Pierre Koffmann warns 'young chef’s salaries are an impossible wage to live off'

The Staff Canteen

Editor 15th June 2017
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As Brexit talks continue, renowned chef Pierre Koffmann, who has held three stars in the Michelin Guide UK, recently spoke out about the worrying future for chefs living in London.

Pierre has warned that young chef’s salaries are an impossible wage to live off, particularly for those that are living in London. Speaking to the Evening Standard, he described the salaries as, stupid and stated that, as a young chef you are paid between £15,000 and £18,000, which living in London means living in poverty.

He also added that this is not only a problem for those living in London, but for French chefs who are now warier of moving to London than ever before, because of the low salaries. Pierre further explained to the Evening Standard (read the full article here) that, if Brexit meant those who had come from Europe were forced to leave, then restaurants would start closing very quickly.

>>> 10 Minutes With: Pierre Koffmann, 50 Years a Chef

Legendary chef, Pierre Koffman, recently celebrated his 50th year in the industry. Arriving in London in 1970 with no intention to be involved with British food, seven years later he had opened his esteemed restaurant, La Tante Claire, in Chelsea. By 1978 the restaurant had achieved 3 Michelin star status, which it held until the restaurant moved to The Berkeley Hotel in 1998.

>>> Related: Gordon Ramsay struggling with Brexit food costs - how has it affected your restaurant?

In 2016, Pierre received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the AA Restaurant Guide Hospitality Awards and he has been praised as a remarkable mentor to some of today’s most acclaimed chefs, including Marco Pierre-White, Gordon Ramsay and Tom Kitchin. 

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