Committed to brighter futures

Summerley Recruitment are a friendly and approachable recruitment agency based in Chichester, West Sussex. 

We specialise in the catering and hospitality industry and our team has a combined 50 years experience in this sector. 

We provide professional temporary and permanent recruitment services to candidates and clients, both locally and nationwide.

A team of waiting staff, smartly dressed for an event.

Sussex Business Awards Winner!

In just our third year of trading, we were delighted when Sam won Young Achiever Of The Year at the 2022 Sussex Business Awards.

Having launched Summerley Recruitment during lockdown in 2020, the business had grown incredibly quickly and Sam was extremely proud that this was recognised.

He dedicated the award to the incredible members of Team Summerley, without whom none of it would have been possible.

Learn more

Chefs

We cover temporary and permanent roles across Sussex, Hampshire and Surrey, and operate nationwide for chefs en masse at large events and festivals.

With 170 chefs ready to go, ranging from Head Chefs to CDPs, we supply talent across every sector, from fine dining to festivals, sports stadiums and large-scale events, as well as hotels, pubs, restaurants, cafés, hospitals and care homes. DBS sites are covered too.

If you’d like a conversation about your chef requirements for 2026, get in touch with Paul  our Senior Chef Recruitment Consultant.

email paul contact us

Private Chefs

Indulge in culinary excellence with a private chef experience.

Our private chefs create bespoke menus for any occasion, bringing restaurant-quality dining to you.

From intimate gatherings to corporate events, we handle it all. Discover the difference a private chef can make

find out more

Candidate care

We know that employees are a business’s greatest asset, and making the right hire is vital to their success and growth. At Summerley Recruitment, we don’t just fill roles; we build relationships. By taking the time to understand our candidates’ experience, people skills, and long-term goals, we ensure a perfect match for our clients every time.

CANDIDATES

New clients

For all new clients, regardless of the position, one of our experienced consultants will come out to meet you and sit down to run through your specific needs and how Summerley Recruitment can help.

Some candidates will suit a business and some won’t, so we take time to get to know both parties which allows us to use effective judgement when sending a suitable CV to you.

CLIENTS

Job boards

As part of our service we also use a variety of nationwide job boards to allow access to the full market of candidates in all areas of the industry. In addition we advertise all our positions which helps project our client vacancies to millions of people.

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Chef in mobile catering truck serving drinks to festival goers
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Sean Franks
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Great team , very friendly, knows the business inside out
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naval nagpal
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We are fortunate enough to utilise the services of Summerley, for almost 2 months whilst we carefully recruited permanent chefs of our own at our Dementia care home. The effeciency of Sam, Paul and Bob in organising all our shifts for the provision of friendly and knowledgeable chefs was extreamly commendable. There was always some one within the company to trouble shoot when necessary and the quality of chefs provided to us was predominently of a high standard. They were also DBS checked and their work credentials were always provided. Thank you so much to Sam, Paul and Bob for always being there. They will always be our go to company in times when we are short staffed with chefs. Thank you and God bless. Naval Nagpal, Director
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morgan raymont
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My overall experience with working part time with summerly recruitment was absolutely amazing the staff were all lovely and friendly and the management were amazing and helpful (even with complications with road closures Sam helped me to get a customer bus somewhere closer to my house ) if your looking to make some friends and work in a friendly environment I would 100% recommend
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Sofia ._.
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I had the pleasure of working with Sam!!, James and Farren over 4 days at TK Maxx presents live at powderham and although it was stressful at times,they all handled any issues with professionalism and kept all the staff motivated and safe. Truly grateful to have worked with you all and hope to do more events along side you guys soon!❤️
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Mushy Productions
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Extremely poor organisation. No food for workers provided the first day, then the next 3 days a sandwich and crisp was provided however no breakfast no dinner. The accomodation even camping is paid for by the worker. They hire anybody to fill spots. Leaving gaps in experience causes those with experience to have to work harder to cover for those who havnt been on a bar before. Speaking of havnt been on a bar before, a colleague had their first day ever on a bar then a couple days later was asked to mentor which is insane. Poor management, poor organisation. Better off going with places like TWG as they were well looked after and working at the same place anyway.
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Hugo Arnold
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10 days of great food. Super attitude and lots of enthusiasm at Charleston Festival. Thanks to Illy and Jim in particular for all your considerable efforts.
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Susan Jenkins
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Love Summerley so much I left my office job to work for them full time! The team are great (extra shoutout to Lisa, what a ray of sunshine!) and very supportive when needs be - always adapting to my needs in terms of shifts when possible! Love the variety of work that is available as it’s something new everyday! Have yet to have a bad experience which is very rare in the working world! Thanks always 😸🫶
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Charlie Myall
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Since starting work for summerly I have absolutely loved the atmosphere amongst the team, the mix of hard work and friendship. It’s always a fun day working for them. Patric is excellent leading the team for tote and is an incredible leader. Recommend.
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Ryan Farr
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Amazing place to work with some amazing people as well, the opportunity to work is unique places you wouldn't be able to do anywhere else. Genuinely enjoying my time working his and definatly made some life long friends along the way
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Lech Zechowski
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As a chef, I can honestly say that Summerly in Chichester is an unreal company to work for. The whole team is amazing—professional, supportive, welcoming, and genuinely great people to be around. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting most of the team, and every single person has made me feel valued and respected. A special thank you to Paul for trusting me and giving me the opportunity to be part of the Summerly family. It means a lot to work for a company where people truly care about their staff and create such a positive working environment. I would highly recommend Summerly to anyone looking for a fantastic place to work. Thank you all for making it such a great experience. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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An LBGBTQ+ mural on the ground at the Bognor campus of Chichester University.

