Executive Chef

The Standard, London

Greater London

On-site

GBP 50,000 - 70,000

Full time

14 days+

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Benefits offered by this job

28 Days Holiday rising to 33 days

Pension Scheme

Life Assurance (4 x Annual Salary)

Medical Assistance

Employee Assistance Programme

Membership to Headspace Meditation app

Worldwide Travel Discounts

Employee & Family Rates

Growth and Development opportunities

In-house Experience Programme

F&B Discounts 25-50%

Recruitment Referral Bonus up to £1,000

Tuition Aid Scheme

Season Ticket Loan

Bike 2 Work Scheme

Social Committee activities

Job summary

The Standard, London is looking for a talented Executive Head Chef to lead its culinary programme. You'll manage the Main Kitchen, develop menus, and ensure high standards across dining venues including Isla and Double Standard. Ideal candidates will have 3-5 years of experience in a similar environment, showcasing strong culinary and leadership skills. Competitive salary and benefits package offered, including holiday, pension, and employee discounts. Join us to create exceptional dining experiences in a vibrant hotel setting.

Qualifications

Experience in high-volume kitchen operations.
Knowledge of complex culinary trends.
Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.

Responsibilities

Lead the culinary programme across multiple dining venues.
Ensure productivity and profit are maintained.
Motivate and coach the kitchen brigade.

Skills

Leadership

Commercial understanding

Menu engineering

Project management skills

Knowledge of London culinary scene

Attention to detail

Education

3-5 years’ experience as Executive Chef or Head Chef

Job description

Executive Head Chef · Competitive Salary (incl. Tronc) + Company Benefits · Full Time · Kings Cross

Standard, London has firmly established itself as one of the capital’s most dynamic lifestyle hotels. Set in King’s Cross within the hotel’s iconic brutalist building, The Standard brings its design-led and culture-driven philosophy to the heart of the city.

Worldwide The Standard is synonymous with culturally relevant dining, and our restaurants, bars and rooftop terraces are legendary. In London, Isla restaurant and garden terrace offers seasonal, produce-led menus and minimal-intervention wines; Double Standard blends American diner spirit with classic pub culture; The Rooftop launches a new concept each Spring/Summer; Decimo celebrates bold Mexican-Spanish cooking over fire and specialist cocktails, with skyline views accessed via our iconic red-pill lift; while 8th & 9th Floor Townhouse and In Room Dining set the stage for events.

The Standard’s signature mix of playful and sophisticated hospitality continues to grow. We are now looking for a talented and inspiring Executive Chef who will lead our Main Kitchen and the evolution of our culinary programme.

Your role

As the Executive Chef for The Standard, London, you will work in partnership with the General Manager, Director of F&B and our Regional Food & Culinary teams to lead, evolve and continuously elevate the hotel’s food programme across the Main Kitchen, which includes Isla, Double Standard, The Rooftop (seasonal), Events, and In Room Dining.

As Executive Chef you will be a strong operator capable of balancing concept integrity with commercial performance to ensure productivity and profit are maintained at optimum levels.

You will of course be passionate about cooking, with an exceptional working knowledge of complex, high-volume kitchen operations, and your extensive understanding of the latest food trends and the London restaurant scene will allow you to evolve our offerings in a way that delivers exceptional culinary experiences.

Kitchen leadership is central to this role, from daily sourcing of ingredients, development and production of dishes, product control, stock management and food cost oversight, to maintaining rigorous food hygiene and health and safety standards. Your keen eye for detail means you never miss a thing, and your visible presence within the operation ensures that standards are upheld meticulously across every service.

As a natural leader, you remain calm during challenging situations and lead from the front. You will also motivate, coach and develop the kitchen brigade, fostering a culture of accountability and creativity.

This is not a “Standard” Executive Chef role. You will need stamina and passion, be highly social and confident, handle pressure with composure, thrive in a high-volume, high-energy environment and operate seamlessly as part of the wider senior management team.

Do you have what it takes to be our Executive Chef at The Standard, London

A minimum of 3-5 years’ experience as an Executive Chef or Head Chef gained within a similar Lifestyle Hotel or high-level restaurant.

In addition to this you may also have….

A solid understanding of the London culinary scene, emerging trends and competitors, local business requirements and understanding of the local labour market
Excellent commercial understanding, combined with imaginative blue sky thinking to create an exciting, continually evolving culinary destination
Good experience in menu engineering, recipe costing and food control
Strong skills leading and managing a kitchen brigade
Experience across a range of senior management disciplines, with exceptional attention to detail and the ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously
Strong project management skills, ideally gained though previously relaunching or opening Restaurants
A flexible approach to working hours which may include some late finishes and weekends (this is not a 9-5 role)

If you think you have what it takes to be our Executive Chef at The Standard, London we’d love to hear from you!

All applicants must be eligible to live and work in the United Kingdom. Documented evidence of eligibility will be required from candidates prior to commencing employment.

Benefits Include