Chinatown bosses say restaurants can't find enough top chefs because of 'impossible' immigration laws

Chefs at work in London's Chinatown this week
Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
James Morris9 February 2019

London’s Chinatown is on the verge of running out of top chefs because of the government’s strict immigration rules, business leaders have warned.

Ahead of the capital’s Chinese New Year celebrations on Sunday, bosses said an inability to recruit expert chefs from China has left them fearing for the future of the famous Soho district.

Some restaurants have been forced to close. Others have reverted to buffet and steam pot food, which doesn’t require the specialist craft and years of training of authentic Chinese cooking.

Tighter “Tier 2” immigration rules were enforced in 2014. The Home Office said it wants to “nurture more home-grown talent”.

Chinatown restaurants are suffering a recruitment crisis, business leaders have said
Jack Taylor/Getty Images

But Lawrence Lee, spokesman for the London Chinatown Chinese Association, told the Standard this completely misses the point as “Chinese restaurants rely on Chinese labour”.

“It’s very difficult to find workers,” he said. “The government is not helping too much to ease the problem.

“Chinese restaurants are different to other businesses. Chefs have to have a certain knowledge in cooking. And some chefs are not very good in English, so they need Chinese waiters to communicate with them.

Chinese New Year in London over the years - In pictures

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“But without these highly skilled chefs, a lot of Chinese restaurants are now closing or changing their food.”

One restaurant owner troubled by the recruitment crisis is Peter Lam, who owns the Little Four Seasons in Gerrard Street, as well as the Royal China chain of restaurants across the capital.

He told the Standard from Shanghai: “It’s impossible.

Pedestrians walk under festive Chinese New Year lanterns in London's Chinatown this week. Leaders fear for the district's future amid a chef recruitment crisis
Tolga Akmen/AFP/Getty Images

“The requirement for the visa is too high, especially the English language part. For many, it’s impossible to pass the exam.

“We have a shortage of staff in London, as many of the second and third generations don’t tend to go into the restaurant business. And we don’t have experienced chefs coming from China.”

Asked what impact this could have on Chinatown in the future, Mr Lam said: “It will be very boring.

“We want to give our customers the best quality. London Chinatown is one of the best Chinatowns in the world and we want it to be authentic.

“But if we cannot recruit staff, it will become more and more westernised, with more buffet-style food where the skills needed are much lower.”

Dr Lee, meanwhile, said one solution would be temporary visas for chefs from China.

A woman makes dim sum in a London Chinatown restaurant this week
Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

“The government can help us,” he said. “I am not saying they should ease immigration requirements. But it could help us by providing two-year contracts, which would be fine on both sides.

“A lot of Chinese people just want to come here, make a living and go back to provide for their families. So those temporary visas would be great.”

But unless restaurants are able to recruit specially trained chefs soon, Dr Lee echoed Mr Lam’s claims that Chinatown will be in danger of “losing its identity”.

A woman eats a meal in a London Chinatown restaurant this week
Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

He said: “Before, Chinatown had skilful chefs with different styles of cooking in different restaurants. Every restaurant would have its own identity, with chefs who specialised in certain dishes, from fish to Peking duck. People visited Chinatown for that authentic taste.

“Now, some restaurants are having to modify, using steam pots, which don’t need chefs to cook specially. There is demand for it, especially among Chinese students, but it’s not authentic. Chinatown is starting to lose its identity.

“We still have quite a few chefs left, but my worry is if those chefs retire, there will be no one to take their place in 10 to 20 years’ time.”

Chinese New Year 2019: Celebrations around the world - in pictures

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The Home Office, which came under fire last summer over a series of immigration raids targeting Chinatown businesses, said in a statement: “We continue to welcome the very top chefs and skilled chefs are on the shortage occupation list.

“But we also want to nurture more home-grown talent so the restaurant sector must offer training to attract and recruit resident workers to meet their staffing needs.

“The industry is starting to make progress in this area, recruiting and training more chefs in the UK, and this needs to continue.”

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