Retail Chef Manager

Location: Royal Academy of Arts Piccadilly, London, up to £38,000 per annum. 40hrs / 5 over days / 8am to 4pm with flexibility to meet business needs on event days.

Sodexo Live! is offering an exciting opportunity for a passionate, creative, and highly organised culinary professional to join us as Retail Chef Manager. Based in one of London’s most stunning heritage listed venues, you will lead the culinary operation across our vibrant daytime café spaces; championing quality, driving innovation, and shaping an exceptional guest experience. Reporting to the General Manager, you’ll take full ownership of the kitchen: guiding a skilled team, crafting fresh and modern menus, upholding the highest food safety standards, and delivering outstanding dishes every day. This role is perfect for a hands-on leader with a flair for contemporary café dining and the operational discipline to run a fast-paced, premium retail environment. With sociable hours 8am–4pm and opportunities to support exciting event days, it’s a position that offers both balance and variety. You’ll bring confidence, composure, and a genuine passion for great food and service. Joining us means working in a central London venue where history and character meet a dynamic, modern food offer. If you have experience in high-quality cafés/hotel kitchens and are ready to elevate your career, this is your moment.

At Sodexo Live! our people are the heart of who we are. We’re experience makers and food fanatics, our dishes are distinctive, and our teams are too. Bring your personality, your craft, and your passion for delighting guests. In return, we’ll give you everything you need to thrive.

What You’ll Do:

• Manage and execute all tasks within your section to the highest standard.
• Ensure all dishes are prepared on time, accurately, and presented according to plating guides.
• Supervise and support the entire BOH team.
• Offer guidance and mentoring to junior staff, encouraging skills development.
• Ensure full compliance with food hygiene, allergen, and safety standards.
• Monitor and manage section stock levels, minimising waste and supporting stock rotation.
• Provide feedback on menu development and dish refinement.
• Identify inefficiencies in workflow or prep and recommend improvements.

What You Bring:

• Minimum 2 years’ experience as a Senior Sous Chef or Junior Sous Chef in a high-quality kitchen.
• Passion for food, detail-oriented, and committed to delivering top-tier dishes.
• Strong organisational skills and ability to prioritise tasks under pressure.
• Excellent knowledge of kitchen hygiene, allergen control, and food safety standards (HACCP).
• Experience in mentoring junior staff and working within a structured brigade.
• Positive, team-focused attitude with good communication skills.
• Professional presentation and commitment to continuous improvement.
• Flexible and adaptable to changing service styles (banqueting, à la carte, tasting menus).

What we offer:

• Unlimited access to an online platform offering mental health and wellbeing support.
• Employee Assistance Programme to help with everyday issues or larger problems where you may need additional support, including legal and financial advice, support with work-related issues or personal issues such as bereavement.
• Access to a free health and wellbeing app that provides rewards for maintaining a healthy lifestyle and includes access to a 24hr virtual GP and various other services.
• The Sodexo Discounts Scheme, offering great deals 24/7 (also open to friends and family) and/or the prepayment cashback card.
• Money Insights and financial benefits via the Salary Finance Platform.
• Save for your future by becoming a member of the Sodexo Retirement Plan.
• A Death-in-Service benefit for colleagues who pass away whilst employed by Sodexo.
• Opportunities to enable colleagues to grow and succeed throughout their career at Sodexo, including a variety of learning and development tools.
• Cycle to Work Scheme to help colleagues to do their bit for the environment whilst keeping fit.
• Volunteering Opportunities to enable all colleagues to help support worthwhile causes in our communities.
• Flexible and dynamic work environment.
• Competitive compensation.
• Full training and full protective uniform supplied.

Ready to be part of something greater? Apply today!

Sodexo reserves the right to close this advertisement early if we are in receipt of a high volume of applications.

About Sodexo Live! At Sodexo Live!, our purpose is to create a better every day for everyone to build a better life for all. As the global leader in services that improve the Quality of Life, we operate in 55 countries, serving over 100 million consumers each day through our unique combination of On-Site Food and FM Services, Benefits & Rewards Services and Personal & Home Services. We are committed to being an inclusive employer. We are a forces friendly employer. We welcome and encourage applications from people with a diverse variety of experiences, backgrounds, and identities. We encourage our employees to get involved with our Employee Networks such as Pride, Sodexo Parents & Carers, Sodexo Disability, Ability network, So Together, Generations and Origins. We’re a Disability Confident Leader employer. We’re committed to changing attitudes towards disability, and making sure disabled people have the chance to fulfil their aspirations.