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- Tasks: Lead the kitchen team, ensuring top-notch food quality and smooth operations.
- Company: Scoffs Group UK runs popular brands like Costa Coffee and itsu, focusing on teamwork and growth.
- Benefits: Enjoy perks like free meals, mental health support, and exclusive discounts from day one.
- Why this job: Join a vibrant culture that values collaboration, development, and sustainability in the food industry.
- Qualifications: No specific qualifications required; just a passion for food and leadership!
- Other info: Opportunities for training and apprenticeships available to help you grow.
The predicted salary is between 28800 - 43200 £ per year.
Job Description
Who We Are
Scoffs Group UK is a multi-award-winning franchise business running some of the UK’s top hospitality brands like Costa Coffee and itsu. As the UK’s largest Costa franchise and a proud itsu partner, we create people-first workplaces that focus on quality, development, and teamwork.
At itsu, we deliver fresh, Asian-inspired food daily, blending world-class standards with a culture built on collaboration and growth.
About The Role
The Team Leader – Kitchen leads the BOH team, ensuring every dish meets itsu’s exacting standards. You’ll coach, motivate, and develop your team while managing production levels to balance sales potential and waste. Your leadership keeps the kitchen running like clockwork and the food beautiful.
Core Responsibilities
People
- Train and empower your Back of House (BOH) team—including Fish Pro, Hot Pro, Fish Star—to deliver outstanding food within itsu standards
- Lead engaging, clear team briefs that communicate priorities and daily duties
- Support and model itsu’s sustainability policies across your team
- Ensure team compliance with policies on uniform, staff food, lateness, sickness, reporting issues to management as needed
- Provide constructive feedback and coaching to address performance, escalating when necessary
- Train all new team members confidently using the correct approaches
- Promote strong communication and teamwork between Front and Back of House
- Build a capable, cross-trained BOH team supporting succession planning
- Identify training needs and deliver ongoing coaching and support
️ Hospitality
- Maintain consistently strong Mystery Shopper scores
- Role model a customer-first mindset and lead the team to follow itsu’s 6 Hospitality Steps
- Drive smooth execution of product and marketing launches for maximum impact
- Use Back of House ‘Manage By Walking Around’ (MBWA) to monitor standards on shift
- Respond promptly and appropriately to customer questions, complaints, and incidents, asking for help when needed
- Oversee cleanliness and upkeep of all BOH areas
- Champion itsu product and brand knowledge across your team
✅ Quality & Safety
- Own food quality in line with Correct To Recipe (CTR) standards
- Ensure BOH team adheres to How To guides consistently
- Maintain FIFO standards and remove any out-of-date products promptly
- Keep food displays immaculate according to How To and planograms
- Manage all BOH food, health, and safety practices per law and itsu standards
- Complete and action Due Diligence Diary (DDD) tasks accurately
- Report and address quality issues per procedures, rejecting products as necessary
- Lead and champion 5 Food Safety Focuses (5FSF) and 5 Food Quality Focuses (5FQF)
- Confidently handle EHO visits and queries
- Ensure safe, accurate product transfers between shops following How To
- Maintain correct uniform and PPE standards for your team and yourself
- Report Food, Health & Safety issues timely
- Ensure 20-minute standards are consistently followed BOH and FOH
- Maintain an immaculately clean, safe BOH using Cleaning Around The Clock (CATC) and Cleaning As You Go (CAYG)
- Ensure fish safety and proper bone management
- Record team accidents and inform management immediately
Profitability & Operations
- Control production to meet shop forecasts and maintain product availability
- Balance production levels to maximise sales while minimising waste
- Regularly review production and make justified adjustments
- Order ingredients efficiently to meet production needs and reduce stock transfers
- Ensure made-to-sell ingredients are always of optimum quality through smart ordering
- Analyse reports regularly to help run a successful kitchen
- Follow financial and administrative procedures consistently
- Act on previous stock takes to prevent future issues
- Manage shop stock control, counts, and administration
- Order BOH packaging (including chemicals and janitorial) to maintain 100% availability
- Report maintenance issues promptly to reduce business impact
- Record and manage all types of waste accurately
- Ensure all products are available when needed
- Apply “Aces in Places” principles for operational excellence
- Have full understanding of BOH operations and review to balance profitability and customer experience
- Use productivity guidelines to motivate your team without ever compromising standards
Why Scoffs Group & itsu?
