Culinary Production Lead

Smith and Brock Ltd; Greater London; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Earned wage access

Progression to senior leadership

Family-run, values-driven culture

Job summary

Smith & Brock Ltd, Bespoke by Smith & Brock, seeks a Culinary Production Lead for a premium production kitchen operating to Michelin-level standards. You’ll hold the standard on the pass and on the production line, guiding the team and shaping production workflows.

Based in London, this Monday-to-Friday role offers a calm, production-led environment with opportunities to grow into senior leadership under the Bespoke Director Marcus Eaves.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a production kitchen or large-scale catering.
• Strong leadership and people management skills.
• Commitment to food safety and HACCP practices.

Responsibilities

• Taking a lead role in day-to-day kitchen production, ensuring consistently exceptional output
• Delivering large-scale production to premium quality standards with precision and care
• Collaborating on menu development, recipe testing, and new product development
• Leading, training, and mentoring the kitchen team, setting the standard and helping others reach it
• Owning food safety, hygiene, and health & safety compliance across the kitchen
• Driving efficient production systems, planning, and workflows
• Acting as a calm, decisive, and positive leader as the business scales

Skills

Production kitchen experience

Leadership

Food safety compliance

Culinary craftsmanship

Menu development collaboration

Job description

About Bespoke By Smith & Brock

At Smith & Brock, we're not just in the business of fresh produce, we're in the business of people, relationships, and responsibility. As a proudly family-run company, our values sit at the heart of everything we do: quality without compromise, integrity in every interaction, and sustainability that protects the future.

About Bespoke By Smith & Brock

At Smith & Brock, we're not just in the business of fresh produce, we're in the business of people, relationships, and responsibility. As a proudly family-run company, our values sit at the heart of everything we do: quality without compromise, integrity in every interaction, and sustainability that protects the future.

The role

Bespoke by Smith & Brock is a premium production kitchen, not a restaurant. We work to Michelin-level standards, but our environment is production-led: planned, precise, and built for consistency and scale. We're looking for a Culinary Production Lead who brings both culinary craft and operational thinking, someone who can hold the standard on the pass and on the production line, and who understands that great food at scale requires as much discipline as creativity.

This is a leadership role. You'll be a key figure in the kitchen, guiding the team, driving standards, and working closely with Marcus Eaves, the Bespoke Director to shape what we make and how we make it.

What You'll Be Doing

• Taking a lead role in day-to-day kitchen production, ensuring consistently exceptional output
• Delivering large-scale production to premium quality standards with precision and care
• Collaborating on menu development, recipe testing, and new product development
• Leading, training, and mentoring the kitchen team, setting the standard and helping others reach it
• Owning food safety, hygiene, and health & safety compliance across the kitchen
• Driving efficient production systems, planning, and workflows
• Acting as a calm, decisive, and positive leader as the business scales

What We're Looking For

• Proven experience in a production kitchen, large-scale catering, or premium food manufacturing environment, restaurant-trained chefs welcome, but production mindset is essential
• A passion for culinary excellence, premium ingredients, and consistent quality at scale
• Strong leadership skills, you lead from the front and bring the team with you
• Highly organised, process-minded, and detail-driven
• Comfortable owning decisions and maintaining standards independently
• Ambitious, collaborative, and genuinely excited by building something special

What's In It For You

• Monday to Friday, 8:00am - 5:00pm — weekends off (just occasionally in)
• One of the rarest schedules in the chef world — no evenings, no service, no split shifts
• Weekly grocery shop including fresh fruit and vegetables at cost price
• Earned wage access, get paid early before payday
• The opportunity to work directly alongside Michelin-starred chef Marcus Eaves
• A supportive, values-driven, family-run company culture with real scope to grow into a senior leadership position