Commis Chef

John Lewis Partnership; Cookham; On-site; GBP 34,000 - 46,000; Full time

Job summary

John Lewis Partnership is seeking a Commis Chef to join our hotel kitchen brigade. You will assist the Head/Sous Chef, help deliver high-quality dishes, and contribute to kitchen efficiency while developing your culinary career.

45 hours per week, rotations including weekends, with early starts (06:00) and late finishes (21:30). Salary £34,080–£46,300 dependent on skills and experience. DBS checks may be required during recruitment.

Qualifications

• City & Guilds diplomas in professional cookery or BTEC HNC in professional cookery or proven kitchen experience.
• Understanding of HACCP and maintaining a clean working area.
• Excellent communication and active listening skills.
• Basic computer skills are beneficial in ordering and records.

Responsibilities

• Assist Head Chef and Sous Chef with planning, production and delivery of hotel food to set standards.
• Ensure compliance with food safety, allergens, and hygiene policies.
• Monitor fridge temperatures and cleaning schedules; uphold H&S and PPE standards.
• Work effectively under pressure in a fast-paced kitchen.

Skills

HACCP knowledge

Communication skills

Basic computer skills

Customer service

Multitasking

Education

City & Guilds diplomas in professional cookery

BTEC HNC in professional cookery

Job description

About The Role

As a Commis Chef, you'll be working as part of our talented kitchen brigade, helping to provide a first-class experience for Partners and guests of the hotel. As a key player in our Catering team, you will be essential in delivering high-quality culinary offerings and driving kitchen efficiency. You'll be working under the direction of the Head/Sous Chef, but there will also be opportunity for you to work independently, giving you the responsibility and experience to develop in your career.

About The Role

As a Commis Chef, you'll be working as part of our talented kitchen brigade, helping to provide a first-class experience for Partners and guests of the hotel. As a key player in our Catering team, you will be essential in delivering high-quality culinary offerings and driving kitchen efficiency. You'll be working under the direction of the Head/Sous Chef, but there will also be opportunity for you to work independently, giving you the responsibility and experience to develop in your career.

Hours of work

45 hrs per week A mix of shifts on a rota basis including weekends earliest start time 06:00 and latest finish 21:30.

Salary

£34,080 - £46,300 paid based on skills and experience

Key Responsibilities

• Assisting the Head Chef & Sous Chef with the planning, production and delivery of the hotel food offer to agreed food presentation standards, in line with current trends and customer demand.
• Meeting all legislative requirements for the Catering environment, to include allergens.
• Daily Compliance & Standards - Checking all food safety records, fridge temperatures and cleaning schedules while ensuring full adherence to H&S, PPE, service standards and food safety policies.
• Able to work under pressure in a fast-paced environment.

Essential Skills/experience You’ll Need

• City & Guilds diplomas in professional cookery, BTEC HNC in professional cookery or equivalent or proven experience in the Kitchen/Chef industry
• A good understanding of HACCP and maintaining an immaculate working area.
• Excellent communication and active listening skills.
• Basic computer skills.
• Great customer service.
• Ability to multitask and prioritise.

Desirable Skills/experience You May Have

• Level 2 Food Safety qualification.

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 occasionally close vacancies early in the event we receive a high volume of applications, and therefore, we recommend you apply early. If you require a reasonable adjustment due to a disability which means you may need longer to complete your application please contact us as soon as possible. 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.