Why Chefs Leave? What a Global Survey Reveals About the Kitchen Retention Crisis
Authors: Giousmpasoglou, C., Marinakou, E.
Publication Date: 03/02/2026
Publisher: Hospitality.net
Abstract:Hospitality has never pretended to be easy. Work in professional kitchens is defined by fast pace, pressure, precision, professionalism, and pride. Yet a growing body of evidence suggests that the chef shortage is no longer simply a recruitment challenge; it has become a retention crisis, fuelled by working conditions that many chefs no longer view as sustainable.
The Chefs’ Intention to Leave: Global Survey Report (January 2026), produced by Bournemouth University in collaboration with The Burnt Chef Project, captures responses from 460 chefs worldwide and offers a timely snapshot of why chefs are considering leaving their roles and, in some cases, the profession itself. While grounded in data, the message is unmistakably people-centred: many chefs still care deeply about cooking, but feel increasingly unable to tolerate the environment surrounding the work. For hospitality operators, this matters because retention problems rarely surface suddenly; they develop quietly, long before a resignation letter is submitted.
https://www.hospitalitynet.org/opinion/4130720.html
Source: Manual