Head Chef (Hiring Immediately) in Islington

The Canonbury is a beautiful, much-loved pub located in the leafy neighbourhood of Canonbury. Following an outstanding year of growth across all food revenue, we are now entering an exciting new chapter. Our focus for 2026/27 is simple: not to do more, but to do better.

We are looking for a Head Chef who is innovative, creative and ambitious, someone who wants to take The Canonbury to the next level and help shape the future of our food offering.

The Vision

After the success of the past financial year, our strategy moving forward is centred on premium dining experiences, exceptional ingredients, and inspired menus. Our Seafood Shack has recently been elevated with indulgent additions and luxury enhancements, including half lobster, caviar and refined premium extras, creating a vibrant summer destination. Alongside this, we are looking to draw inspiration from global cuisines, infusing world flavours and techniques into our menus while staying true to our identity and commitment to quality. Our Seasonal Supper Clubs have become hugely popular and will continue to evolve, growing in creativity, exclusivity and demand. These events are a platform for experimentation, storytelling through food, and creating memorable guest experiences. While our summer strategy is firmly in place, our next key focus is driving dining room trade throughout the week. We will introduce carefully curated, food-led theme nights designed to attract guests earlier in the week and establish The Canonbury as a destination for exceptional dining at any time.

What We Stand For

• High-quality, premium ingredients
• Thoughtfully crafted, globally inspired menus
• Impeccable execution
• Restaurant-level service standards
• A consistent, elevated guest experience

The Kitchen

At the heart of everything we do is our beautiful open kitchen, fully equipped with everything you need to deliver exceptional food. Just as importantly, you will be joining a fantastic kitchen team who work hard, support one another and consistently deliver to high expectations. The Canonbury prides itself on being more than just a workplace, we are a big family unit. The collaboration between the kitchen and front of house is a huge part of our success, and we work together to create a positive, energetic environment where everyone takes pride in the guest experience.

The Role

As Head Chef, you will lead the kitchen with creativity, precision and passion. You will work closely with the management team to develop menus, lead a talented brigade, and ensure that every dish leaving the kitchen reflects the quality and ambition of The Canonbury. You will be responsible for:

• Creating innovative, seasonally driven menus
• Elevating our premium seafood offering and developing the Seafood Shack concept
• Leading the development of themed dining events and Seasonal Supper Clubs
• Maintaining exceptional standards of food quality, consistency and presentation
• Managing kitchen operations, food cost and supplier relationships
• Training, mentoring and inspiring the kitchen team
• Ensuring a seamless collaboration between kitchen and front of house

Who We're Looking For

The ideal candidate will be:

• A creative and forward-thinking chef
• Passionate about premium ingredients and global flavours
• Experienced in leading high-performing kitchen teams
• Driven to deliver exceptional guest experiences
• Excited by the opportunity to shape and grow a food destination

The Opportunity

This is a rare opportunity for a talented Head Chef to take ownership of an already successful food offering and push it further - creatively, commercially and reputationally. At The Canonbury, 2026/27 is about pushing boundaries, refining our craft, and delivering something truly special.

Being a Head Chef at Young's:

We believe every pub should be different. This means that you'll be writing your own recipes that match the food vision of your business using fresh seasonal ingredients. The food vision could be all about showcasing local produce, country pub classics, seafood, small plates and sharers, dry-aged meat - each pub is different and it's up to you as head chef to put your own creative stamp on that vision. We work with fresh, seasonal produce, so the menu should constantly evolve to showcase these fantastic ingredients when they are at their best.

What we offer our Head Chefs:

• Full autonomy to create your own menus and specials
• Access to our Apprenticeship Scheme and Development Programmes
• Access to regular culinary masterclasses covering topics such as Game, Butchery and Shellfish
• Access to inspirational food trips with our top quality suppliers
• Regular Chef Forums with other Head Chefs to inspire and develop
• Free meals
• 20% discount in all Young's Pubs and 30% discount on overnight stays in our Pubs with Rooms
• Share save Scheme
• Enhanced Company Pension Scheme
• 28 Days Holiday per year

What we look for in a Head Chef:

This role requires someone that can inspire a team, to bring out the potential and lead by example whilst being able to develop, cost and produce fresh seasonal menus for the variety of revenue streams within the business. Have experience championing excellent service through quality food either as a Head Chef or in the position of Sous Chef. Demonstrate a passion for leading and developing a team. Be an active hands-on team player with excellent communication skills. Be responsible and able to manage the kitchen staff rota, training and all health and safety effectively at all times. Be able to demonstrate your creativity and ability to design and deliver new dishes for our menus and daily specials. Demonstrate great planning and organisational skills, necessary to maintain effective controls with regard to both GP and labour. Have a pro-active approach to driving sales and delivering growth, through engagement with both kitchen and front of house teams.