"

It has been a privilege to work with Sam and Summerley Recruitment over the past 12 months.  Summerley have recruited a large number of Chichester students, invested in them, their careers and supported the students through their studies with employment opportunities that align with their educational commitments 

Sam understands the importance of investing in people, not only to develop and upskill, but to support their wider interests, in turn ensuring students get a rounded and successful student experience.."

Richard Askey

Head of Student Experience, University of Chichester

Latest news from the blog

Four years on the team: How Patric moved from events to Summerley HQ

We are absolutely delighted to announce that Patric has now joined the HQ team full...

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Five Years of Summerley: Our Journey, Our Team, Our Culture

Last week we marked our incredible 5th birthday milestone by pausing to look back at...

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Expert Tips For Working At A Summerley Event

If you’ve never worked a major event like the British Grand Prix, Victorious Festival, or...

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Sussex Business Awards 2022 Winner

On December 1st we had a really special night at the 2022 Sussex Business Awards,...

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SENIOR SOUS CHEF | Arundel Area 👨‍🍳🔥

✅ Package: £45,000 + Tronc
✅ Location: Near Arundel, West Sussex

Looking for your next step in a top-tier kitchen? Summerley Recruitment is searching for a talented Senior Sous Chef to help lead a kitchen team in a popular high-end pub near Arundel.

📲 Apply today: Email your CV to Paul paul@summerleyrecruitment.co.uk 

#SummerleyRecruitment #SummerleyChefs #ArundelJobs

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CHEF DE PARTIE WANTED | Horsham Gastro Pub 👨‍🍳

Looking for your next step in a top-quality kitchen? We are recruiting a talented Chef de Partie for a fantastic gastro pub in Horsham!

Working with brilliant fresh produce and a supportive kitchen team, this is the perfect spot to sharpen your skills and elevate your career.

The Details:
📍 Location: Horsham, West Sussex
💰 Salary: £30,000 per annum
🍽️ Role: Chef de Partie (Pastry experience preferred)

If you have a passion for fresh food and a keen eye for detail—especially on the pastry section—we want to hear from you.

📩 How to apply: Send your CV to paul@summerleyrecruitment.co.uk

#SummerleyRecruitment #SummerleyChefs #HorshamJobs #SussexChefs

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🥳 We are sending a huge happy birthday to one of our superstar chefs today!  Lech has been working non-stop all summer, putting in serious shifts to keep kitchens running smoothly, so we hope you enjoy some well-deserved downtime today! 🎂🎈🎁

#SummerleyRecruitment #SummerleyChefs #HappyBirthday

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Our dream team of Chef Jim, Holly and Patric delighted the locals at a pub near Arundel over the weekend.  It's a beautiful venue and Patric described it as a "lovely shift". Hopefully they will be back soon!

#SummerleyRecruitment #SummerleyChefs #RecruitmentAgency #HospitaliftyLife

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WE'RE HIRING: SOUS CHEF 📍

Role: Sous Chef
Venue: Hotel near Arundel, West Sussex
Salary: £38,000

Ready for your next move? Email your CV to Paul for full details or to register your interest confidentially. 📲

paul@summerleyrecruitment.co.uk

#SousChefVacancy #ArundelJobs #SussexChefs #ChefRecruitment #SummerleyChefs

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HEAD CHEF VACANCY | Chichester Area 👨‍🍳✨ 

Package: Up to £60,000 + Increasing Holiday Entitlement 

Hours: Predominantly daytime shifts (Close at 3pm/4pm!)

The Role: Summerley Recruitment is searching for an ambitious Head Chef to take the reins at a premier destination venue near Chichester. Serving a modern British small-plates menu, this is an incredible opportunity to make a serious mark on the region's food scene.

Key Highlights: 

📍 Location: Near Chichester 
🗓️ Working Days: Thursday – Monday (Closed Tue/Wed) 
⏱️ Hours: Summer 11am–4pm | Winter 11am–3pm 
🍳 Friday Evenings: June–August only (6pm–10pm) 
🍽️ Covers: Up to 150/day peak summer | 40/day winter (80–100 Sunday Roasts) 
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Team: 3 full-time Chefs + 1 full-time Casual

If you have the drive to build a destination dining experience and want an unrivalled work-life balance, we want to hear from you!

📲 Apply today: Email your CV to paul@summerleyrecruitment.co.uk

#SummerleyRecruitment #SummerleyChefs #Chichester #ChefRecruitment #SussexChefs

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