What Chefs and Events Staffing does

Chefs and Events Staffing is the trading name of So Far Limited, a privately held UK limited company providing temporary, relief, and permanent hospitality staffing solutions. Founded in 2015 (firm registration) and headquartered in Southampton, the company operates three offices — Southampton (HQ, Northam), Portsmouth (Southsea), and London (Albert Embankment) — serving clients across Hampshire, Dorset, West Sussex, Wiltshire, Somerset, Berkshire, Surrey, and Greater London. The firm supplies a broad range of roles: relief chefs, kitchen assistants, kitchen porters, waiters, bar staff, hostesses, supervisors, stewards, kiosk staff, cleaners, and housekeeping personnel, alongside a retail-staffing vertical and a training add-on delivered via Mapal-OS.

The company runs no proprietary technology platform and exposes no public API; commercial operations rely on direct sales channels (website enquiry, phone on 0330 1181 222, and email at [email protected]), supported by SEO-optimised vertical/service pages, organic social, and content marketing via the company blog. All staff are Enhanced DBS-checked where required and trained in mandatory certifications (Food Safety Level 2, Health & Safety Level 2, Food Allergens, COSHH) with access to 20+ CPD courses, which functions as the firm's operational quality system.

Revenue is generated through professional-services fees on temporary placements and on permanent recruitment fees, with quote-based, pay-as-you-go pricing and 24/7 account management. The go-to-market is sales-led B2B across more than ten customer verticals — hotels, restaurants, care homes, schools, hospitals, nurseries, local councils, sporting venues, festivals, private functions, and retail — with named enterprise and government clients including Southampton FC, Ageas Bowl, Twickenham Stadium, Portsmouth FC, Hampshire County Council, Portsmouth City Council, Southampton City Council, and national chains Marriott and Hilton. The firm is led by Managing Director Jessica Burgess and received industry recognition including Temporary Recruitment Agency of the Year 2024 (British Recruitment Awards).

Name

Chefs and Events Staffing

Legal name

So Far Limited

Website

https://chefsandevents.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Chefs and Events Staffing (So Far Limited) is a Southampton-headquartered UK hospitality recruitment agency supplying temporary, relief, and permanent chefs, kitchen staff, front-of-house, and cleaning personnel to hotels, care homes, schools, councils, sporting venues, and events across Southern England from offices in Southampton, Portsmouth, and London.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hospitality Staffing Services

NAICS

Food Service Contractors (72231)

akta.pro primary industry

Hospitality & Events Temp Staffing (BPACACAN)

Keywords

• Hospitality staffing services
• Temporary recruitment agency
• Event staffing solutions
• Relief chef supply
• Hospitality workforce solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Southampton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Temporary Staffing Services: Supply of temporary hospitality staff including relief chefs, waiters, bar staff, kitchen assistants, cleaners, and other hospitality roles to businesses across the South of UK. Revenue generated through hourly/daily rates charged for staff placements.
2. Permanent Staffing/Recruitment: Permanent placement services for hospitality businesses seeking full-time employees for roles such as chefs, supervisors, and other hospitality positions.
3. Agency Staff Services: Provision of agency staff across general labour, admin support, cleaning, and catering/hospitality for businesses of all sizes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Chefs and Events Staffing supplies temporary and permanent hospitality personnel — including relief chefs, waiters, bar staff, kitchen assistants, kitchen porters, cleaners, stewards, supervisors, and kiosk/event staff — to hotels, restaurants, care homes, schools, hospitals, councils, sporting venues, festivals, and private functions across the South of the UK. The agency pre-vets candidates with Enhanced DBS checks and delivers mandatory training in Food Safety, Health & Safety, Food Allergens, and COSHH, with placements offered on flexible quote-based terms.

