Head Chef

£42,000–£48,000 + Performance Bonus | Kidbrooke, South East London

The Benefits

• £42,000 – £48,000 salary, depending on experience

• Performance bonus linked to kitchen gross profit and hygiene audit results

• 42–45 hours per week over 5 days

• Straight shifts only – no split shifts

• Daytime-led operation with no late-night finishes

• 28 days’ paid holiday per year

• Brand-new, custom-built commercial kitchen with premium equipment

• Free staff meals and unlimited specialty coffee and matcha on shift

• Chef whites and full uniform provided

• Workplace pension

• Direct involvement with the founders in menu development and the evolution of the food concept

• Opportunity to build and lead a kitchen team from launch

About My Client

My client is launching an exciting new café and dining concept in Kidbrooke Village, South East London, directly next to Kidbrooke railway station.

Designed around modern daytime dining, the venue will combine the energy of a premium all-day café with a creative, quality-led food offering. Think elevated brunch, beautifully presented lunch bowls, Japanese-inspired Shokupan sandwiches, fresh morning pastries, specialty coffee and functional shakes.

The focus is on fresh, scratch-cooked food, quality ingredients, strong presentation and efficient service. The ambition is to create a destination that feels contemporary and distinctive while delivering the consistency and pace needed for a busy neighbourhood café.

The Role

This is an opportunity for an ambitious Head Chef to take ownership of the kitchen operation from the very beginning.

Working directly with the founders, you’ll help turn the food concept into a successful day-to-day operation. You’ll have a genuine voice in menu development, recipe testing, kitchen systems and the way the team works.

Your role will combine hands-on cooking with leadership and operational responsibility. You’ll establish efficient preparation and service routines, build a strong kitchen team, manage ordering and food costs, and ensure every dish is delivered consistently during busy services.

You’ll also help establish food safety procedures and hygiene standards from launch, creating a kitchen that is organised, commercially focused and ready to grow.

The Food Concept

The menu brings together several exciting elements of modern café dining:

• Elevated all-day brunch, including eggs and griddle-cooked dishes

• Japanese-inspired Shokupan sandwiches

• Nutrient-rich lunch trays and grain bowls

• Morning viennoiserie finished using combi-oven technology

• Specialty coffee, matcha and functional performance shakes

• Seasonal specials developed in collaboration with the founders

The culinary approach centres on scratch cooking, carefully sourced ingredients, attractive presentation and disciplined station assembly. The concept also has a seed-oil-free focus.

The Kitchen & Team

You’ll lead a newly fitted, purpose-built commercial kitchen equipped with modern cooking technology, including combi-ovens and high-speed ovens.

The initial team will include:

• 1 Head Chef

• 1 Sous Chef / Junior Sous Chef

• 2 Line / Prep Cooks

• 1–2 Kitchen Porters

You’ll be responsible for building the foundations of the operation, from preparation lists and station workflows to recipe controls, ordering, stock management and staff training.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the kitchen team through pre-opening, launch and ongoing service

• Develop and test recipes, menus and seasonal specials

• Establish efficient preparation systems and station workflows

• Deliver consistent food quality, presentation and portion control

• Oversee ordering, stock rotation, waste management and kitchen gross profit

• Use modern kitchen equipment and digital recipe systems effectively

• Implement HACCP procedures and maintain excellent food hygiene standards

• Recruit, train and develop a reliable, high-performing kitchen team

• Work closely with the founders to evolve the menu and improve the business

About You

We’re looking for a chef who combines strong cooking ability with the organisation and commercial awareness needed to lead a modern, high-volume kitchen.

You’ll ideally have:

• At least two years’ experience as a Head Chef, Senior Sous Chef or Kitchen Manager

• Experience in a busy, quality-focused café, brunch, premium casual dining or fast-casual environment

• Excellent pan, griddle and egg-cookery skills under pressure

• A strong understanding of batch preparation, service flow and kitchen organisation

• Experience managing food costs, stock and waste

• High standards of food safety, hygiene and team training

• Confidence using modern kitchen equipment and digital recipe controls, or the ability to learn quickly

• The drive to build something new and take real ownership of the results

This is an opportunity to help shape a new food business from day one, lead your own kitchen team and combine creative freedom with commercial responsibility — all within a daytime-focused operation.

About Chefs for Chefs

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