Location: Multi-Site (Based Staffordshire)
Reporting To: Operations Director
About Parogon
The Parogon Group is an award-winning hospitality
business operating a collection of premium fresh food restaurants and bars
across the Midlands and North West. With 12 venues and over 700 team members,
our ambition is simple: to create experiences and uncompromised value that
people want to return to and careers that people are proud to build.
Our portfolio spans multiple high volume concepts,
from premium steak and grill restaurants to elevated gastro pubs, all-day
Mediterranean dining, BBQ grill and contemporary casual concepts. Across the
group, we serve everything from Sunday roasts, steak and ale pie, scotch eggs and
fish and chips to sushi, Wagyu, tapas-inspired dishes and smashed burgers. This
role requires a culinary leader who can successfully operate across diverse
brands and cuisines while maintaining exceptional standards, consistency and
commercial performance.
We are looking for an exceptional Executive Chef to
lead our culinary strategy. At the heart of the role is a commitment to
delivering food that guests want to return for time and time again. The focus
is not on unnecessary complexity, but on exceptional ingredients, consistency
of execution and memorable dining experiences that reinforce Parogon's position
as one of the UK's leading independent hospitality groups. We are hiring
somebody who can genuinely lead a £30m+ multi-site food operation.
The Role
As Executive Chef, you will be responsible for
leading all culinary operations across the Parogon Group. This is a senior
leadership position that combines food innovation, people development,
operational excellence and commercial performance.
Working closely with the Operations Director,
Managing Director and senior leadership team, you will shape the future of our
food offer, ensuring our menus remain relevant, exciting and commercially
successful while maintaining the consistency and standards our guests expect.
This role
carries significant freedom and autonomy, but with that comes an expectation of
visibility and leadership. We are not looking for an Executive Chef who manages
the business from an office. We expect our culinary leader to spend at least
two days per week in our kitchens, working alongside teams, coaching chefs and
leading from the front. The successful candidate must be fully operational
across all sections and comfortable stepping into service when required. Credibility
is earned through action. We expect our culinary leader to set standards in the
kitchen as well as in the boardroom.
Key Responsibilities
Culinary Leadership
- Work with the current development and execution strategy and evolve
over time. - Create and evolve dishes across all concepts and brands.
- Identify emerging food trends and opportunities that support the
commercial objectives of the business. - Lead all food launches, menu rollouts and culinary innovation
projects.
Leadership & Team Development
- Lead, coach and develop a team of Head Chefs and Operations Chefs.
- Build succession plans for all key kitchen leadership roles.
- Identify and nurture future culinary talent across the group.
- Create a culture of high performance, accountability and continuous
development. - Support recruitment, onboarding and retention of key kitchen team
members.
Commercial Performance
- Take ownership of food gross profit performance across the group.
- Work closely with the commercial team on menu engineering, pricing
and profitability. - Manage kitchen labour performance alongside venue leadership teams.
- Support annual budgeting and forecasting processes.
- Analyse performance data and implement plans to improve results.
- Experience
using Tevalis and integrated stock control systems is advantageous.
Operational Excellence
- Ensure all kitchens operate safely and efficiently.
- Maintain exceptional 5* food safety standards and audit compliance
across the group. - Drive consistency in systems, processes and ways of working.
- Lead action plans following audits and compliance reviews.
- Work with Property and Operations teams to ensure kitchens remain
fit for purpose.
Guest Experience
- Champion a guest-first approach across all culinary operations.
- Monitor guest feedback, NPS scores and review platforms.
- Ensure food remains a key driver of guest satisfaction and loyalty.
- Support marketing activity, food photography, PR initiatives and
venue openings.
What We're Looking For
Experience
- Proven experience as an Executive Chef, Group Executive Chef or
senior multi-site culinary leader of leading brand in the UK. - Demonstrated
ability to lead multiple concepts and menu styles simultaneously. - Strong track record of leading large kitchen teams across multiple
high volume venues. - Experience operating within premium dining, gastro pub, restaurant and
function environments. - Demonstrable success in delivering food quality, team development
and commercial performance in a comparable environment. - Experience of menu development, costing and food innovation.
Skills & Attributes
- A natural leader who inspires, coaches and develops others.
- Strong commercial awareness with a deep understanding of GP, labour
and operational KPIs. - Exceptional standards and attention to detail.
- Highly organised with strong planning and project management
skills. - Ability to balance creativity with operational practicality.
- Comfortable challenging performance and driving accountability.
- Passionate about hospitality, food and developing people.
Qualifications
- Advanced Food Safety qualification (Level 4 preferred).
- Strong understanding of food safety, allergens and compliance
requirements. - Relevant culinary qualifications desirable but not essential.
Hands-On Leadership
- Remains operationally credible and comfortable working services
when required. - Leads from the front and maintains a visible presence across the
estate. - Spends significant time in kitchens coaching teams and developing
standards. - Understands that the role requires equal focus on people,
operations and food.
What Success Looks Like
- Consistently high food quality scores across all venues.
- Strong food GP and labour performance.
- Exceptional audit and compliance results.
- Successful menu launches and food innovation programmes.
- Improved guest satisfaction and food-related feedback.
- A strong pipeline of future Head Chefs and Operations Chefs.
- A culinary culture that attracts, develops and retains the
industry's best talent.
Why Join Parogon?
- Join one of the UK's most ambitious independent hospitality groups.
- Play a key role in shaping the future direction of the business.
- Lead multiple award-winning concepts and brands.
- Work alongside a high-performing senior leadership team.
- Significant opportunity to influence growth, innovation and future
openings. - Develop and leave a lasting legacy through the people, standards
and culture you create.
In Summary
As Executive Chef, you will be responsible for the
food, the people, the standards and the future of the kitchens across the
Parogon Group. You will be a visible leader, a mentor, a strategist and a
guardian of quality, ensuring every guest receives an experience that keeps
them coming back.
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