The organisation is understood to be planning a campaign highlighting the opportunities available in the pub sector and is searching for chefs to champion the drive.
Kate Nicholls, chief executive of the ALMR, said: “Food is not an afterthought for pubs in the UK and British Food Fortnight is a great opportunity to show the country the quality food that is on offer.
“Over a dozen UK pubs have received a Michelin star in recognition of the world-class food they offer – we should be very proud of great British pub food.”
Ideal
British Food Fortnight was the ideal opportunity to highlight some of the obstacles – specifically the current chef shortage – faced by the sector, she said.
“If our pubs are to continue the great work they have been doing revolutionising eating out, then they need access to the right staff.
“Pubs provide people with fantastic career opportunities, training and the chance to create fantastic food. With our support, the UK’s pubs can continue to provide first-class food and rewarding career opportunities.”
Research by charity People 1st in 2015 warned that the hospitality industry would need to recruit an additional 11,000 chefs by 2022. Forty two per cent of chef vacancies were considered hard to fill at the time of research.
Brexit
Uncertainty caused by the potential for a British exit from the European Union was adding to the problem, a leading recruiter warned last month.
Craig Allen, co-founder of hospitality recruitment agency the Change Group, previously told the Publican’s Morning Advertiser (PMA): “In an ideal world we would be encouraging and training up young British school leavers to be chefs, but the chef shortage is affecting us now and exiting the EU will just have a further detrimental effect and lose a large proportion of EU talent.”
Pub chefs interesting in getting involved with the ALMR’s campaign can contact Tony Sophoclides at tsoph@almr.org.uk for further information.
The PMA recently held an exclusive round table debate on the chef shortage with industry leaders. Read the coverage here.