Executive Chef Jobs in Birmingham: Specialist Chef Recruitment

Birmingham is the UK’s most active Executive Chef hiring market outside London. With more Michelin stars than any other UK city outside the capital (Condé Nast Traveller, 2025), a major structural shift following the closure of Purnell’s and the ownership change at Simpsons in 2025, and the largest single-site catering operation in the West Midlands through the Levy UK and NEC Group partnership, the city generates consistent demand for experienced culinary leaders across four distinct talent clusters. For the full role definition, see our pillar guide on what an Executive Chef does, including responsibilities and career path.

KSB Recruitment has an active candidate database of Birmingham-based and Birmingham-commutable Executive Chefs, built through direct relationships, not job board advertising. Our specialist chef recruitment across the West Midlands delivers shortlists in 7-10 working days.

Key Takeaways

• Birmingham holds the UK’s highest concentration of Michelin-starred restaurants outside London, creating dense competition for senior culinary talent across fine dining and hotel operations.
• The Levy UK and NEC Group catering partnership (announced 2025) transferred approximately 330 catering staff and created the largest permanent contract catering Executive Chef demand in the West Midlands.
• Purnell’s closure and the Simpsons ownership change in 2025 have displaced high-calibre kitchen talent into the Birmingham open market, creating a short-term opportunity for employers who move fast.
• West Midlands Executive Chef salaries range from £45,000 to £62,000 for hotel and multi-outlet roles, rising to £55,000-£75,000+ at luxury hotel and contract catering director level.
• The 52% annual UK hospitality turnover rate (CIPD, 2022-23) means any Birmingham Executive Chef vacancy creates P&L exposure from day one.

Birmingham’s Four Executive Chef Talent Clusters

Colmore Row and City Centre Core (B2-B3)

Birmingham’s commercial spine supports Executive Chef demand across fine dining, business hotel dining and corporate events hospitality. Adam’s Restaurant on Waterloo Street (B2 5UG) holds its Michelin Star under Adam and Natasha Stokes and is the city’s leading fine dining benchmark post-Purnell’s closure. Opheem (Summer Row, B3) holds two Michelin Stars, the first and only two-star Indian restaurant in the UK outside London. The Hyatt Regency Birmingham (2 Bridge Street, B1) links directly to the International Convention Centre via bridgeway and generates consistent conference and events catering volume year-round, supporting Executive Chef-level multi-outlet management across its food operations.

Hotel La Tour on Albert Street operates across multiple F&B outlets and is an active employer of senior kitchen leadership. The Colmore Business District’s concentration of corporate dining venues, rooftop restaurants and hotel properties makes this the highest-salary Executive Chef sub-market in the West Midlands outside of the NEC corridor. Hotel groups recruiting at this level run the same retained search process we cover in our 2026 UK Hotel General Manager hiring guide. (Source: timeout.com/birmingham/restaurants, September 2025; caterer.com listings, 2025)

NEC and Resorts World Zone (B40, Solihull border)

The NEC corridor is the highest-volume catering environment in the West Midlands. The Levy UK and NEC Group catering partnership, announced in 2025, covers the NEC Birmingham, ICC, Vox Conference Centre and Utilita Arena. The Group manages 500+ events annually with 100,000+ visitors at peak capacity. Approximately 330 catering staff transferred to Levy through the partnership, signalling sustained investment in culinary leadership across this zone. (Source: thecaterer.com/news/levy-announces-food-and-beverage-partnership-with-birmingham-nec-group, 2025)

The Hilton Birmingham Metropole (Pendigo Way, B40 1PP) is the largest hotel outside London by room count at 795 rooms and three dining outlets. It generates the single most consistent Executive Chef-level demand in the West Midlands, with a kitchen operation spanning Brightsmith on the Water, the Gild Lobby Bar and the Arbor breakfast restaurant. Resorts World Birmingham (Genting Group) adds further events and leisure dining demand. Hampton Manor / Grace and Savour (Shadowbrook Lane, B92, Michelin Star) represents the aspirational culinary benchmark at the rural edge of this corridor. The AC Hotel by Marriott Birmingham NEC and Airport (rebranding from Ibis Styles, opening 2026) will generate additional Executive Chef demand through KSB’s hire a chef pipeline.

Executive Chef salary range in this zone: £48,000-£70,000 for multi-outlet hotel operations; contract catering director roles (Levy) at upper end. For wider context on the salary structure these chefs report into at hotel-group level, see our UK Hotel General Manager salary 2026 data.

Edgbaston and Harborne (B15-B17)

Simpsons Restaurant in Edgbaston (Michelin Star since 1999 under founder Andreas Antona) is changing hands in 2025, creating both a talent displacement opportunity and an active senior vacancy. Head Chef Luke Tipping’s kitchen alumni form a significant part of the wider West Midlands senior chef talent pool. Tropea in Harborne holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand (2025 Guide), demonstrating the quality benchmark in this residential suburb. Edgbaston Stadium (Levy UK) adds events and hospitality catering demand during the cricket season (April-September).

