Head Chef In Training in Truro

Purpose: Our vision is to create a totally unique place to feast, a memorable, collaborative eating experience with our farm's produce at the heart. The Head Chef has responsibility for the kitchen: for delivering and developing menus and sourcing strategies. Working closely with the Chef Director, the Head Chef will strive to maximise the use of all farm and kitchen garden produce as main ingredients for all recipes; sourcing and pricing and the management of kitchen resources and costs. Ensuring the professional development and progression and welfare of the kitchen team; and directing effective kitchen operations to enable the delivery of consistently exceptional food for the unique customer experience at NANCARROW. The Head Chef will be responsible for the day-to-day running of the kitchen, ensuring that statutory food, hygiene and Health & Safety standards are always maintained by the kitchen team. This will include the leadership and management of the kitchen team to ensure appropriate management, supervision and delegation.

Responsibilities:

• Senior Management: To manage your department's costs within the budget, identify the management information available in your own area and act credibly on matters that affect business finance.
• Contribute to strategic planning and work, as a senior manager, ensuring that you always act in the best interests of the business through understanding the business strategy, key competitors and how the business fits within the wider hospitality industry in which it operates.
• Play a pivotal role building Nancarrow's event offering within the following areas: Weddings, Restaurant & special events, Corporate conferences & dinners, Cookery school / workshops, Collaborations, Festivals.
• Work within the management team to proactively develop and maintain a customer-centred culture and drive behavioural change through encouraging others to seek and act on feedback.
• Contribute to discussions and planning across the business, and outside of your own department, to further and benefit the business and ensuring effective communication at the appropriate level to the senior team at all times.
• Oversee the effectiveness of the whole team and ensure consistency, efficiency, professionalism and effective communication to drive a strong cultural belief in the brand and product/service.
• Lead by example to ensure the whole team are consistently operating in an empathetic, fair and professional manner.
• Attend internal meetings as requested. Represent the kitchen team effectively by reporting information to other senior managers on ways to improve performance, systems and best practices.
• Comply with and enforce all the Farm’s policies, standards and legislative requirements relevant to maintaining effective performance, communication, training and good business reputation; including Food Hygiene, Fire, Health & Safety regulations, attending relevant training as required – responsible as key contact for environmental health/trading standards/fire/police and all public sector officers.
• To adhere and contribute to the Kitchen Garden & Larder plan maximising the quality and quantity of homegrown produce within Nancarrow Menus. Support Marketing/PR activity and promotions where appropriate.

Team Management:

• To work closely with the Chef Director to develop and maintain a strong kitchen team.
• Work closely with the Directors and Events managers to ensure a perfect working environment at all times, ensuring all staff are on duty at the correct time, noting and reporting any absence or lateness, and that their behaviour, conduct and attitude is exemplary.
• Ensure the kitchen team is appropriately resourced to deliver required event activity, including both full and part-time team members.
• Complete correct new starter procedures and schedule induction programme as required.
• Undertake one-to-one performance reviews, as and when required, for the kitchen team and to monitor all performance objectives set for on training checklist.
• To complete annual PDP review and set personal objectives and targets for the following year.
• Ensure consistency, professionalism and effective communication in the team by training to, and maintaining, agreed standards of performance and conduct, ensuring continuity in your absence through effective delegation and communication.
• Ensure the rota supports the delivery of all calendared events and ensure adequate staff levels in line with business requirement.
• In conjunction with the Chef Director, monitor and plan all holidays for the team and record in the timesheets as required.
• To ensure all financial information is provided to the Chef Director within agreed timescales.
• To check work emails on a daily basis responding as required and communicating any necessary information to the team.

Kitchen Management:

• Maintain the ‘kitchen master’ menu file – provide team training to ensure consistency of product knowledge throughout the team.
• Be responsible for a smooth and efficient service flow, maintaining communication with the Events Managers, with a focus on exceptional customer service.
• Create and update templates of best practice, to ensure smooth planning and execution of events at Nancarrow.
• Ensure all the suppliers/produce used comply with the NANCARROW food values and ethos - that no supplier/produce is used unless and until it is appropriately recorded within our Food safety management system.
• Responsible for the upkeep of the SFBB folder and the maintenance of the Food Standards Agency 5-star rating.
• Ensure all the menus issued comply with the NANCARROW food vision, values and ethos - to make the best use of ingredients with the emphasis on local supply (specifically Nancarrow Farm’s own produce) consideration for seasonality and a yearly plan to preserve/pickle excess as larder items.
• Oversee the ordering, storage and rotation of stock in line with Farm’s policies and Food safety Management System to minimise waste and maximise freshness - manage costs and GP with consideration of value of the produce.
• Ensure that the Events managers, chefs, FOH and key personnel are briefed on menu items, communicating all relevant provenance, allergen, nutritional and other distinctive information.
• Ensure that the chef/Maintenance fulfils his responsibilities for maintenance of kitchen equipment and that it is used for the performance of kitchen duties safely and following instructions, ensuring all the kitchen team are trained to operate equipment safely and standards are maintained.
• Ensure the Finance Manager has all necessary and accurate time sheets, stock sheets (using technology and equipment effectively) wastage sheets for the Kitchen as required.

Events management:

• Support Events manager/Chef Director as a key point of contact for Nancarrow customers.
• Provide information and menu details (annual kitchen plan) to the Event managers to be inputted into the calendar of activity.
• Provide information and menu details to the Events managers for the 'Event Planner' for each individual event.
• Liaise with the Events managers on event operations – conduct pre-event briefings on service flow, menu and all customer requirements.
• Event day – ensure the event runs to plan, overseeing the kitchen and external suppliers run as per plan.
• Attend weekly meetings with the management team to review and plan event activity and contribute proactively to the ongoing success and development of the business.

Pay: £38,000.00-£45,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Company pension
• Employee discount
• On-site parking

Work Location: In person

Application deadline: 10/05/2026