This is our guide to working as a cook or a chef in Spain.
The tourist sector is extremely important to the economy of Spain upon which it relies heavily.
The fantastic weather and climate attracts tourists from all over Europe to enjoy the fantastic summer in Spain.
Naturally there are thousands of restaurants to cater for the tourists and a massive need for extra kitchen staff in the summer including cooks and chefs. The great thing is you can be an English-speaking person and get a culinary job as little Spanish (perhaps none) is required.
We invite restaurant owners and employers to list your job vacancies at the bottom of this page – it is free of charge to list your positions for chefs and cooks in Spain.
If you are a chef then please feel free to leave your jobs wanted at the bottom of the page with your contact details so employers can contact you directly.
Do you work as a chef in Spain? Please write in to tell us how much you get paid and earn – this will help jobseekers.
Where Can I Get a Job as a Chef in Spain?
This is one industry in which you can get a job in any Spanish town.
Of course it makes sense to consider the biggest tourist resorts which are generally located on the coast or some of the big cities such as Madrid and Barcelona are also good for finding catering work as a cook or chef.
As a chef you are generally going to be working six days a week, usually for at least eight hours if not more. It would make sense to find a job in a nice location so you can make the most of your day off.
Why not start your search in one of the Spanish islands? For example the Canary Islands have an all year round climate and tourist season.
The busiest Canary islands would be Tenerife, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura and Gran Canaria.
The Balearic Islands which are much closer to the mainland include Ibiza and Mallorca.
The Costa del Sol is also a great tourist area with major towns being Marbella, Fuengirola, Benalmadena, Malaga and Torremolinos.
Because of the large expatriate populations attracted to Spain by the sunshine and low cost of living compared to Northern Europe there is a market for many different types of cuisine – not just Spanish. Spain is crying out for Indian chefs and cooks, the large British expat population loves a good curry!
Types of Catering/Chef Jobs 2019
- Assistant cook
- Baker
- Banqueting
- British/English chef
- Butcher
- Chef de partie
- Chinese chef
- Italian chefs
- Commis chef
- Demi chef
- French chef
- German chefs
- Grill chef
- Head or executive chef
- Indian (tandoori) chef
- Japanese chef
- Kitchen porter
- Kitchen assistant
- Kitchen help
- Mexican chef
- Pastry chef
- Sous chef
- Spanish chef
- Sushi chef
- Thai chef
Employers – List your catering vacancies such as cooks, chefs and kitchen staff below for free.
If you want a catering job in Spain, you can also fill in the comments box with your details, qualifications and the types of vacancies and jobs wanted.
Most Popular Places in Spain To Find Work:
Most Popular Work:
- Bar Work in Spain
- Skilled Tradesmen
- Holiday/Travel Reps
- Hotel
- Summer & Student Work
- TEFL/Teach English
Helpful Pages if Moving to Spain:
True Stories of Moving to Spain
I Hate Spain – Shocking Opinions!
We also have our Spanish Job Prospects Section.
Hi everyone
My name is Alex and I’m a French chef 36 years old working at the moment as a freelance in the Netherlands Amsterdam and looking for to work and live either in Ibiza or Mallorca from the season 2019.
I do have a lots of experience as a chef around the world +15 years Australia,France,USA,Netherlands,etc…
I do speak Spanish,English and French.
I’ve also worked for Paul Bocuse for 1 year.
Feel free to contact me.
Best regards
Alex
Hi my name is Andy am a chef in Sweden am looking for work in Spain Alicante am here now and it beautiful I will love to come back to work
Hi there Cristiano from Italy 25 years of age.
Actually travelling around Australia and working as a cook/waiter able to provide different food preparation between salty and sweet and take care of the customer as well. Planning to go to Ibiza for the summer season 2019 (May-August) speak fluent English Italian and good level of Spanish.
Hola. 40yr old hard working, clean living chef looking to relocate from Glasgow to sunnier a sunnier climate to cook nice food for nice people, cycle in the mountains on days off and soak up the cultures of my European neighbours. I’ve been a chef for around 15 years and worked at all levels from staff canteens and bar food to 2 and 3 rosette dining, conference and banqueting and everything in between. Done lots of agency temp work throughout my career so very flexible and adaptible in a kitchen. Worked in south coast of France for the first time this year and absolutely loved the adventure.
CV, certificates and references available on request.
Ideally looking for live-in work in Mallorca or Grand Canaria and available as early as January 2019 should the right offer present itself.
Hi im Pete murray im looking for chef role in spain at any leval i have trained and worked hard on my career and can work in any restarant at any leval i have been head chef in england and spain in low and high end places my last job was at vestry in algorfa alicanti iv trained in bakerys so also talented baker have city and guilds in prof cookery health and hygine silver foundations in kitchen managment and diet and ntrition also have my nie and social so can start straight away if needed . Me and my wife are so looking foward to coming back to spain as my friends and heart are there plz email or contact me for cv docs and references many thanks
I am a highly qualified chef with experience on several continents.
Private chef to Sir Elton John.
Owned my own restaurant in Caracas for ten years, which was consistently listed as the Restaurant of the year by the American Chamber of Commerce in Caracas and sited as “best new restaurant” by Gourmet magazine.
During my residence in South America I catered for dignitaries and the “jet set” such as the billionaire Gustavo Cisneros, Carolina Herrera, Luciano Pavarotti, Henry Kissinger and The Queen of the Netherlands, from whom I received a personal letter of commendation from the Royal Palace in the Hague. As a celebrity chef, I have conducted gastronomic festivals throughout South America and the Caribbean.
I recently arrived in Spain from Cyprus, where I was executive chef of a new haute cuisine restaurant in Limassol specializing in Mediterranean cuisine. The establishment, “Viva la Vida”, boasted the number one position on Trip Advisor rivalling even the five-star hotels.
I worked closely with the owners to create a unique dining experience forming a brigade of seven talented and enthusiastic chefs. I held the position of executive chef of the most celebrated five-star hotel in Cape Town where I worked with a team of fifty chefs.
I was appointed executive chef and head of the department of culinary arts at a prestigious culinary college in Cyprus, before leaving the island for Spain.
I have recently completed a contract with the Frenezy fine dining restaurant in Alicante. See TripAdvisor “Frenezy”, Alicante. You are most welcome to contact my employer Patrick Guevens owner of Frenezy at 673598840.
Can start immediately
My LinkedIn profile is: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-dwyer-1145312b/