Oldham chef Simon Wood has said he is “all for” restaurants adding service charges to bills in the debate around the UK moving to a more “American style” tipping model.
The former MasterChef winner appeared on BBC Breakfast to share his thoughts on the topic, alongside pub landlord and First Dates barman Merlin Griffiths.
Sitting on the red sofa, Wood said that the issue of service charges “has always been contentious”.
He said: “I think, if I’m being very honest, that if you’re in a high-end restaurants and you’re getting service at the table, whether it be for drinks or food, you don’t have to get up, you’re well looked-after, then a service charge added to the bill – which, let’s not forget, is definitely optional, you can take it off if you wish – but if you get good service I’m all for it.”
Presenters Jon Kay and Sarah Campbell asked Wood about his opinion on the case of a Gordon Ramsey restaurant adding a 20 per cent service charge to their New Year’s Eve menu.
He explained that his Manchester city centre restaurant, which closed in October 2024, added a 12.5 per cent service charge and that 20 per cent was a “bit high”.
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Wood stressed the importance of tips for hospitality workers and that any operator adding a service charge to customers’ bills should make sure it is equally distributed among the whole team – “from the cleaner, to the kitchen porter to the head chef”.
He said: “If you come to a really good pub, bar restaurant, whatever it is, that’s got this on there, service charge keeps the team happy, they do rely on it each month – even though they shouldn’t – so they always strive to deliver excellent service.”
Wood’s fellow guest agreed, saying that service charges are a “good way of supporting wage structures”, although the UK minimum wages are much higher than in America where service workers are much more reliant on tips.
The chef made a name for himself on the 2015 series of the BBC cooking competition MasterChef.
He then went on to become executive chef at Oldham Athletic’s Boundary Park before opening his own Manchester restaurant WOOD in 2017 to popular and critical success.
Since the closure of WOOD, the acclaimed restaurateur has been offering his services for private events, masterclasses and dining experiences.
More information can be found on Simon Wood’s Facebook page.
Where do you stand on service charges? Let us know in the comment section.
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