Estate Head Chef - Estelle Manor, Witney. Closes 23 Dec

Club Rugby; Witney; On-site; GBP 54,000 - 66,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Biannual company socials

50% F&B discounts at all manor venues

Estelleversary gifting

Uniform provided, seamstress support

Job summary

Estelle Manor in Oxfordshire, part of the Club Rugby group, is seeking a hands-on Head Chef to lead four kitchens across the estate and elevate our luxury dining offer. Reporting to the Executive Chef, you will inspire kitchen teams, design seasonal menus, and drive profitability while maintaining exceptional standards.

You will manage daily operations, SOPs, and cross-functional collaboration with senior stakeholders, ensuring talent development and a culture where cooks feel valued and thrive.

Qualifications

• Proven Head Chef experience in luxury hotel, restaurant, or high-end hospitality.
• Creative chef with knowledge of various cuisines and concepts.
• Experience managing daily operations, SOPs and setup.
• Commercially minded with understanding of food costs, budgets and stock control.
• Natural leader who inspires and values the team.
• Collaborative with senior stakeholders across multiple teams.

Responsibilities

• Shape culinary experience across Estelle Manor and lead kitchen teams.
• Develop seasonal menus and drive food offering across estate.
• Lend expertise across all four kitchens during activations.

Skills

Head Chef experience

Leadership

Menu development

Food costs & budgeting

Stakeholder collaboration

Job description

• Salary -earning potential £60,000 pa (base salary of £48,000, plus a qualified estimate of £12,000 in gratuities and service charge)

Who are we?

Estelle Manor is a rural retreat set on an 85-acre estate in Oxfordshire. The manor has four restaurants, an extraordinary 3,000 sq metre Roman-inspired spa- Eynsham Baths, 108 bedrooms and a gym with class studios and padel courts. Plus, there's a kids' club for the little ones and a workspace.

This year, Estelle Manor has been ranked No. 43 in The World’s 50 Best Hotels, recognising our place among the world’s leading luxury hotels and reflecting the passion, talent and dedication of our incredible team. Come and be part of something special as we continue to create extraordinary experiences at Estelle Manor.

The Role:

Reporting directly to our Executive Chef team, you'll play a key role in shaping the culinary experience across Estelle Manor. From inspiring and developing our talented kitchen teams to bringing exciting new ideas, seasonal menus and creativity to the table, you'll help drive our food offering forward across the entire estate.

A hands on leader with a passion for exceptional food, you'll champion the highest standards while creating a kitchen culture where people thrive and every dish leaves a lasting impression. Flexibility and adaptability are key, as you'll be happy to lend your expertise across all four kitchens and support our ever changing seasonal activations whenever needed.

Who we are looking for?

• Proven Head Chef experience, ideally within a luxury hotel, restaurant or high end hospitality environment.
• A passionate and creative Chef with a understanding of different cuisines, culinary styles and concepts.
• Experience managing daily operations, set up, standards and SOPs.
• Commercially minded, with a good understanding of food costs, budgets, stock control and kitchen profitability.
• A natural leader who leads by example, brings energy to the kitchen and creates an environment where people feel valued and can thrive.
• Confident working collaboratively with senior stakeholders across multiple operational teams and support functions.

What's in it for you?

At Estelle, we prioritize your well-being and growth, offering a range of perks to enrich your experience. Enjoy exclusive staff rates, biannual socials, and Estelleversary surprises. Nurture your well-being with stocked colleague spaces. Engage in forums shaping The Estelle Way. Utilise the provided uniforms and onsite seamstress support. Join us for a fulfilling journey where you are valued, supported, and celebrated.

Here at Estelle, we want to create a unified culture and sense of belonging throughout. We have a range of perks and benefits at your fingertips:

• Biannual company socials plus smaller social and sports groups.
• 50% F&B discounts at all 4 manor restaurants.
• Estelleversary gifting for all employees.
• Colleague spaces stocked with food, drinks and a selection of juices, teas and coffees.
• Cycle to Work scheme.
• Added protection of our pension and life assurance schemes.
• Perkbox - our colleague benefits platform, providing access to a wide range of exclusive discounts, rewards and wellbeing resources designed to support you both inside and outside of work.
• 30 days holiday, inclusive of bank holidays, which increases with length of service.
• Colleague Forums and Sustainability Committees to help create The Estelle Way.
• Uniform provided, cleaned, and pressed.
• Onsite seamstresses to ensure your uniform is fitted and repaired.

About gratuities & service charge:

• Gratuities (tips) and service charge are paid on a pro-rata basis regardless of your role.
• It is estimated that in 2026, our full-time employees can expect to receive in the range of £12,000 in addition to their annual salary.