Head Chef - Retail (Mon - Fri)

Company Description

• Job title: Head Chef (Retail)
• Salary: £55,000 (dependant on experience) 
• Start date: ASAP 

We are looking for Head Chef to lead our amazing retail Culinary team, at a leading global investment bank in Central London. We are looking for an individual who has a real passion for the Hospitality and Food industry, is keen to be collaborative and takes pride in their work every day. Every interaction is an opportunity to create a lasting impression, and we’re looking for a talented individual who strives to exceed expectations at every turn. 

Our Head Chef is at the core of everything we do in our Retail kitchen, from writing and planning your own menus, to mentoring and supporting the team through service. We thoroughly encourage innovation through our menus, tapping in to seasonality and blends of flavours. 

We are a leading business in the catering industry, known for our innovative and obsessed approach, exceptional service, and authentic and delicious culinary offerings. We pride ourselves on delivering memorable workplace dining experience, catering to a diverse clientele. Our team is passionate about food and dedicated to providing top-notch service.

Job Description

In this role, you'll be responsible for the overall kitchen operation—delivering fresh, seasonal, and on-trend menus for our Retail offering. You’ll lead a dedicated brigade, ensuring exceptional food quality, compliance with health and safety standards, and efficient kitchen practices that reflect our brand and values.

• Take full responsibility and ownership for the smooth and efficient running of our Retail Kitchen, overseeing 7 sections from a full salad bar, to our special Chef counter. 
• To have full autonomy with the planning, preparation, cooking and presentation of seasonally changing menus to the standards required by the company and our client.
• To manage, mentor and motivate a brigade of around 15 chefs, from Sous Chef to Kitchen Porter. 
• To lead the with the safe supervision of all food production preparation cooking and presentation, ensuring the reputation of food quality is always maintained.
• To work collaboratively with our Group Culinary Lead, to drive food innovation and concept development, marketing and implementation, across our Retail food offering, but alongside our Hospitality kitchen too. 
• To ensure food production, standards, costs and menu planning are carried out proactively, so we can be efficient and economical with our food, without it having an impact on our quality and taste.
• To ensure that clients are given a prompt and efficient service, and expectations are consistently exceeded, oversee all food tastings, presentations and food samplings, guiding the kitchen team in all new menu implementations.
• Ensure that the company’s reputation for excellent food and service is enhanced with the client and customers.
• Hold regular 1-1s and appraisals, providing constructive feedback. Monitor development and make recommendations for succession planning.
• Taking responsibility for all Health and Safety within the Kitchen, ensure all H&S bases audits are passed in accordance with our internal policies and act on any shortfalls.
• Ensure due diligence records are completed accurately and on time and filed for future reference and that we location meet statutory and company requirements in Health and Safety, Food Safety and environmental legislation and procedures by completing

Qualifications

• Have experience within a similar Head Chef or Executive Chef position, ideally within a Contract Catering environment
• Be comfortable with running a kitchen that delivers 3000+ covers every day across Breakfast and Lunch service 
• Be very proactive and organised with the daily operation of running a kitchen, and forward planning for the week
• Have previous experience with being client facing, and comfortable with communicating with stakeholders of all levels
• Previous experience with controlling cost prices for menus, ensuring that set targets of gross profit margins are hit
• Have a strong passion for food, and delivering incredible food, but at high volumes
• Be confident with all Food, Health and Safety legislation, requirements and policies/procedures
• Have experience with leading and motivating a big team, including Kitchen Porters, Commis, CDPs and Sous Chefs

Additional Information

As a member of the team, you will have access to a supportive and inclusive work environment that encourages growth and celebrates diversity. Investing in your development and provide ongoing training to ensure that you have the skills and knowledge to thrive in your role whilst being dedicated to ensuring your work-life balance thus enabling you to pursue your passion for hospitality while also taking care of yourself.

For almost 20 years, for every client, in every location (whether that’s an office, stadium, cathedral or university), we have created beautiful spaces, exciting menus and friendly teams, so that each and every customer can have the hospitality experience they deserve.

We need the brightest and the best to join us to make this all possible. We will support you to create your hospitality legacy and build a career that you are proud of.

Our drive and belief in our people, means that we always strive to supercharge our team’s careers. ‘Better’ is a daily habit that sits deep within our DNA, meaning learning will be front and centre of your experience working with us.

Join us, and be part of the food revolution!

Benefits:

• Monday to Friday role, with 28 Days holiday including bank holidays, which increases with service
• Plus your birthday off
• Food allowance to use whilst on shift, to ensure you are well nourished during the working day
• 3 volunteering days
• 3 days grandparent leave
• 24 weeks' enhanced maternity leave
• Secondary carer leave
• Wedding/commitment day leave
• Bespoke training and development opportunities
• Apprenticeships opportunities for all experience levels
• Pension and life insurance
• Discounts available on our HAPI app; high street shops, holidays & cinema
• Wellbeing hub
• Access to employee assistance programme
• Cycle to work scheme

Interested? Even if you don’t meet all requirements, we like to hear from you. If you are motivated and hungry to learn, we can work together to develop your potential.

We are committed to encouraging equality, diversity, and inclusion among our workforce.

The aim is for our workforce to be truly representative of all sections of society and our customers, and for each team member to feel respected and able to give their best.

And to support our commitment to this we have set ourselves an ED&I (Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) ambition to ‘set the standard and to be recognised for having the most inclusive culture in hospitality’.