This cluster is important for Executive Chef recruitment not just because of the live vacancies it generates, but because of the calibre of senior chef talent that circulates here. Chefs trained at Simpsons and working in Edgbaston fine dining are the strongest feeder pool for any Birmingham Executive Chef appointment seeking candidates with Michelin or AA Rosette kitchen experience. Explore current Michelin and Rosetted Chef jobs with KSB Recruitment. (Source: restaurantonline.co.uk, December 2025; timeout.com/birmingham, September 2025)

Jewellery Quarter and Digbeth (B1-B5)

Birmingham’s fastest-growing independent dining cluster. Trentina in the Jewellery Quarter leads the independent fine dining offer in B18. Digbeth, designated Birmingham’s cultural quarter, hosts the Digbeth Dining Club food market and a growing cluster of independent chef-led restaurants that circulate senior kitchen talent between city centre hotels and creative independent venues. The Bloc Hotel acquisition (Arora Group) and Marriott reflag as Four Points Flex Birmingham Jewellery Quarter (opening 2026) will generate new hotel kitchen recruitment demand in this zone. (Source: headforpoints.com, December 2025; timeout.com/birmingham, September 2025)

Birmingham Executive Chef Market Context

Average Salary (2025-26): £45,000-£62,000 for established hotel and events venues. £55,000-£75,000 for luxury hotel and multi-outlet leadership roles. Caterer.com Head Chef listings in Birmingham (2025) show £35,000-£50,000, placing Executive Chef benchmarks £10,000-£15,000 above this floor. For the full UK chef career-stage salary structure, see our pillar on Executive Chef role, responsibilities and career path.

Hiring Activity: Active and competitive. Multiple Head Chef and Executive Chef postings were visible on Caterer.com and Indeed Birmingham throughout Q4 2025 and into 2026. The Belfry Hotel expansion (completing Autumn 2025) and the Marriott NEC rebrand (2026) are adding new demand alongside existing hotel operations. The wider commercial dynamic, including counter-offer inflation and time-to-hire, is unpacked in our 2026 UK Hotel General Manager hiring guide.

Unique Factor: The 2025 closures and ownership changes across Birmingham’s Michelin venue landscape have displaced high-calibre senior kitchen talent into the open market for a short window. KSB Recruitment is actively tracking this displaced talent pool and can introduce Birmingham employers to candidates who are not yet visible on job boards. The broader macro picture is covered in our piece on the UK chef shortage and the hospitality crisis.

Our Birmingham network includes placements with: Hyatt Regency Birmingham, Levy UK (NEC, Utilita Arena and Aston Villa Football Club), Hotel La Tour, and independent Michelin-acknowledged venues including Tropea. The full case for working with a specialist on senior chef briefs is set out in our guide to what to expect from a chef recruitment agency.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do Executive Chefs earn in Birmingham?

Established hotel and multi-outlet operations in Birmingham typically place Executive Chef roles in the £45,000-£62,000 range. Luxury hotel operations, particularly in the NEC corridor and city centre, reach £55,000-£70,000 for roles with full multi-outlet P&L responsibility. Individual Glassdoor submissions from Birmingham show a range from £31,000 at 1-3 years to £45,000+ at senior level (November 2025).

Which Birmingham employers hire Executive Chefs most frequently?

The Hilton Birmingham Metropole, Hyatt Regency Birmingham, Levy UK (NEC and Utilita Arena), Hotel La Tour and fine dining venues across Colmore Row and Edgbaston are the most consistent Executive Chef employers in Birmingham. The 2025 NEC and Levy partnership has created the largest sustained contract catering Executive Chef demand in the region.

Is Birmingham a good market for Executive Chefs looking to progress?

Yes. Birmingham offers a broader range of senior culinary environments than any UK city outside London, from two-Michelin-starred independent fine dining through luxury hotel multi-outlet operations to the largest UK events catering contract outside the capital. Chefs seeking progression from Head Chef to Executive Chef level have multiple employer types to target at the same career stage. Browse current chef jobs with KSB Recruitment for live openings.

How does KSB Recruitment source Executive Chefs in Birmingham?

KSB Recruitment maintains an active candidate database of Birmingham-based and Birmingham-commutable Executive Chefs built through direct relationships developed over years in the West Midlands market. We do not rely on job board advertising to source shortlists at this level. Most of our Birmingham Executive Chef placements come from candidates who were already placed in a role but open to the right conversation, passive talent that direct advertising cannot reach.

Hire Your Next Executive Chef in Birmingham

KSB Recruitment places senior chefs across Birmingham and the wider West Midlands through a structured retained search process backed by an active candidate database. Contact the KSB chef recruitment team to brief your next Birmingham Executive Chef search.