Head Chef

Head Chef - Up to £48,000 plus performance bonus at a leading gastropub near Tunbridge Wells.

Are you a confident kitchen leader who can balance creativity with consistency? This Head Chef opportunity near Tunbridge Wells offers a £40,000 basic salary, approximately £8,000 tronc and the chance to lead an ambitious gastropub serving fresh, seasonal food.

What's in it for you?

• £40,000 basic salary
• Approximately £8,000 per year in tronc
• Package worth around £48,000 before bonus
• £4000 Performance bonus per year
• Bonus paid every 13 weeks when targets are achieved
• Birthday off guaranteed, plus a birthday treat
• 60% discount on food while working
• 50% food discount when visiting with friends and family
• 25% discount on bedrooms
• Internal training and development supported by the executive team
• Staff reward events, incentives and recognition trips
• Recruitment referral incentives
• Long-service rewards, including additional holiday
• Company pension

Your new role

As Head Chef, you'll take ownership of the kitchen operation and lead the brigade from the front. Based near Tunbridge Wells, you'll deliver a broad à la carte offering combining traditional favourites, modern dishes and seasonal food trends.

The food is prepared fresh within an established menu framework, so you'll need the discipline to deliver specifications consistently while also bringing the creativity required for menu development, specials and future dishes.

You will:

• Lead, motivate and develop the kitchen team
• Maintain consistently high standards during busy services
• Develop seasonal menus, specials and new dishes
• Balance traditional cooking with modern food trends
• Ensure recipes and specifications are followed accurately
• Manage ordering, stock rotation and supplier relationships
• Control food costs, labour, wastage and gross profit
• Recruit, train and retain kitchen team members
• Maintain excellent food safety, HACCP and allergen standards
• Work closely with front of house to deliver a strong guest experience

What we're looking for

The successful Head Chef will have proven experience leading a busy fresh-food kitchen. A background within a quality gastropub, bistro or high-volume à la carte operation would be ideal.

You’ll also need:

• Complete confidence working with fresh ingredients
• Strong menu-design and dish-development skills
• Knowledge of traditional and modern cooking styles
• The ability to follow specifications without losing creativity
• Strong commercial awareness and cost-control experience
• A hands-on leadership style
• Excellent organisation and communication skills
• A calm, consistent approach under pressure
• Sound food-safety and allergen knowledge
• The existing right to work in the UK