Restaurateurs say a nationwide chef shortage has reached a critical level, leaving some establishments so short-staffed they're having to slash opening hours.
The tourism boom and a trend to eat out more has led to a nationwide shortage of cooks and the industry says more needs to be done to keep kitchens running.
The kitchen is busy at Cafe Hanoi in Auckland's trendy Britomart precinct. But finding staff to man the knives is a tough task.
Jason van Dorsten has been constantly advertising for chefs for the past four years.
"We're talking $10,000 a year spending on just placing ads - this is substantial this problem," he says.
An increase in tourism and a change in the way we're eating are to blame, with Kiwis dining out more than ever before.
The restaurant sector has grown at almost 5 percent annually for the past five years. That should be great news for restaurateurs but many can't make the most of it.
"They have to cut back their hours because they simply can't find enough staff to run their kitchen successfully," says NZ Chefs Association President Graham Hawkes.
The industry wants more chef training schools to be opened, but that may not help.
Adding to the problem is the fact that wages for chefs are higher overseas prompting many to leave the country as soon as they finish training.
Bringing trained chefs in from overseas is the easiest option and the profession is already on the official skills shortage list.
But New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters fears the system is being abused.
"We've brought in more chefs than we've got cafes and restaurants and they say we've still got a shortage," he says.
He says we should be doing more to train our own chefs.
Restaurant owners don't care how it happens as long the onions get chopped.
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