Caring for the People Behind the Plates

🧾Protecting the Hospitality Industry

Working in hospitality is more than a job; it’s a way of life. Whether you’re a chef on your fifth double shift of the week, a restaurant manager juggling staff rotas, or a freelancer working events into the early hours, you give everything to create experiences for others.

At Proactive Medical & Life, we understand that pace, pressure and passion, because it’s close to home for us. Before I worked in insurance, I spent years as a chef. I know what a 14-hour shift feels like, and what it means to be part of a team that runs on adrenaline and commitment.

🍽️ Why protection matters in hospitality

Hospitality people are incredible at looking after everyone else, guests, clients, customers, but often neglect themselves. The reality is that illness, injury or even short-term burnout can take you out of work suddenly, and unlike many office jobs, there’s rarely full sick pay waiting in the background.

That’s why protection matters. From income protection to private medical insurance, life cover, and health cash plans, these policies can offer genuine peace of mind and often cost less than people expect.

We’ve built dedicated advice for the hospitality sector, including cover options tailored to:

• Chefs and kitchen staff

• Front-of-house and events teams

• Café, bar and restaurant owners

• Self-employed caterers and freelancers

Each plan can be structured around the realities of shift work, variable income, and seasonal business patterns.

🧠 Looking after mental health in the industry

One thing that became very clear to me and to many who’ve spent time in kitchens is that the pressure doesn’t stop when the service does. Stress, exhaustion, and sleep disruption are all part of the landscape. That’s why we’ve made wellbeing an integral part of our approach.

To help us strengthen that message, we’ve partnered with Josh Samuels, a chef-turned-hypnotherapist who now works closely with hospitality professionals to manage stress, focus, and recovery. Josh brings a rare blend of lived experience and professional insight into how the mind and body react to relentless pace and pressure.

You’ll start to see some of Josh’s short wellbeing tips on our Hospitality Insurance page with practical resets and breathing techniques that anyone in the industry can use between shifts.

For us, this partnership isn’t marketing; it’s personal. It’s about giving something back to an industry that shaped who we are.

You can find out more about Josh at https://www.joshdoestherapy.com/

🧩 How we can help

If you or your team work in hospitality, we can help you explore:

• Income protection replaces part of your income if illness or injury stops you working.

• Private medical insurance offers faster diagnosis and treatment when time off isn’t an option.

• Health cash plans offer affordable day-to-day cover for dental, optical and physiotherapy costs.

• Life & critical illness cover provides financial security for loved ones or your business.

  
  

We’ll explain every option in plain English, with no jargon and no pressure, just straightforward advice from someone who knows the industry firsthand.

❤️ A final word

Hospitality professionals spend their lives creating moments for others. Our goal is to make sure that, when life throws a curveball, you have the support you need to recover, rebuild and keep doing what you love.

If you’d like to find out more about protection for hospitality teams or explore wellbeing support through Josh’s insights visit our Hospitality Insurance page or get in touch for a friendly chat.