The service levels of London’s hospitality sector candidates pale in comparison with North American hospitality workers, according to recruiters.

TripAdvisor, a US travel website, has rated London’s restaurants among the worst in Europe.

And Gary King, director at Collins King Associates, told Recruiter that this may be because the UK’s service culture is not as good as that of North America.

“It has got to be driven by front-of-house service. It is tough on recruiters and they have to work with clients where necessary. The front of the house side in the US is more geared up to service and to be rewarded to receive tips. This something the UK industry needs to address as a whole.

“A lot of restaurants get people in because they are cheap. The best people come from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa - their service level is very good.”

Mark Peapell, vice president at multi-sector Canadian recruiter Peapell Associates, puts service levels down to the training of candidates: “Here in Nova Scotia, there is a huge amount spent on tourism. They tend to start out in fast food restaurants where the training is pretty good. At the age of 16, they are trained to greet customers and they are pushed through the system. It is bred into them. It is reinforced because tourism is a major industry in Canada.”