At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead culinary excellence across multiple Fenwick restaurants and inspire kitchen teams.
- Company: Fenwick, a historic family-owned department store group in the UK.
- Benefits: Up to 25% discount, birthday off, private medical cover, and 24/7 wellbeing support.
- Other info: Join a collaborative team dedicated to culinary innovation and excellence.
- Why this job: Shape the future of dining while making a real impact on customer experiences.
- Qualifications: Proven experience in leading kitchens, strong leadership, and food safety knowledge.
The predicted salary is between 30000 - 40000 £ per year.
We’re excited to be recruiting a Group Executive Chef to lead culinary excellence across our Fenwick restaurant estate. This is a high-impact, multi-site role where you’ll shape and elevate our food offering, inspire kitchen teams, and play a key part in delivering an exceptional customer experience across our stores.
We’re flexible on location for this role, provided you are based within reasonable distance of one of our restaurant sites, with regular travel expected across all Fenwick locations.
When you join Fenwick, you’ll receive:
- Up to 25% discount in all Fenwick stores and fenwick.co.uk.
- Your birthday off as an additional day annual leave – this can be taken any day within your birth month.
- Immediate access to the Main Section of Fenwick Limited Superannuation Scheme which provides higher Company contributions and free Life Assurance of 4x your pensionable salary.
- Peace of mind with Private Medical Cover membership.
- WeCare - 24/7 GP, wellbeing advice & support service.
About the role
As Group Executive Chef, you will take overall responsibility for culinary leadership across all Fenwick-operated restaurants, playing a key role in elevating the in-store experience and driving commercial performance. Working across our multi-site estate, you’ll ensure consistently high standards of food quality, presentation, and execution, while bringing a strong, visible leadership presence to our kitchens. This is a hands-on role where you’ll regularly visit sites, building strong relationships with teams and setting the tone for excellence across the business.
You’ll lead, coach, and develop Head Chefs and their teams, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement. Working closely with senior stakeholders including the Head of Restaurant Operations and Commercial Operations Lead, you’ll ensure menus are implemented effectively, operational challenges are addressed, and teams are set up for success. You’ll also play a key role in talent development and succession planning, supporting the growth of future culinary leaders across the estate.
With a strong focus on operational efficiency and compliance, you’ll drive improvements in kitchen productivity, oversee food safety standards, and support supplier and product quality management. You’ll use insight and feedback to enhance customer satisfaction, reduce complaints, and ensure consistency across all locations. By bringing teams together through initiatives such as the Head Chef Forum, you’ll champion best practice, share expertise, and continue to raise the bar for Fenwick’s food offering.
What we are looking for in a candidate...
- Proven experience leading multiple kitchens within a premium hospitality environment.
- Strong leadership and coaching capability.
- Deep understanding of food safety and kitchen operations.
- Multi-site experience.
- Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.
- Commercial awareness balanced with culinary excellence.
- Hands-on leadership style with a passion for developing people.
About Fenwick
Fenwick is rich with heritage and history and have been style pioneers since 1882 when our first store opened. We know luxury and are proud to remain the largest independent, family-owned group of department stores within the UK. We are on an exciting journey to exceed our customers' expectations and we are always on the lookout for new talent to join us.
Our collaborative spirit unites a workforce of over 2,000 individuals across our stores, as well as in our support functions, encompassing Digital, Buying & Merchandising, IT, Finance, People, Customer Service teams, and our cherished restaurants and distribution centres.
In 2023 we launched our ‘Quiet No More’ campaign, enhancing our presence on the UK high street as well as our eCommerce website going from strength to strength. Together, we form the beating heart of Fenwick, driving forward our vision for excellence and innovation. Join us as we pave the way toward an even brighter tomorrow, where tradition meets transformation!
Executive Head Chef - Contract Catering in City of London employer: Fenwick
Fenwick is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment where culinary leaders can thrive. With a strong focus on employee development, competitive benefits including generous discounts and private medical cover, and a culture that champions collaboration and innovation, Fenwick provides a unique opportunity for growth in the vibrant hospitality sector. Join us in shaping the future of our restaurant estate while enjoying the support and resources to elevate your career.
