At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a diverse kitchen team, cooking fresh meals and ensuring high standards.
- Company: Join our busy Inn, known for delivering exceptional dining experiences.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive pay, flexible wage access, generous leave, and employee discounts.
- Why this job: This role offers career growth, a supportive culture, and the chance to create amazing dishes.
- Qualifications: Proven experience in kitchen management, menu design, and team leadership required.
- Other info: Opportunities for apprenticeships and bespoke training programs available.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.
We’re looking for a Head Chef to lead the kitchen team in our busy Inn You will be responsible for a diverse team, cooking from fresh and serving the highest standard of food. Our kitchen could be expected to deliver around one thousand meals per week including breakfast, lunch, dinner, events and room service. Your day to day; You will be responsible for ensuring that ingredients are stored, prepared, cooked and presented to the highest standard and meets our guests’ requirements, complying with food safety guidelines Ensuring a clean and hygienic kitchen environment is maintained at all times. Following food safety management procedures and keeping the necessary records that meet internal and external standards Development of all menu items and specials, reviewing and refreshing dishes in line with business requirements and other external factors Use provided technology to aid menu planning, purchasing and safety procedures Collaborate with the Inn’s leadership team to ensure a safe environment for both guests and staff You will constantly focus on improving the performance of your team and yourself, consistently achieving targets and delivering results Who are we looking for? You will be able to demonstrate a keen business sense, producing menu items and directing a team in line with commercial and customer requirements delivering the highest level of quality. As Head Chef, you will be someone with a proven track record of designing rotas that allow you to forecast and manage labour costs. You must understand the need to consider team characteristics and their collective productivity, looking to improve and deliver standards in the most efficient way possible. You will be comfortable collaborating with other senior chefs in the group, sharing best practices in recruitment, retention and developing talented individuals. From your experience you will be able to identify ways that business strategy, customer profile, culture and constraints influence the development of creative, profitable and competitive menus. You will be able to foresee market and business scenarios that present risks and opportunities to the business. Someone who can set measurable, challenging goals for all team members, finding ways to improve staff’ knowledge and their approach, coaching and mentoring the kitchen team. Experience of delivering technical training and development content would be beneficial. You will have a grasp of the principles of supply chain management, waste management, sustainable procurement and working practices in the kitchen. Understanding the principles of profit and loss and recognising how you can support the overall financial performance of the business through an efficient operation, building on past experience to achieve monthly and annual budgets. In return, we are offering a rewarding role with scope for career progression along with; A competitive salary, negotiable dependent on experience Wagestream – the ability to access up to 40% of your wages as you earn them each week 28 days annual leave (rising to 33 days after 5 years) Health cash plan Generous employee discounts Employee Assistance Programme Enhanced maternity and paternity pay Apprenticeships available Life assurance Bespoke training programmes accessible to all An engaging & supportive work environment
Head Chef employer: The Red Lion
Contact Detail:
The Red Lion Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Head Chef
✨Tip Number 1
Showcase your leadership skills by discussing specific examples of how you've successfully managed a kitchen team in the past. Highlight any experience you have in training and mentoring staff, as this is crucial for the Head Chef role.
✨Tip Number 2
Demonstrate your understanding of menu development by preparing a few creative dish ideas that align with the Inn's style. This will show your ability to innovate while considering customer preferences and market trends.
✨Tip Number 3
Familiarize yourself with food safety regulations and best practices. Be ready to discuss how you ensure compliance in a busy kitchen environment, as this is a key responsibility of the Head Chef position.
✨Tip Number 4
Prepare to talk about your experience with cost management and budgeting. Share examples of how you've effectively controlled labor costs and waste in previous roles, as this will be important for maintaining profitability.
We think you need these skills to ace Head Chef
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV highlights relevant experience in kitchen management, menu development, and team leadership. Use specific examples that demonstrate your ability to deliver high-quality food and manage a diverse team.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: In your cover letter, express your passion for cooking and leading a kitchen team. Mention your understanding of food safety guidelines and your experience in creating profitable menus that meet customer needs.
Showcase Your Leadership Skills: Emphasize your experience in coaching and mentoring kitchen staff. Provide examples of how you've improved team performance and productivity in previous roles.
Highlight Relevant Achievements: Include any measurable achievements related to cost management, menu innovation, or team development. This could be successful events you’ve catered or improvements in kitchen efficiency.
How to prepare for a job interview at The Red Lion
✨Showcase Your Culinary Expertise
Be prepared to discuss your previous experience in leading a kitchen team and highlight specific dishes or menus you have developed. Share examples of how you've maintained high standards of food quality and safety.
✨Demonstrate Leadership Skills
Talk about your approach to managing a diverse team. Provide examples of how you've successfully coached and mentored team members, and how you've handled challenges in the kitchen environment.
✨Understand Business Acumen
Discuss your experience with menu planning and cost management. Be ready to explain how you've forecasted labor costs and improved efficiency in past roles, as well as how you align culinary offerings with customer preferences.
✨Prepare for Scenario Questions
Anticipate questions about how you would handle specific situations, such as managing a busy service or addressing food safety issues. Think through your responses to demonstrate your problem-solving skills and ability to maintain a clean, safe kitchen.