Chef

John Lewis plc; Greater London; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 39,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Night premium

Flexible working

Job summary

John Lewis Partnership in London is seeking a Chef to lead the kitchen brigade, delivering high‑volume, high‑quality dining experiences for customers and Partners. This permanent role is 35 hours per week, Monday–Friday 07:00–15:00, based at Pimlico Head Office. Night shift premium of £4.25 per hour applies 22:00–06:00.

Salary ranges up to £32,000 depending on experience, with a typical band of £28,400–£38,600. DBS checks may be required; flexible working options are available.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years in high-volume catering.
• Food safety level 1+; Health & safety level 1+.
• NVQ level 1 and 2; customer service experience.

Responsibilities

• Produce a wide range of dishes to a high standard for large numbers.
• Create diverse, cost-effective menus with trend awareness.
• Develop standardized recipes to ensure consistency and portion control.
• Cater to common dietary requirements with awareness of allergies.

Skills

High-Volume Cooking

Menu Development

Recipe Standardization

Dietary Accommodation

Food Safety Level 1+

Customer Service

NVQ Level 1/2

Education

NVQ Level 1

NVQ Level 2

Job description

ABOUT THE ROLE

As a Chef, you'll be working as part of our friendly kitchen brigade to ensure the efficient day-to-day running of our kitchens and assist in providing a consistently high quality dining experience for either our customers or Partners, depending on where you are based. You'll lead and inspire the kitchen team to create exceptional culinary experiences that leave a lasting impression, using your creativity and flair to develop and execute a food offer while also ensuring that it meets the highest standards of quality, innovation, cost control, health and safety. In addition to your contractual pay, any time worked between 22:00 - 06:00 will attract Night Premium at a rate of £4.25 per hour. This will also apply to existing Partners who have enrolled onto Enhanced Hours Premium arrangements.

Salary: Up to £32,000 depending on experience.

Contract Type: This role is a permanent contract.

Location: This role is based at our Pimlico Head Office.

Working pattern: This role will be Mon-Fri 07:00 - 15:00 (35 hours per week)

Key responsibilities

We are looking for a Chef with:

• Advanced High-Volume Culinary Skills: Proven ability in producing a wide range of dishes to a high standard for large numbers. This includes proficiency in various cooking methods and cuisines suitable for diverse palates.
• Menu Development & Innovation: Creating diverse, appealing, and cost-effective menus. Ability to be creative and adapt to current food trends.
• Recipe Standardization & Consistency: Developing and implementing standardized recipes to ensure consistent quality, taste, and portion control across large batches.
• Special Dietary Accommodation (General): Ability to cater to common dietary requirements such as vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and common allergies. While perhaps not as in-depth as clinical therapeutic diets, a solid understanding is crucial.
• Essential skills/experience you’ll need: Minimum 5 years experience working in a high volume catering environment. Food safety level 1 (or higher level). Health & Safety level 1 (or higher level). NVQ level 1 and 2. Experience of working within a customer service based environment.
• Desirable skills/experience you may have: Experience of working within a customer service based environment.

Closing Date: October 2, 2026

Pay: £28,400.00 - £38,600.00

Annual Contract Type: Permanent

Hours of Work: 35

Job Level: Partnership Level 9

Where You’ll Be Working: London Central Office, 1 Drummond Gate, London, , SW1V 2QQ

ABOUT THE PARTNERSHIP

We’re the largest employee owned business in the UK and home of our cherished brands, John Lewis and Waitrose. We’re not just employees, we’re Partners, driven by our purpose to build a happier world. As we look to our future, there’s never been a more exciting time to join us. We’re ruthlessly focused on being brilliant at retail. We continue to innovate, adapt and diversify. Never Knowingly Undersold on price, quality and service in John Lewis and passionately serving food-lovers in Waitrose. As Partners we all share the responsibility of ownership and in its rewards. We use our voices to contribute to our success, working together through the good and challenging times, holding true to our behaviours and treating everyone with kindness and respect. We all own making the Partnership somewhere we belong. Embracing our differences and creating an environment where we’re free to be ourselves and can THRIVE. Growing ourselves individually, and as a collective. As Partners, we make all the difference. And, we all own it.

Important points to note:

It’s important to note that some of our roles are subject to pre-employment vetting (which may include DBS checks for successful candidates). If required, you’ll be informed and provided with information about vetting during the recruitment process and we encourage you to complete any vetting documents quickly to avoid delays. Any DBS checks required will be carried out by a third‑party registered body and financial probity checks may also be required for some of our roles. We want all of our Partners to have a good work-life balance and we support flexible working. This might mean flexible or compressed hours, job sharing or shorter hour contracts, where possible. Please discuss this further with the hiring manager during your interview. At the John Lewis Partnership we’re not just employees; we’re co‑owners, and that’s why we’re called Partners. Being a Partner means not only do we all collectively share the responsibilities of being the UK’s largest employee‑owned business, but we also share in its rewards and successes. It’s this ownership model that makes the Partnership a very unique place to work.