Executive Chef

Restaurant Associates; Woking; On-site; GBP 62,000; Full time

Job summary

Join Restaurant Associates as an Executive Chef at the iconic McLaren Technology Centre in Woking. Lead a passionate culinary team and deliver bespoke culinary experiences for high-profile stakeholders in a cutting-edge environment. This full-time role offers creative freedom and the chance to shape culinary innovation alongside top-tier partners.

Qualifications

• Executive or Head Chef in high-end catering.
• Strong retail food experience with proven records.
• Expertise in designing bespoke events for VIP clients.

Responsibilities

• Lead culinary operations at McLaren Technology Centre.
• Oversee retail, fine dining, and event catering.
• Manage financial operations and ensure compliance with food safety regulations.

Skills

Leadership

Culinary expertise

Financial management

Food safety

Client engagement

Education

NVQ Level 3 in Professional Cookery

Intermediate Food Hygiene Certification

Job description

Executive Chef - McLaren Technology Centre (Woking)
Based in Woking, UK
£62,000 per annum
Full-Time | Monday-Friday (40 hrs/week) | Some evenings/weekends for events
Be Part of Something Legendary
We are looking for a passionate and commercially astute Executive Chef to lead culinary operations at the prestigious McLaren Technology Centre. This is a high-impact, senior kitchen leadership role overseeing retail, fine dining, VIP hospitality, and bespoke event catering — all set within one of the UK’s most iconic technology and performance engineering campuses.

As the Executive Chef, you’ll be accountable for developing innovative food concepts, leading a talented culinary team, and ensuring consistency, quality, and financial performance across all food service areas. This is a rare opportunity to shape food experiences for global partners, sponsors, the McLaren executive team, shareholders, and internal teams alike.
Key Responsibilities & Deliverables

• Retail Leadership:
  Drive and evolve the day-to-day staff catering offer across a large workforce, with an emphasis on value, quality, and participation. Many team members work in production, so menu consistency, value, and engagement are critical.
  
• Hospitality & Events:
  Lead a £2M+ annual hospitality and events operation serving executive stakeholders, clients, and VIPs. Deliver high-end, bespoke culinary experiences for sponsors, shareholders, and McLaren leadership. Work closely with clients to develop tailored offerings that reflect prestige and precision.
  
• People & Culture:
  Lead and inspire a 9-person team. Manage recruitment, training, succession planning, and apprentice development. Foster a positive and high-performance kitchen culture.
  
• Financial & Operational Management:
  Ensure cost-effective operations across food purchasing, GP, labour planning, and waste management. Drive service consistency and ensure compliance with all food safety regulations.
  
• Client Engagement & Innovation:
  Work closely with stakeholders across McLaren to build strong relationships, understand their needs, and introduce continuous improvement plans, activations, and innovation in both hospitality and retail food services.
  

What We’re Looking ForEssential:

• Executive or Head Chef experience in high-end corporate or event catering.
  
• Strong retail food background with a proven track record in driving participation and engagement.
  
• Demonstrated experience designing and delivering bespoke events for VIPs and corporate clients.
  
• Deep understanding of kitchen financials, including food costing, labour, and stock control.
  
• Inspirational leadership style with the ability to develop, mentor, and retain high-performing teams.
  
• Strong operational knowledge of food safety and H&S (HACCP).
  

Desirable:

• NVQ Level 3 in Professional Cookery (or equivalent)
  
• Intermediate Food Hygiene / Level 3 Safety Certification
  

Culture Fit:

• Energetic, driven, and client-focused with an eye for detail.
  
• Confident working with high-level stakeholders in a fast-paced, precision-driven environment.
  
• Committed to continuous improvement, innovation, and excellence.
  

Why Join Us?
This role combines creative freedom with commercial responsibility — all set within a cutting-edge and globally recognised workplace. If you're passionate about delivering excellence and ready to lead a kitchen that fuels one of the world’s most prestigious brands, we want to hear from you.

About Us

Restaurant Associates provides brilliant hospitality through our food, drink and services. We work with our partners and collaborate with our clients to achieve great things together. Every day, our teams of passionate hospitality professionals strive for excellence in delivering employee dining and hospitality to some of the UK's leading workplace as well as inspiring exceptional experiences in iconic cultural and heritage destinations.

Job Reference: com/1106/99570001/52744160/SU #RA Group

Compass Group UK&I is committed to fostering an environment where every individual can truly be themselves at work and has equal opportunities to advance in their careers. We strive to build a culture that respects and celebrates the unique talents, beliefs, backgrounds, and abilities of all our team members. We want our colleagues to feel valued, empowered to reach their full potential, and to thrive - because diversity is our strength!