Chef

Room2; Belfast City District; Hybrid; GBP 28,000 - 36,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid volunteer days

Company Sick Pay

Pension contributions

Cycle to Work

Gym access

Job summary

Second Nature seeks a Chef to lead cooking with passion and precision in our kitchen. You will craft dishes that reflect our care for guests, maintain consistent quality, and contribute to building a culture where standards are high and learning never stops.

You’ll manage ingredients and costs, read a room, and mentor teammates while embracing seasonal, local ingredients. This is a hands‑on role in a team‑driven environment within the Lamington Group family.

Qualifications

• Solid cooking experience in fast-paced kitchens.
• Food safety knowledge is essential.
• Ability to follow standards precisely.
• Calm under pressure with a strong work ethic.
• Positive attitude and willingness to give/receive feedback.

Responsibilities

• Deliver consistently great food meeting our standards.
• Follow recipes and plating standards.
• Maintain food safety, hygiene and allergen protocols.
• Work quickly and accurately under pressure.
• Support teammates during busy periods.
• Champion use of local, sustainable ingredients.
• Help reduce waste in daily work.

Skills

Cooking experience

Food safety

Attention to detail

Calm under pressure

Team player

Creativity in plating

Job description

WHY SECOND NATURE

Care, made daily.

Second Nature is part of Lamington Group. Hometel is a word Lamington Group created and owns. We design and run hometels, places that are practical but still feel good to stay in, built around how people actually travel and live. Feeling properly looked after matters too, so our teams pay attention to what guests actually need, not what a script tells them to do.

We’re looking for people who care about the work in front of them and the people around them. If that sounds like you, keep reading.

THE ROLE

What’s the role about?

You are the Chef at Second Nature. Food is how you express yourself here. Every dish that leaves your kitchen carries your standards, your creativity, and your care. You work as part of a kitchen team that leads with both precision and passion.

You know consistency is the foundation of trust. You bring new ideas without losing sight of what guests expect. You manage ingredients and costs with the same attention you give to flavour and plating.

This role is about more than cooking. You’re helping build a kitchen culture where standards are high, learning never stops, and every person knows their work matters.

WHO YOU ARE

Five things we hire for.

Use Instinct. You taste the sauce and know something’s off before a guest says a word. You read the kitchen’s rhythm, when morale is flagging, when someone needs help, and adjust with precision and warmth.

Own It. Every plate that leaves your section is yours. You set the standard, lead by example, and don’t wait for someone else to catch a mistake. You finish the job, including helping a struggling teammate.

Include All. Your kitchen team trusts you because you’re real with them. You celebrate their wins, own your own mistakes openly, and create space where people can take risks without fear. That’s where good ideas come from.

Stay Curious. You try seasonal ingredients and new techniques, but you don’t chase trends at the cost of consistency. You ground new ideas in what guests expect from Second Nature, and deliver it well.

Think Big. You imagine menus that reflect our values: local, sustainable, memorable. You’re not just cooking today’s service, you’re helping build a food identity that guests come back for.

We don’t hire for a big hotel name on your CV. We can teach you the systems. We can’t teach you how to read a room.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

On a good day, you might…

• Deliver consistently great food that reflects our standards, every service.
• Follow recipes and plating standards closely, so every dish meets our specification.
• Keep food safety, hygiene and allergen protocols front of mind, always.
• Work quickly and accurately under pressure, keeping your station organised and prioritising well.
• Keep portion control and plating consistent, so every guest gets the same quality.
• Check food quality and presentation throughout service, catching issues before plates go out.
• Support your teammates during busy periods, and stay open to feedback.
• Champion sustainable, local ingredients and help cut waste in your daily work.

WHAT YOU'LL BRING

Experience that fits the role.

• Solid cooking experience in a fast-paced kitchen, whether that’s a hotel kitchen, a restaurant, or somewhere else entirely. A big hotel name on your CV isn’t required.
• A genuine passion for cooking and food quality.
• A calm head under pressure and a strong work ethic.
• Attention to detail and the ability to follow standards precisely.
• A positive attitude, team spirit, and openness to feedback.
• Solid food safety knowledge, or a real willingness to learn it fast.

WHAT YOU'LL LOVE WORKING HERE

What you get back.

• Team that means it. Great food is built together, shift by shift, alongside a team that’s hands‑on and supportive, with regular check‑ins on how you’re doing and what you need.
• Growth that’s real. We build from within. Your path might lead to Senior Chef, Kitchen Supervisor, or wider kitchen leadership roles across the business.
• Learning, built in. Hands‑on training and proper onboarding from day one, sharpening your skills as you go.
• Time off that respects you. More annual leave the longer you stay, company benefits, two paid volunteer days a year, and a Company Sick Pay Scheme.
• Stay with us, on us. Friends‑and‑family rates across our hometels and the wider group, plus one free stay on us.
• The day‑to‑day. Pension contributions, wellbeing support, a Cycle to Work scheme, and gym access at our properties.

HOW IT WORKS

Our hiring process.

We keep it short, honest and human.

1. First conversation. A 30-minute call with the hiring manager about the role, the team, and you.
2. On‑site visit. Meet the team and see the building. You should know what you’re signing up for before you say yes.
3. Offer. If it’s a fit on both sides, we move quickly.

WE CLOSE THE LOOP

Every applicant hears back from us, yes or no. We don’t ghost.

FOR EVERYONE

A note on inclusion.

Second Nature and Lamington Group are equal opportunities employers. We hire on attitude and ability. We welcome applications from every background, regardless of age, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability, religion or belief.

If you need any adjustments to take part in our hiring process, tell us when you apply. We’ll work with you.