Head Chef - Banqueting

Overview

Meldrum House is part of the Monogram Collective within Apex Hotels group, a leading UK operator of both city centre, luxury hotels and picturesque, rural hotels. We welcome the opportunity to showcase the very best of Scottish food, drink, scenery, and warm hospitality to our guests. We’re transforming and elevating every dining outlet across the Meldrum House estate, and this is your chance to be part of something exceptional from day one. We’re building a new, signature culinary identity, and we’re looking for Chefs who are ready to create, innovate, and shape the future with us.

If you thrive on fresh challenges, love being hands-on, and want to showcase your talent in a fast-moving, ambitious environment, we want you on our team. Our unique features include our award-winning, locally sourced cuisine, our 800-year-old Cave Bar with an impressive collection of over 120 whiskies, contemporary luxury dining domes and an exceptional golf course, ranked among Scotland’s top 100. 51 luxurious bedrooms and a number of diverse event spaces, including a ballroom with breathtaking views and the outdoor Titan Sky Bar dome, allows us to cater for various celebratory occasions by delivering excellence and a memorable experience.

Main Purpose of Job

Your role is to assist in all areas of food preparation as guided by the Executive Chef, creating and ensuring high levels of food preparation to deliver an excellent Guest experience while taking care regarding food cost controls.

Operations

• Accountable for the standard of all items leaving the banqueting kitchen pass.
• Assisting in the creation and delivery of new and innovative menu/dish concepts to ensure that Meldrum continues to be one of the leading event hotels in Aberdeenshire.
• Assisting in the design of SOPs for all dishes and ensuring that the team receive training and coaching where necessary to ensure consistent delivery.
• Working alongside the operational and sales team and management to deliver a smooth service across all food outlets.
• Attend and participate in daily and weekly operational meetings where applicable.
• Provide daily and weekly briefings to the team to organise the workload required to deliver service.
• Conduct regular stock checks of kitchen equipment and prepare orders when required to ensure adequate equipment available to perform all tasks.

Financial

• Assisting in the menu costing to ensure that the overall food margin is achieved.
• Entering all orders using procure wizard.
• Working alongside suppliers to source the best quality ingredients at the best price.
• Keeping food wastage to a minimum.
• Recording and monitoring breakages within the kitchen area.

People

• Assist in providing all new staff members with an induction covering job responsibilities, H&S training, department introduction and showround.
• Provide feedback through regular coaching.
• Identify individual training needs and develop staff to ensure they are reaching their potential and able to perform their duties to the highest standard.
• Ensure all kitchen staff receive regular Food Hygiene, COSHH, HACCP, Manual Handling, Risk Assessment, Allergen training and refreshers where required.
• Ensure effective communication and provision of information to all staff through briefings, meetings and training sessions.

Health & Safety

• Responsible for the overall standards of cleanliness, hygiene and safety within the banqueting kitchen and stillroom areas.
• Designing, reviewing and monitoring daily, weekly monthly cleaning schedules for the banqueting kitchen areas.
• Ensure all HACCP procedures are trained out adhered to and recorded.
• Assist the Executive Chef in ensuring all staff have the relevant H&S training as detailed above and that it is recorded.
• Delivering and monitoring the Food Allergen House Rules and training.
• Communicating any food allergen requirements with team members and ensuring that it is delivered.
• Ensuring that there is adequate first aid provisions available within the kitchen areas.

Benefits

• 29 days holiday
• Training and development from day one
• Employee events and celebrations
• Inhouse company interactive employee communication APP
• Entry to our state-of-the-art gym and pools
• Healthy meals to enjoy while you’re working.
• Access to an external Employee Assistance Program
• Financial Wellbeing App, allowing you the flexibility to get paid earlier than your normal monthly pay date.
• £200 referral bonus when your friends or family join the team.
• Following your first successful 3 months, you’ll also receive access to our discounts and wellbeing platform “Treat Yourself Here”, unlocking savings and experiences for you and your family.
• Involvement in our employee recognition schemes
• Long service recognition
• Probation pass and annual anniversary complimentary guest experience overnight stay and dinner for two
• 50% discount in our restaurants
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Discounted room rates for employees, friends, and family
• Spa treatments and product discounts
• Life Assurance cover

This role is not eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker visa route. However, candidates who were granted Skilled Worker status prior to 22 July 2025 who have had continuous permission may still qualify for sponsorship.