Product overview

Chefs and Events Staffing is a hospitality recruitment specialist offering a comprehensive portfolio of staffing services primarily across the South of England. The core offering consists of temporary, relief, and permanent staffing solutions for hospitality businesses, including specialised divisions for event staffing, retail staffing, and industry-specific placements (hotels, care homes, schools, hospitals, sporting venues, festivals). The company provides flexible staffing packages with staff vetted via DBS checks and trained in food safety and hygiene standards. An add-on staff training service delivers mandatory certifications and CPD courses to support workforce readiness.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Relief Chefs Experienced and dependable relief chefs supplied on a temporary basis to cover absences, seasonal peaks, and busy periods across hospitality settings including hotels, care homes, nurseries, schools, and events. Candidates carry Enhanced DBS checks and mandatory food-safety certifications.
• Relief Hospitality Staff Temporary hospitality workers supplied to fill short-term staffing gaps, including sick cover, busy event periods, and peak-season demand, covering roles such as waiters, bar staff, supervisors, kitchen assistants, kitchen porters, cleaners, and stewards.
• Agency Staff Reliable agency staffing solutions supplying qualified staff across industries including hospitality, catering, cleaning, and general labour for businesses of all sizes.
• Event Staff Specialist event staffing services for weddings, private parties, corporate events, and festivals across the South of England, providing stewards, kiosk staff, waiters, chefs, and cleaners.
• Retail Staff Vetted retail staff supplied for stores, supermarkets, department stores, fashion retailers, and pop-up shops across Hampshire and the south coast, including sales assistants, supervisors, store managers, and visual merchandisers for short-term cover or ongoing support.
• Kitchen Assistants DBS-checked kitchen assistants providing essential support maintaining efficiency, hygiene, and smooth kitchen operations in hospitality venues.
• Kitchen Porters Reliable kitchen porters with Enhanced DBS clearance maintaining kitchen cleanliness, organisation, and efficient operations.
• Cleaners Professional cleaning staff maintaining high standards of cleanliness in venues, kitchens, hotels, and event spaces, with DBS checks where required.
• Steward Staff Trained steward staff for crowd management, guest services, and operational support at events, venues, and hospitality settings such as stadiums and festivals.
• Kiosk Staff Flexible and reliable kiosk staff for shopping centres, event spaces, forecourts, and outdoor environments, with strong customer service capabilities.
• Staff Training Free compulsory training covering Food Safety Level 2, Health & Safety Level 2, Food Allergens, and COSHH, plus access to over 20 continuing professional development courses via Mapal-OS.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20+ years of experience supplying hospitality staff to businesses across the South
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments11 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Saints FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate Patron partnership with the official charity of Southampton FC, reflecting commitment to giving back to the local community through supporting the foundation's initiatives and programs.
• Hampshire FarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrade Member of Hampshire Fare, an organization championing local food, drink, and craft producers. Partnership contributes to supporting local producers and the regional food and hospitality ecosystem.
• Mapal-OSminorOthersTraining provider offering over 20 additional CPD courses for staff development. Staff have access to these online courses to enhance and develop their hospitality skills through continuing professional development.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• ManpowerGroup UK: ManpowerGroup is one of the world's largest staffing companies with UK hospitality and event staffing capabilities. Comparable as a broad incumbent competing for the same hospitality clients through temporary workforce solutions.
• Hays UK: Hays is a major UK and global recruitment firm with hospitality and facilities management specialisms. Comparable as a broad incumbent serving UK hospitality and facilities employers with temp and perm staffing.
• Sodexo UK: Sodexo is a global food service and facilities management contractor employing tens of thousands of hospitality staff in the UK. Comparable as a broad incumbent whose contract staffing directly overlaps the company's hospitality temp placement model.
• Compass Group UK: Compass Group is the world's largest contract food services and support services company with major UK hospitality operations. Comparable as a broad incumbent whose large in-house workforce competes for the same hospitality clients and talent.
• Reed: Reed is one of the UK's largest recruitment firms operating across multiple sectors including a dedicated hospitality division. Comparable as a major incumbent with overlapping hospitality staffing capability as part of a much wider portfolio.
• Adecco UK: Adecco is a global staffing leader with significant UK hospitality and events recruitment operations. Comparable as a broad incumbent offering overlapping temp staffing capabilities alongside much wider industrial and office recruitment.

Direct peers

• Blue Arrow: Blue Arrow is one of the UK's leading specialist staffing agencies focused on hospitality, catering, events, and industrial roles. Directly comparable due to identical target customer base (UK hotels, events, foodservice operators) and temp/permanent staffing model.
• Caterer.com: Caterer.com is a UK hospitality-specific job platform connecting chefs, hotel staff, and catering professionals with employers. Comparable as a hospitality-focused talent sourcing channel competing for the same candidate pools.
• Personnel Selection: Personnel Selection is a UK specialist staffing agency focused on hospitality, catering, and industrial placements. Comparable as a direct peer using a similar temp/permanent placement model for UK hotels, restaurants, and event venues.
• The Best Connection: The Best Connection is a UK-wide temp and permanent staffing firm with a strong hospitality, industrial, and driving division. Comparable in offering flexible temporary hospitality and industrial workers to UK businesses of all sizes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/_chefsandevents
• Facebookfacebook.com/chefsandeventsstaffing
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chefs-and-events

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Chefs and Events Staffing