K and above and visas shouldn't be a problem as long as the company is willing to sponsor it as MCDC has pointed out. There's always a demand for chefs but expect a long slog - 1 off day a week and 12 - 15 hour days. Check out HK magazine's job listings as many restaurant groups advertise there. Also do your research and find out the various western restaurant groups and get in touch with them directly - Integrated Hospitality Management (Posto Pubblico, Linguni Fini etc), Concept Creations, Press Room Group, Dining Concepts etc.


  5. #5

    Join Date
    May 2009
    Posts
    6,180
    Quote Originally Posted by MovingIn07:
    No idea re salary
    From my knowledge, chef is one of the lowest paid expat professions.

    $25K sounds realistic, but it's not much money after expenses (rent etc.).

    At least your working hours will prevent you from spending your meager salary in bars and discos.
    Last edited by flameproof; 04-01-2013 at 05:35 PM.

  6. #6

    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Posts
    158

    Thanks for the great responses so far guys - seems very positive for him should he choose to make the move.

    He is no stranger to hard work, and 60-70 hours is a usual working week to him, so it's not going to be overwhelming in that regard.

    I will help him to contact some of these groups / companies if he wants to pursue it further.

    Thanks again and any further advice is greatly appreciated.