Back-of-house staff agency in Soho
Kitchen porter cover for Soho hospitality businesses — same-day where you need it, contracted weekly where you want stability. The densest restaurant district in the country — Chinatown, theatre-supper, late-night casual dining all in a half-square-mile. Kitchens are small, hard-worked, often vertical across multiple floors. Our operatives know Soho — the chinatown (gerrard street, lisle street, wardour street) pattern, the old compton street / frith street european bistro strip crowd, the local kitchen culture.
Why Soho kitchens need boh staff
Vertical kitchens spread across basement and upper floors. Many Chinatown restaurants have shared service yards and exposed ductwork on the building exterior. Smoke-and-wok operations produce heavier grease loading per shift than most cuisines. Service rhythms in Soho demand reliable BOH cover — the densest restaurant district in the country — chinatown, theatre-supper, late-night casual dining all in a half-square-mile. kitchens are small, hard-worked, often vertical across multiple floors. Our Soho pool is built around that pattern.
Soho venue clusters we cover
We work across the major Soho hospitality clusters: chinatown (gerrard street, lisle street, wardour street); old compton street / frith street european bistro strip; brewer street and berwick street independent restaurants; dean street and greek street late-night casual. High-volume wok cooking shortens TR19 cycle dramatically — many Chinatown kitchens need quarterly cleans where a European bistro might manage annually. Plan accordingly.
Access and out-of-hours work in Soho
Soho is pedestrianised in stretches and service access is restricted on Old Compton Street, Dean Street and the Chinatown grid 11:00–23:00. Out-of-hours we work 23:00–05:00; vehicles park on Wardour Street and Shaftesbury Avenue. KP shifts in Soho run from breakfast prep to close — we send operatives kitted in non-slip kitchen shoes and clean uniform.
Back-of-house staff agency in Soho
- ✓Kitchen porters and pot-wash
- ✓Plate-up runners (banqueting, large events)
- ✓Cellar and bar-back operatives
- ✓Linen and stillage runners
- ✓Event BOH teams (5–50 operatives with on-site lead)
- ✓Direct PAYE employment — no umbrella, no IR35 risk
From enquiry to sign-off.
- 1. Define the role
Tell us what BOH role, shift pattern, kitchen type. We confirm availability and rate.
- 2. Vetted operative deployed
Operatives arrive kitted and briefed. Single shift, week or rolling cover.
- 3. Weekly invoicing
Timesheet signed by duty manager. Weekly invoice. No hidden fees.
£22–£44/hr outside London · £24–£52/hr in London · Kitchen porter, waiting and bar staff from £22/hr (£24/hr London); commis chef from £24/hr (£28/hr London); chef de partie from £29/hr (£34/hr London); sous chef from £36/hr (£42/hr London); head chef cover from £44/hr (£52/hr London). All-in including PAYE, NI, holiday pay and pension.
Prices shown exclude VAT. London rates apply within the M25. All other UK cities use standard rates.
Get a fixed-price quote for SohoSoho — coverage map
BOH staff in Soho — questions
Do you cover all of Soho? +
Yes — we cover every postcode in Soho, including the major clusters: Chinatown (Gerrard Street, Lisle Street, Wardour Street) and Old Compton Street / Frith Street European bistro strip. Out-of-hours access patterns vary by cluster; we coordinate access ahead of every visit.
What does a kitchen porter cost in Soho? +
Standard rates apply across Soho — £22–£44/hr outside London · £24–£52/hr in London. All PAYE, no umbrella, single invoice.
Which EHO covers Soho? +
Westminster City Council covers Soho. Inspections in Chinatown are notably more frequent due to higher complaint volume and structural challenges in older buildings. Soho restaurants average a higher proportion of 3- and 4-rated venues than other Westminster zones.
What BOH roles do you cover? +
Kitchen porters, pot-wash, plate-up, cellar, bar-back, linen and stillage, event BOH teams. Not chefs — we partner with chef-specialist agencies for that.
Are operatives employed or self-employed? +
PAYE-employed by us. No umbrella companies, no IR35 risk for you, single invoice.
Can you supply an event BOH team? +
Yes — 5 to 50 operatives with an on-site lead. Regular cover for hotels, corporate venues and exhibition centres nationwide.
Get a same-day quote for Soho
BOH staff across Soho and the wider London region. Same-day quotes, most jobs within 48 hours.