The school summer holidays are one of the most important trading periods in the hospitality calendar. Across hotels, restaurants, pubs, event venues and tourist attractions, businesses experience a significant increase in customer demand as families travel, dine out and explore the UK. Domestic tourism generates billions of pounds in spending each year, creating huge opportunities for hospitality operators during the six-week break.
However, increased demand also brings one of the industry’s biggest challenges: finding and retaining enough skilled staff.
The Seasonal Hiring Challenge
Many hospitality businesses face a recruitment squeeze during summer. Not only do they require additional team members to accommodate higher customer volumes, but existing employees may also need time off to care for children during the school holidays.
Without a proactive hiring strategy, businesses can find themselves understaffed at the exact moment they need to be performing at their best. This can lead to increased pressure on teams, reduced service standards and missed revenue opportunities.
Successful Seasonal Hiring Starts Early
The most successful hospitality operators don’t wait until June or July to begin recruiting. They build talent pipelines months in advance, identifying chefs, front-of-house professionals, event staff and managers before peak season arrives.
Early recruitment allows businesses to:
- Secure the strongest candidates before competitors
- Complete training and onboarding ahead of busy periods
- Reduce reliance on last-minute agency cover
- Improve staff retention and engagement
A structured approach to workforce planning can make a significant difference to both operational performance and guest experience.
Flexibility Is Essential
Demand during the summer holidays can be unpredictable. Weather patterns, local events and changing booking trends can all impact staffing requirements.
Businesses that utilise a combination of permanent employees, seasonal workers and temporary staff often have greater flexibility to respond to changing demand while maintaining service standards and controlling labour costs.
Where Jubilee Hospitality Fits In
At Jubilee Hospitality, this is exactly what we specialise in.
For over two decades, we’ve supported hospitality businesses across Birmingham, The Cotswolds, London and nationwide, providing skilled chefs, hospitality professionals and temporary staffing solutions that help clients navigate seasonal peaks and ongoing recruitment challenges.
Whether it’s:
- Temporary chefs for busy holiday periods
- Event staff for large-scale functions
- Permanent chef and management recruitment
- Emergency short-term cover
- High-volume seasonal staffing
Our focus is helping hospitality businesses remain fully operational when demand is at its highest.
School summer holidays are fantastic for revenue growth, but only if businesses have the right people in place to deliver exceptional guest experiences. That’s why having a trusted recruitment partner can be just as important as having a strong bookings diary.
Looking Ahead
The hospitality sector continues to evolve, but one thing remains constant: people are the driving force behind every successful service.
As summer demand increases, businesses that invest in workforce planning and seasonal hiring strategies will be best positioned to maximise revenue, protect service standards and support employee wellbeing.
At Jubilee Hospitality, helping businesses find those people isn’t just what we do during peak season—it’s what we do all year round.