Head Chef - Japanese Restauant, New Opening in London

Incipio curates beautiful spaces with vibrant atmospheres for great times. Wolves of Tokyo, a bold and contemporary Japanese restaurant, is set to open as part of the iconic Olympia development this summer. We're seeking a visionary Head Chef to bring our menu to life, combining traditional Japanese techniques with modern flair to deliver an unforgettable, premium dining experience.

The Role:

As Head Chef, you’ll be the heart of the kitchen, leading a talented team and shaping an innovative menu that captures the energy and precision of Japanese cuisine.

We Expect You To:

• Collaborate with the Food team to curate and develop both core and seasonal menus with an innovative sushi concept whilst honouring Japanese traditions.
• Lead your team in preparing and presenting sushi, sashimi, and other Japanese dishes with precision and artistry.
• Dramatise the guest experience utilizing our live theatre kitchen.
• Ensure the use of the freshest, highest-quality ingredients, with a focus on sourcing premium fish and traditional Japanese techniques.
• Engage with guests to share insights into ingredients and techniques, adding theatre through storytelling and live demonstrations.
• Mentor and train your team in sushi preparation, knife skills, yakitori, large plates, and the philosophy of Japanese cuisine.
• Own and deliver GP to budget, determining food inventory needs including managing stock, waste and ordering.
• Have total responsibility for ensuring the kitchen meets all regulations including sanitary and food safety guidelines.
• Ensure strict adherence to food hygiene practices and maintain the highest standards of cleanliness and safety.
• Work in collaboration with the Central Production Manager to ensure quality and inventory needs are met.
• Manage and own the kitchen labour spend, rota planning to budget.
• Ensure recruitment is in line with company guidelines, recruiting brilliant skill and the correct people to elevate your team’s delivery.
• Biannually conduct team performance reviews, consistently train your team, encourage development and company engagement with initiatives such as Kitchen Collabs and Apprenticeship Schemes.
• Engage with various programs whether that’s in Development or Kitchen Engagement initiatives.

Who You’ll Be:

• A proactive and warm leader, high energy and someone who loves to bring people together.
• Extensive experience as a Head Chef in a fine dining or authentic Japanese restaurant.
• Demonstrate mastery of knife skills and traditional Japanese techniques, including fish filleting and sushi rice preparation, with expertise in sushi-making and modern Japanese cuisine.
• Have a keen eye for standards and take pride in every dish served.
• Creative, innovative and forward thinking.
• Multitasker, expert delegator and loves being in the thick of it.
• Someone who keeps calm when the tickets ramp up and service is in full flow.
• Someone who our chefs can aspire to be.

Benefits & Best Bits:

• Vitality Package: Dental, Optical and Health insurance. Gym membership discounts + other rewards.
• Self Space: Free Therapy through Self Space. Accessible to anyone who works for Incipio.
• Hugely exciting career development, with opportunities to grow and expand in this role as the business grows.
• Bonus capacity paid annually.
• Company awards and events.
• Sickness & Compassionate Pay.
• Incentive trips (Wine trips to Portugal and Ski Trips to France).
• Enhanced Maternity, Paternity and Adoption leave.
• Incipio FC + Seasonal Socials.
• 50% discount for food and drink in all our venues.
• Length in service; earn additional holiday after 2 years continuous service.

Incipio & Inclusivity:

We’re all about celebrating individuality & inclusivity. At Incipio, we believe diverse teams make the best teams. That’s why we welcome applications from all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives; regardless of race, gender, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, or anything else that makes you uniquely you. If you need any adjustments during the application process, just let us know. We’ve got you!