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- Tasks: Lead the culinary team, create seasonal menus, and ensure high food standards.
- Company: Family-run hotel with a rich 187-year legacy in London.
- Benefits: 28 days holiday, training programmes, discounts, and mental health support.
- Other info: Join a positive kitchen culture with excellent career growth opportunities.
- Why this job: Shape the food identity of a newly transformed London landmark.
- Qualifications: Experienced Head Chef with strong leadership and culinary skills.
The predicted salary is between 50000 - 60000 £ per year.
The Imperial is a family-run company with a 187-year legacy, dedicated to putting authentic London experiences within everyone's reach. In Summer 2026, we open the doors to our fully re-imagined hotel, The Imperial - a new lifestyle offering within our portfolio.
As Head Chef, you will lead the culinary heartbeat of The Imperial. Our food philosophy is modern, seasonal and ingredient led, beautifully presented without being fussy and always rooted in quality, provenance and thoughtful portioning. You'll shape the hotel's complete food offering across restaurants, room service and events, delivering dishes that feel current, photogenic and joyfully flavour forward. Your leadership will underpin a kitchen that is energised, disciplined, commercially strong and proud of what it produces every single day.
What You'll Be Doing:
- Lead menu creation across all hotel outlets with seasonal, trend aware dishes
- Maintain high standards through clear specs, allergen matrices and plate presentation
- Balance creativity and commerciality through thoughtful menu engineering
- Own the pass with pace, precision and pride
- Recruit, train and inspire a skilled, motivated team
- Build a positive, inclusive kitchen culture
- Provide ongoing coaching, skills development and clear progression
- Oversee mise en place discipline, prep plans and service sequencing
- Ensure BOH organisation that's always guest ready
- Partner seamlessly with F&B and Guest Experience teams
- Lead HACCP, allergens, temperature logs and all due diligence
- Maintain impeccable kitchen safety, organisation and equipment care
- Liaise confidently with EHO and close corrective actions swiftly
- Own stock integrity, waste reduction and supplier negotiation
- Analyse sales mix to refine menus and grow spend per head
- Reduce food waste through prep discipline and clever specials
- Champion responsible sourcing, energy aware cooking and recycling
Who You Are:
- An experienced Head Chef from premium, high volume hotels or destination restaurants
- A natural leader with high standards and a calm, coaching style
- Deeply knowledgeable in UK food safety, allergens, HACCP and audits
- Commercially minded, analytically strong and confident with systems
- Skilled across core sections, dietary adaptations and modern culinary trends
- Supported by formal culinary qualifications and food safety certifications
What's In It for You:
- 28 days holiday, rising to 33 with length of service (including bank holidays)
- Access to ILH Training Academy programmes, apprenticeships and supported study
- Holiday Purchase Scheme
- Complimentary uniform dry cleaning, plus discounted personal dry cleaning
- Interest free Season Ticket Loan
- Workplace Pension
- Team member flat rate and 50% friends and family hotel discount
- 50% discount across ILH F&B outlets
- Discounted drinks at Blooms Café
- Employee funded Health Cash Plan
- Local Bloomsbury discounts
- Early Pay access
- Shopping discounts with selected retailers
- Salary sacrifice schemes including nursery care, cycle to work and technology
- Access to mental health first aiders, wellbeing support and the Employee Assistance Programme
Ready to Help Shape the Future of Imperial? If you're driven by culinary excellence and eager to define the food identity of a newly transformed London landmark, we'd love to hear from you.
Head Chef in London employer: The Imperial
Contact Detail:
The Imperial Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Head Chef in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to fellow chefs, industry contacts, or even friends who might know someone at The Imperial. A personal connection can make all the difference in getting your foot in the door.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your culinary skills! If you can, organise a tasting session or pop-up event showcasing your signature dishes. This not only highlights your creativity but also gives potential employers a taste of what you can bring to their kitchen.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for the interview by researching The Imperial’s food philosophy and current menu trends. Be ready to discuss how you can contribute to their vision with your own unique flair and ideas.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are genuinely interested in joining our team at The Imperial.
We think you need these skills to ace Head Chef in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for Food: When writing your application, let your love for culinary arts shine through! Share your experiences and what drives you in the kitchen. We want to see your personality and how it aligns with our modern, seasonal food philosophy.
Be Specific About Your Experience: Highlight your previous roles and responsibilities, especially in high-volume settings. We’re looking for someone who’s not just a chef but a leader, so don’t hold back on detailing your achievements and how you’ve inspired your teams.
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your application to reflect our values and the specific role of Head Chef at The Imperial. Mention how your skills in menu creation and team leadership can contribute to our vision of delivering joyfully flavour-forward dishes.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to submit your application directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensures you’re considered for this exciting opportunity at The Imperial!
How to prepare for a job interview at The Imperial
✨Know Your Culinary Philosophy
Before the interview, dive deep into the food philosophy of The Imperial. Understand their focus on modern, seasonal, and ingredient-led dishes. Be ready to discuss how your own culinary style aligns with theirs and how you can contribute to creating photogenic and flavour-forward dishes.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
As a Head Chef, leadership is key. Prepare examples of how you've successfully led a kitchen team in the past. Highlight your coaching style and how you've built a positive kitchen culture. This will demonstrate that you can inspire and motivate a skilled team at The Imperial.
✨Be Ready to Discuss Menu Engineering
Think about how you balance creativity with commerciality in menu creation. Be prepared to share specific examples of how you've engineered menus in previous roles, focusing on seasonal trends and guest preferences. This shows that you understand the business side of running a kitchen.
✨Understand Food Safety and Compliance
Brush up on your knowledge of UK food safety regulations, HACCP, and allergen management. Be ready to discuss how you've implemented these practices in your previous kitchens. This will reassure them that you can maintain high standards and ensure a safe working environment.