Pasta & Pizza Restaurant Concept Head Chef in London

About LETO Group: We are looking for a passionate and experienced Head Chef to lead our new Pasta & Pizza flagship restaurant concept, located in Soho, at the heart of London's restaurant industry.

Job Overview: As the Head Chef, you will take full responsibility for kitchen operations. Your role is to lead and inspire the kitchen team, drive food quality and consistency, develop new menu offerings in line with brand standards, and ensure the smooth day-to-day operation, ensuring that culinary excellence and operational efficiency are consistently delivered. This role includes developing food menus, managing supplier relationships, training kitchen staff, ensuring compliance with licensing and safety regulations, and driving profitability through strategic menu planning.

Key Responsibilities:

• Kitchen Oversight: Supervise and support kitchen operations. Audit food quality, kitchen standards, and compliance. Ensure and maintain consistent food preparation, presentation, and portion control according to brand standards.
• Team Leadership & Development: Lead, mentor, and develop Sous Chefs and kitchen team. Drive team training on new dishes, kitchen systems, health & safety, and operational procedures. Motivate teams to maintain high morale, performance, and retention. Identify areas for improvement and update training content accordingly.
• Menu Execution & Innovation: Collaborate on new menu ideas and seasonal offers to keep the offering fresh and competitive. Ensure new menu items are correctly implemented with proper training and understanding. Tailor menu items to suit local market and each location's needs while preserving brand consistency.
• Operational Excellence: Monitor food cost control, stock management, and waste reduction. Meet agreed GP (Gross Profit) margins and operational targets. Maintain kitchen equipment standards and oversee maintenance requirements.
• Food Safety & Compliance: Enforce food hygiene, allergen, and health & safety regulations. Lead kitchen audits and resolve any non-compliance issues proactively. Operate in full compliance with local authority and company standards.
• Brand & Guest Experience: Maintain a strong brand identity across food offering. Drive guest satisfaction through food innovation, presentation, and service excellence.
• Collaboration: Work closely with operations and quality assurance teams to align training initiatives with organisational goals. Act as a liaison between management and staff to identify training needs and resolve challenges. Work closely with the Central Production Kitchen team to ensure feedback and quality of food is always exceptional.
• Reporting & Administration: Maintain and generate reports for management. Manage the training budget and staff rota effectively.

Qualifications and Skills:

• Leadership: Experience overseeing kitchen in a high-volume environment.
• Culinary Expertise: Strong background in pasta restaurant or casual dining operations.
• Operational Control: Skilled in stock management, cost control, and supplier coordination.
• Training & Development: Ability to coach and upskill kitchen teams at varying levels of experience.
• Communication: Excellent interpersonal and organisational communication across teams and senior management.
• Adaptability: Comfortable handling the pace and demands of a dynamic city-wide role. Excellent leadership, training, and communication skills. Strong commercial acumen and ability to manage budgets and margins. Passionate about hospitality, quality, and innovation.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):

• Product quality and consistency
• Food sales growth (%) and food cost as a % of sales
• Labour cost
• Guest satisfaction scores on food
• Food wastage levels
• Compliance audit scores (exceptional internal and external hygiene standards)

Package:

• Company discounts and perks
• Development opportunities within a growing restaurant brand
• Salary: £55000 - £65000 (formed of £30000 + TRONC)
• Up to 10% KPI Based Bonus Scheme