Here’s what’s in it for you:
- Instant Perks with Boostworks – Exclusive discounts & rewards from day one
- We’ve Got Your Back – Free, confidential mental health and wellbeing support via Life & Progress
- Wagestream Access – Get paid when you need it, plus tools for saving and budgeting
- Secure Your Future – Join our company pension scheme
- Learn While You Earn – Role-specific training & apprenticeships with Yuzu Training
- Free Meals & Drinks on Shift – Enjoy itsu food while you work
- ️ Perks That Go Beyond You – Discounts extend to your family and friends too
- Loyalty Pays Off – Long service recognition and rewards
- We Celebrate You – From your first day to every milestone
- Team Wins = Bonus Time – Earn store-wide bonuses when we hit our goals
IND01
ITSU Team Leader - Kitchen - Full Time employer: Scoffs Group Careers
Contact Detail:
Scoffs Group Careers Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land ITSU Team Leader - Kitchen - Full Time
✨Tip Number 1
Familiarise yourself with itsu's core values and standards. Understanding their commitment to quality, sustainability, and teamwork will help you align your leadership style with their expectations during the interview.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare to discuss your experience in training and developing teams. Be ready to share specific examples of how you've motivated staff and improved kitchen operations in previous roles, as this is crucial for the Team Leader position.
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your knowledge of food safety and quality standards. Being able to articulate your understanding of health regulations and how you’ve implemented them in past kitchens will demonstrate your capability to uphold itsu’s high standards.
✨Tip Number 4
Highlight your ability to manage production levels effectively. Discuss any tools or methods you've used to balance sales potential and minimise waste, as this is a key responsibility for the role.
We think you need these skills to ace ITSU Team Leader - Kitchen - Full Time
Some tips for your application 🫡
Understand the Role: Read the job description carefully to understand the responsibilities and requirements of the ITSU Team Leader position. Tailor your application to highlight relevant experience and skills that align with the role.
Craft a Strong CV: Ensure your CV is up-to-date and clearly outlines your previous experience in kitchen management or team leadership. Use bullet points to make it easy to read and focus on achievements that demonstrate your ability to lead and motivate a team.
Write a Compelling Cover Letter: In your cover letter, express your passion for the hospitality industry and your understanding of itsu's values. Mention specific examples of how you have successfully led teams in the past and how you can contribute to maintaining high standards in food quality and safety.
Showcase Your Leadership Skills: Highlight your leadership style and how you empower your team. Provide examples of how you've trained and developed staff, managed production levels, and ensured compliance with health and safety standards in previous roles.
How to prepare for a job interview at Scoffs Group Careers
✨Know the Brand
Familiarise yourself with itsu's values and mission. Understand their commitment to quality, sustainability, and teamwork. This will help you align your answers with what they stand for during the interview.
✨Demonstrate Leadership Skills
As a Team Leader, showcasing your leadership abilities is crucial. Prepare examples of how you've successfully coached and motivated teams in the past, and be ready to discuss how you would apply these skills at itsu.
✨Emphasise Food Safety Knowledge
Since the role involves maintaining food quality and safety standards, brush up on relevant regulations and best practices. Be prepared to discuss how you would ensure compliance and handle any food safety issues.
✨Prepare for Scenario Questions
Expect questions that assess your problem-solving skills and ability to handle real-life situations in a kitchen environment. Think of scenarios where you've had to manage production levels or resolve team conflicts, and articulate your approach clearly.