Chef de Partie – Kolae, Borough Market Kolae is a Thai grill and bar in Borough Market, from the team behind som saa. Our cooking is inspired by southern Thailand, with charcoal grilling, traditional techniques and great British and Asian produce at its heart.
We've received five-star reviews from Time Out and the Evening Standard , and were awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2025 . We also featured in the National Restaurant Awards' Top 50 in both 2024 and 2025 .
See more of what we cook on Instagram: @kolae_london
The role We're looking for an experienced Chef de Partie to join our kitchen team.
You'll ideally have experience working at CDP level in a busy, quality restaurant kitchen, a real love of cooking, and the ambition to keep learning and developing.
Previous experience with Thai food is welcome but not essential . What matters most is that you're excited by the cuisine, keen to learn and have strong fundamental cooking skills.
You'll work across different sections of the kitchen, developing your knowledge of southern Thai food and learning techniques and preparations that you may not come across in many other London restaurants.
What you'll learn Our name comes from kolae , a southern Thai cooking style in which ingredients are repeatedly basted with coconut curry marinades as they cook over fire. It's central to our menu, alongside southern Thai curries, salads and relishes.
At Kolae, you'll get hands-on experience with:
Charcoal cooking and kolae-style grilling
Fresh coconut cream, pressed in-house
Stone-ground Thai curry pastes, made from scratch
Wok cookery, Thai salads and relishes
Specialist Thai ingredients, alongside great British seafood, meat and seasonal produce
We want our chefs to develop, take on more responsibility and progress through the kitchen.
What we offer Competitive pay
Staff discounts at Kolae and our sister restaurant som saa
Supplier trips and opportunities for key staff to join food and research trips to Thailand
28 days' holiday , increasing by one day for each year worked, up to 33 days
Twice-yearly staff parties and regular team get-togethers
Flexible rotas and a genuine focus on work-life balance
Great staff meals every shift
Opportunities to learn, develop and progress within the business
We're a small independent business, with the owners still working in the restaurants as part of the management team. We work hard to listen to our staff and support their development.
We take the food seriously and work hard, but we also want the kitchen to be somewhere people enjoy coming to work, support each other and have fun along the way.
We're an open and inclusive workplace and welcome applicants from all backgrounds.
If you love cooking, want to explore southern Thai food and are looking for a kitchen where you can develop, we'd love to hear from you.
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Chef de Partie – Kolae, Borough Market in London employer: som saa
At som saa, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, offering a vibrant work culture that celebrates creativity and collaboration in the heart of Spitalfields. Our team enjoys opportunities for professional growth, with access to training and development in authentic Thai cuisine, all while working in a restaurant renowned for its culinary excellence. Join us to be part of a passionate team that values quality, innovation, and the joy of serving delicious food to our community.
