Is Staff Retention the Biggest Challenge in UK Hospitality? Insights from IFE 2025

Is staff retention the biggest challenge in UK hospitality? Insights from the International Food and Drink Event (IFE).

If there was one question that kept coming up again and again at IFE 2025, it was this:  “How do I find good chefs and how do I keep them?” 

The struggle to attract and retain talent in UK hospitality isn’t new, but it’s become more pressing than ever. At the seminar ‘Building High-Performing Teams in a Shifting Landscape’, Oli Cavaliero of Pizza Pilgrims summed up the core issue: “There’s a perception of hospitality being part-time, a stepping stone to a better job. Staff retention is a big problem in the industry so it’s about building your brand to attract the right people”. 

It’s not just kitchens feeling the pinch. Over at The Pub Show Dee Livingstone, Production Director at Dark Bar Drinks highlighted how the shortage of skilled bar staff has shaped their business. “Ever since Brexit, pubs and bars have struggled to find staff.” Dark Bar Drinks offers pre-batched cocktails that remove the need for highly trained bartenders, an approach that’s gaining traction in hospitality across the UK, including Wagamama, who have developed a bespoke cocktail range with Dark Bar Drinks. 

How Are Businesses Tackling the Staff Retention Crisis?

There’s no ‘one size fits all’ solution, but one company is making inroads. HRC exhibitor, The Burnt Chef Project, focuses on a key underlying issue: mental health. Chefs endure long antisocial hours and tough environmental conditions, often leading to burnout and high turnover.

Marketing Director, Emmy Webster, shared a success story from Liberation Brewing Co. Liberation is part of the Butcombe Group, which operates over 120 pubs and inns across the Channel Islands. By actively working with The Burnt Chef Project to support and motivate their teams, they’ve doubled their staff retention rates – a significant achievement in today’s hospitality staffing crisis. 

Three Practical Ways to Improve Staff Retention

Katy Moses from insight agency KAM summed it up simply: “With a good salary and good benefits, people will stay.” But what does that really look like in practice? Here are three strategies UK hospitality businesses are using to keep their chefs motivated and loyal:

1. Prioritise Mental Health Support
   Partnering with initiatives like The Burnt Chef Project provides chefs and hospitality staff with access to mental health resources, helping to create a healthier workplace culture.
   

2. Invest in Efficiency
   With staffing shortages, making life easier for the team is crucial. Whether it’s investing in multi-functional kitchen equipment or outsourcing elements of food and drink prep, reducing workload prevents burnout.
   

3. Feed Your Team Well
   A high-quality, nutritious staff meal shouldn’t be an afterthought. Providing well-balanced meals – ideally outsourced to a trusted supplier rather than adding pressure to the kitchen – ensures staff are fueled for service and feel valued.

As the conversations at IFE 2025 made clear, it’s time for hospitality to shift its approach – because keeping great people is just as important as finding them.