At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a passionate kitchen team to create top-notch breakfast and lunch items.
- Company: Join a vibrant food production company dedicated to quality and teamwork.
- Benefits: Competitive pay, flexible hours, and a supportive work environment.
- Other info: Dynamic role with opportunities for growth and a positive team culture.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in the culinary world while developing your leadership skills.
- Qualifications: Experience in food production and strong leadership abilities required.
The predicted salary is between 30000 - 40000 £ per year.
The Kitchen Lead role is a hands-on position that leads by example, suited to someone with a genuine passion for quality, consistency, and great food. Based across our production kitchens, you will play a key role in overseeing the production of best-in-class savoury breakfast and lunch items for our Houses, ensuring every item is produced and presented with care, precision, and attention to detail.
You will be fully involved in daily operations, managing a high-performing team to maintain exceptional product quality, consistency, and efficiency across all production lines. Alongside this, you will uphold high storage, dispatch, cleanliness, and food safety standards, while fostering a positive, engaged team culture built on honesty, empathy, and accountability. Directly reports to our Head of Food.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead and hold the kitchen team to account throughout your shift.
- Ensure all shifts are opened and closed to the correct standards.
- Perform daily checks accurately and record them in Trail.
- Create weekly shift rotas and obtain approval from the Bakery Manager.
- Ensure each shift’s volume is prepared and packed fully and on time.
- Resolve production issues and optimise workflow and labour usage.
- Supervise health and food safety, ensuring full compliance with WatchHouse’s operating procedures.
- Uphold product quality standards, ensuring all items are produced to the correct recipe and specification, maintaining consistency across all product lines.
- Address any product quality issues (weights, finish, etc.) within shifts and elevate as required.
- Drive food safety compliance, keeping the bakery and all processes at the highest standards of cleanliness and traceability.
- Monitor ingredient inventory, coordinate efficient and accurate stock management.
- Escalate to Kitchen Lead if ingredient stock levels are too high or too low, and support adjustments to reduce wastage.
- Manage kitchen stock, ordering items correctly through Market Man, completing weekly stock takes, and controlling stock levels.
- Ensure all team members take correct breaks, holidays, and start/finish shifts on time.
- Maintain a positive culture and engaged team, upholding standards with honesty and empathy to ensure consistent quality.
Key to this role:
- Genuine passion for food and drive to deliver best-in-class products to our Houses.
- Available 40 hours per week, any 5 days out of 7.
- Strong leadership abilities with a positive, can-do attitude.
- Level 3 Food Hygiene knowledge of HACCP and ability to implement and manage food safety practices to remain compliant.
- Interpersonal skills with the ability to build and maintain relationships while showing empathy to your team.
- Level 3 Health & Safety certification or successful completion by end of probation.
- Demonstrated experience leading a team in a production environment, with the ability to provide effective feedback and hold the team to account.
- Attention to detail, ensuring all product lines are consistent with the product specification.
- Familiarity with Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Ability to work well at pace under pressure.
Kitchen Manager in London employer: WatchHouse - Kitchen.
As a Kitchen Manager at our production kitchens, you will thrive in a dynamic environment that values quality, teamwork, and personal growth. We offer a supportive work culture where your passion for food is celebrated, alongside opportunities for professional development and leadership training. Located in a vibrant area, our commitment to excellence ensures that you will be part of a team dedicated to producing best-in-class culinary delights while maintaining high standards of food safety and cleanliness.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Kitchen Manager in London
✨Tip Number 1
Get to know the company culture before your interview. Check out their social media and website to see what they're all about. This will help you tailor your answers and show that you're genuinely interested in being part of their team.
✨Tip Number 2
Practice your leadership stories! Think of specific examples where you've led a team or resolved issues in a kitchen setting. Being able to share these experiences will demonstrate your capability and passion for the role.
✨Tip Number 3
Don’t forget to ask questions during your interview! This shows you're engaged and serious about the position. Ask about their food safety practices or how they maintain quality standards – it’ll highlight your knowledge and interest.
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re proactive and keen to join the team. Let’s get you that Kitchen Manager role!
We think you need these skills to ace Kitchen Manager in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for Food:When writing your application, let your love for food shine through! Share any experiences or stories that highlight your genuine passion for quality and consistency in the kitchen. We want to see that you’re not just looking for a job, but that you truly care about delivering the best products.
Highlight Your Leadership Skills:Make sure to emphasise your leadership abilities in your application. Talk about times you've successfully led a team, resolved issues, or maintained high standards. We’re looking for someone who can inspire and manage a high-performing team, so show us what you've got!
Be Detail-Oriented:Attention to detail is key in this role, so reflect that in your application. Ensure your CV and cover letter are free from errors and clearly structured. Mention specific examples of how you've maintained quality and consistency in previous roles, as this will resonate with us.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website for the best chance of success. It’s the easiest way for us to review your application and get to know you better. Plus, it shows you’re serious about joining our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at WatchHouse - Kitchen.
✨Show Your Passion for Food
Make sure to express your genuine love for food during the interview. Share specific examples of how you've gone above and beyond to ensure quality and consistency in your previous roles. This will demonstrate that you align with the company's values and are committed to delivering best-in-class products.
✨Highlight Your Leadership Skills
Prepare to discuss your leadership style and provide examples of how you've successfully managed a team in a production environment. Talk about how you hold your team accountable while fostering a positive culture, as this is key to the role. Be ready to share any challenges you've faced and how you overcame them.
✨Know Your Food Safety Standards
Brush up on your knowledge of food safety practices, including HACCP principles. Be prepared to discuss how you've implemented these standards in past roles. Showing that you take food safety seriously will reassure the interviewers that you can maintain high cleanliness and compliance standards.
✨Demonstrate Attention to Detail
During the interview, be ready to talk about how you ensure consistency across product lines. Provide examples of how you've monitored quality and addressed issues in the past. This will highlight your attention to detail, which is crucial for the Kitchen Manager position.
