Head Chef in London

Since 2011, the Bike Shed has been a place of Common Ground, where people from all walks of life come together over a shared love of two wheels, whether they ride or not. Our Shoreditch home brings together a restaurant and bar, barbershop, store, members' club and event space under one roof, and we've taken the Bike Shed across the Atlantic with our sister venue in Los Angeles. The kitchen is at the heart of it all. We serve breakfast, lunch, dinner and desserts Tuesday to Sunday, with weekend brunch from 9am, alongside a busy calendar of live music, DJ nights, themed parties, club events and private hire. Our menu is honest, generous food, from full breakfasts and weekend brunch to burgers, steaks, salads, sharing plates and house desserts. Everything is cooked to order, we make plenty in-house, and our meat comes from a family-run butcher working with free-range British farmers. We're looking for a Head Chef to lead that kitchen: someone who cooks great food, runs a tight and profitable operation, and builds a team that people want to be part of.
Developing and evolving seasonal menus across breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner and desserts
Recipe development and testing, with clear recipe specs and plating guides for every dish
Costing every dish accurately and engineering menus for quality and margin
Creating specials and food that fits the Bike Shed's welcoming, inclusive identity
Keeping standards consistent across every service
Hitting and protecting target food GP%
Managing labour percentages through smart rota planning in line with covers and event forecasts
Stock control, ordering, weekly stock takes and keeping waste to a minimum
Building strong supplier relationships and negotiating the best value
Planning food prep so the team is set up for everything from a Saturday brunch rush to a late Friday service
Running the pass and leading from the front when it's busy
Keeping the kitchen clean, organised and well maintained
Planning and delivering food for our events programme, from live music nights and themed parties to club gatherings
Creating and costing menus for private hire, corporate events, launches and functions in our event space
Working closely with the events and front-of-house teams on logistics, timings and guest numbers
Recruiting, training and developing your team
The opportunity to bring in new team members and build your own kitchen team as part of our ongoing growth and improvement
Building training plans so every dish is cooked the same way, whoever's on
Creating a positive, respectful kitchen culture that reflects the Bike Shed's "leave your differences at the door" ethos
Running team briefings, reviews and performance conversations
Full ownership of food safety, HACCP and kitchen documentation
Accurate allergen management and labelling, including Natasha's Law compliance
Maintaining a 5-star food hygiene rating
Health and safety, COSHH and safe working practices
Partnering with the Operations director and senior team on sales, budgets and growth
Bringing ideas for promotions, collaborations, social media content and new revenue streams

Proven experience as a Head Chef, or a strong Sous Chef ready to step up, ideally in a high-volume, all-day venue
A track record of hitting GP and labour targets
Creativity in menu and recipe development, with a clear eye on what sells
Experience delivering events, private hire or large-group dining
Strong, calm leadership under pressure
Level 3 Food Safety and solid allergen knowledge
Confident with stock systems, rotas and costings
A love of motorcycles is a bonus, not a requirement
Right to work in the UK

Performance bonus linked to GP and labour targets
Most Mondays off
Staff meals and discount across the restaurant, bar and Bike Shed store
Discount at our Barbershop, Retail store and Restaurant
Real creative ownership of the food in one of London's most distinctive venues
The chance to grow and flourish within a great, friendly company with venues in London and Los Angeles

- 384 Old Street, London EC1V 9LT | Full-time | Closed Mondays - Breakfast, lunch, dinner and desserts are served Tuesday to Sunday, with weekend brunch from 9am. - The kitchen must be prepared for everything from a Saturday brunch rush to a late Friday service.
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