<p>A restaurant asks for a reference. You give them your former manager’s number.</p> <p>But you have not spoken to that manager in two years. You do not know whether the number still works, whether they are allowed to provide a reference, or whether they remember your responsibilities.</p> <p>Prepare your references while preparing your application. Here is how to choose the right people, ask properly and provide their details when needed.</p> <h2>1. Choose someone who knows your work</h2> <p>A senior title is less useful than direct knowledge of your performance.</p> <p>For a waiter, a restaurant manager who supervised your shifts may be better placed to describe your work than a hotel executive you rarely met.</p> <p>The National Careers Service recommends someone who has worked with you directly, such as a manager or trainer. Choose Hospitality’s guide, credited to Caterer.com, similarly advises choosing referees who know your skills. <a href=”https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/careers-advice/how-to-write-a-cv”>Get careers information and advice</a>.</p> <p>Think about who actually observed you:</p> <ul><li>Preparing your section before service.</li><li>Working with the kitchen and bar.</li><li>Handling orders and payments.</li><li>Supporting colleagues during busy shifts.</li><li>Following opening and closing procedures.</li></ul> <p>Then check the application requirements. If the employer requests a particular type of referee, do not silently substitute someone else.</p> <h2>2. Ask permission before sharing contact details</h2> <p>Do not make the recruitment team’s phone call the first time your referee hears about your application.</p> <p>The University of Edinburgh’s Careers Service advises asking permission and giving referees enough information to help. <a href=”https://www.ed.ac.uk/careers/students/after-graduation/references”>Careers Service</a>.</p> <p>A short request is enough:</p> <blockquote><p>Hello [Name], I’m applying for a waiter position at [Property]. Would you be willing to provide a professional reference about the period when you supervised me at [Previous Property]? Please let me know which contact details I may share and whether requests need to go through HR.</p></blockquote> <p>This checks willingness, contact details and procedure at the same time.</p> <p>Wait for agreement. A name in your phone does not automatically become an available referee.</p> <h2>3. Send useful context</h2> <p>Once they agree, send your current CV, the job description and any known deadline.</p> <p>Add a short reminder of your working relationship:</p> <blockquote><p>You supervised me in the all-day dining restaurant from May 2023 to September 2024. I worked breakfast and dinner service and later supported new colleagues with POS procedures.</p></blockquote> <p>Use accurate dates and responsibilities. This is a reminder, not a script telling them what praise to give.</p> <p>For a supervisor application, mention relevant responsibilities they actually observed. For a wine-service role, explain which parts of your experience the new employer is seeking.</p> <p>Choose Hospitality recommends briefing referees about the job and suggests sending the job description. <a href=”https://choosehospitality.co.uk/”>Choose Hospitality</a>.</p> <h2>4. Understand what the reference can confirm</h2> <p>A reference may confirm employment without giving a detailed assessment.</p> <p>Acas explains that a basic work reference can contain the job title and employment dates. A detailed one may include skills and experience. Company policy can limit what is supplied and who may supply it. <a href=”https://www.acas.org.uk/providing-a-job-reference”>Acas</a>.</p> <p>Ask:</p> <p>Does the hotel provide employment confirmation through HR, or can my former manager also provide a professional reference?</p> <p>Keep the distinction clear:</p> <ul><li><strong>Employment confirmation:</strong> verifies facts such as title and dates.</li><li><strong>Detailed work reference:</strong> may also discuss your work.</li><li><strong>Character reference:</strong> describes personal qualities and the referee’s relationship with you.</li></ul> <p>Do not present an employment certificate as a personal recommendation unless it actually contains one.</p> <h2>5. Keep referee details separate from a public CV</h2> <p>The National Careers Service advises against putting someone else’s contact details on your CV. It suggests “references available on request” where appropriate. <a href=”https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/careers-advice/how-to-write-a-cv”>Get careers information and advice</a>.</p> <p>A practical approach is to keep a separate reference sheet and supply it through the employer’s requested channel.</p> <p>For each agreed referee, record:</p> <ul><li>Full name.</li><li>Current job title and organisation.</li><li>Their relationship to you, including the property where you worked together.</li><li>Approved email address and telephone number, with country code.</li><li>Any agreed contact restrictions.</li></ul> <p>If your former restaurant manager now works elsewhere, distinguish their current position from the role they held when supervising you.</p> <p>Application forms may request these details directly. Follow the instructions, with the referee’s permission. Avoid placing their private contact information in a CV shared publicly on social media.</p> <h2>6. Be clear about contacting your current employer</h2> <p>If your current workplace does not know you are applying elsewhere, raise this with the recruiter before supplying contact details.</p> <p>You could write:</p> <blockquote><p>My current employer is not aware of my job search. Please discuss timing with me before contacting them. I can provide a previous employer’s reference meanwhile, if acceptable.</p></blockquote> <p>This requests an arrangement; it does not establish that the recruiter has accepted it. Confirm what they require.</p> <p>Acas’s UK guidance recommends permission and a conditional offer before a recruiting employer approaches an applicant’s current employer. Recruitment practices differ internationally, so agree the process directly rather than assuming the same timing everywhere. <a href=”https://www.acas.org.uk/providing-a-job-reference”>Acas</a>.</p> <h2>7. What if the manager left or the restaurant closed?</h2> <p>Explain the situation and ask what alternative the recruiting employer will accept.</p> <p>Acas suggests discussing another manager, a different employer or a character reference when a usual reference is unavailable. <a href=”https://www.acas.org.uk/if-you-cannot-get-a-reference”>Acas</a>.</p> <p>For a hospitality candidate, possible alternatives to discuss include:</p> <ul><li>A former supervisor who has moved to another property.</li><li>HR employment confirmation.</li><li>A manager from another job.</li><li>A training or placement supervisor.</li></ul> <p>For someone entering the industry, the National Careers Service identifies teachers, tutors and volunteering leaders among possible referees. <a href=”https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/careers-advice/how-to-write-a-cv”>Get careers information and advice</a>.</p> <p>Describe the relationship accurately. A course tutor can discuss your training; they cannot confirm restaurant shifts they never supervised.</p> <h2>Before you submit your application</h2> <p>Check that:</p> <ol><li>Your referees meet the employer’s requirements.</li><li>Each person has agreed.</li><li>Their approved contact details are current.</li><li>They have your CV and role information.</li><li>Your titles and dates match your records.</li><li>Any restrictions on contacting your current employer have been discussed.</li></ol> <p>Your CV explains your experience. A prepared referee can help an employer check it. Make both accurate and easy to understand.</p> <h2>Put your hospitality CV to the test</h2> <p>Before sending your next application, use The Waiter’s Academy’s <strong>FREE hospitality CV assessment</strong>.</p> <p>Receive your assessment score, analysis and practical recommendations to help improve how you present your experience.</p> <p><a href=”https://www.thewaitersacademy.com/free-hospitality-cv-check-staging/”><strong>Check your hospitality CV for free.</strong></a></p> <p>Use the feedback alongside your own employment records. Prepare and confirm your references separately.</p> <h2>Research sources</h2> <p>Checked 16 October 2026. UK sources provide career guidance; employer requirements and local practices may differ.</p> <ul><li>National Careers Service: How to write a CV</li><li>National Careers Service: Application form advice</li><li>Choose Hospitality / Caterer.com: Hospitality CV guidance</li><li>University of Edinburgh Careers Service: References</li><li>Acas: What employers can say in a reference</li><li>Acas: When to ask for a reference</li><li>Acas: If you cannot get a reference</li></ul>