At Quest, we know pay transparency matters when you’re planning for your next career move. This guide aims to set out what salaries look like in 2025 and where we think they’re heading in 2026 across our key sectors. Please note that the 2026 salary projections you see are based on current market data and industry trends. Actual salaries may be higher or lower depending on your location, experience, and the employer.
Entry-Level Roles (Kitchen Porter, Catering Assistant): First step into the catering industry with opportunities to develop into skilled or supervisory positions. Flexibility is key as these roles are common in schools, healthcare, and events.
Mid-Level Roles (Chef de Partie, Sous Chef): Require technical skill and resilience; clear progression to leadership positions. Employers value reliability and creativity.
Leadership Roles (Head Chef, Catering Manager, Event Catering Manager): High salaries due to organisation, staff management, and financial responsibilities. Larger establishments typically pay more. Perks may include bonuses and structured career development.
Specialist Roles (Corporate Chef): Attractive for regular hours and specialist skills. Salaries reflect creativity and cost control responsibilities. Growth expected as more firms adopt hybrid work models.
Market Trends:
Skills shortages push salaries up, London & South East offer higher wages, work-life balance is increasingly important, inflation drives salary growth into 2026.
Food Production Sector Salary Guide 2025-2026
Food Production Operative
2025: £11.50-£14/hour | 2026: £12.50-£15/hour
Chilled/ambient environments, shift work, sometimes manual handling, high pace.
Skilled Production Operative
2025: £13.30/hour | 2026: £14.50/hour+
Technical skill required; responsibility for machinery or processes.
Production Supervisor
2025: £28,000-£36,000 | 2026: £30,000-£38,000
Supervises teams, quality, health & safety, possibly shift coordination.
Shift Supervisor
2025: £35,000-£42,000 | 2026: £40,000-£45,000+
Shift planning, reporting, downtime minimisation, liaison with management.
Insights for Food Production
Entry & Operative Roles: Backbone of production lines, performing packing, labelling, or basic quality checks. Overtime and shift premiums can increase pay.
Skilled Operatives: Operate machinery, manage technical tasks, higher responsibility; employers pay more for specialized skills.
