Executive Head Chef

Global Sports Jobs Limited; Greater London; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private health cover

Discretionary bonus

Enhanced holiday allowance

Staff meals

Company pension

Perks at Work

Entertainment discounts

Job summary

Global Sports Jobs Limited seeks a senior culinary leader to oversee all aspects of the food operation across matchdays, hospitality, events and retail. Reporting to the General Manager, you will inspire the senior kitchen team, shape menus, and drive sustainability while delivering exceptional guest experiences.

You will manage costs, staffing and supplier relationships, ensuring compliance with food safety and allergen standards, and lead a positive, inclusive kitchen culture aligned to the

Qualifications

• 8–10 years of progressive culinary experience with senior leadership.
• Experience as Executive/Head Chef or equivalent in large-scale hospitality.
• Proven ability to lead multiple culinary teams and high-volume operations.
• Strong cost control, menu development and financial management skills.
• Excellent leadership and stakeholder management abilities.
• Deep knowledge of food safety, allergens and compliance.
• Committed to sustainable sourcing and plant-forward options.

Responsibilities

• Lead the overall culinary vision and food strategy for the venue.
• Develop innovative menus across matchdays, hospitality, events, retail and nutrition.
• Maintain high standards of food quality, presentation and guest experience.
• Lead and develop the senior culinary team and foster an inclusive culture.
• Plan recruitment, engagement, wellbeing and performance with leadership partners.
• Oversee kitchen staffing, budgeting, purchasing, and waste management.
• Ensure compliance with safety, hygiene and environmental standards.
• Build relationships with clients and stakeholders to support commercial goals.

Skills

Leadership

Menu development

Cost control

Financial management

Communication

Stakeholder management

Food safety

Sustainability

Coaching/mentoring

Job description

About the Role

The role provides overall culinary leadership for the venue, with responsibility for the quality, consistency, creativity and commercial performance of the food operation. Reporting to the General Manager, it leads and develops the senior culinary team, including the Conference & Events Head Chef, Matchday Head Chef and Performance Chef, ensuring a consistent culinary vision across all areas of the business. The post-holder works across matchdays, premium hospitality, conference and events, retail and performance nutrition to deliver exceptional food experiences for guests, clients, players and colleagues. A key focus is people leadership and development, creating a positive, inclusive and high-performing culinary culture, alongside leading the venue's sustainable food agenda.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the overall culinary vision and food strategy for the venue.
• Develop innovative, seasonal and commercially successful menus across matchdays, hospitality, events, retail and performance catering.
• Maintain consistently high standards of food quality, presentation and guest experience, ensuring menus reflect dietary, cultural, nutritional and allergen requirements and keeping the offer relevant through innovation, trends and guest insight.
• Lead, inspire and develop the senior culinary team, including the Conference & Events Head Chef, Matchday Head Chef and Performance Chef, creating a positive, inclusive and accountable kitchen culture.
• Develop talent, succession plans and career pathways across the culinary team, coaching and mentoring senior chefs and supporting them in developing their own teams.
• Work with the General Manager, Deputy General Manager, People team and wider leadership team on recruitment, engagement, wellbeing and performance, championing the company's values around diversity, inclusion and colleague development.
• Provide culinary leadership across the matchday and event calendar, ensuring the kitchen operation is appropriately staffed, planned and resourced, and being visible and hands‑on during key matchdays and major events.
• Support the Performance Chef in delivering high-quality, nutritious food aligned to athlete requirements.
• Lead the sustainable food strategy, increasing the use of seasonal, local and responsibly sourced ingredients, developing plant‑forward and lower‑impact menu options, driving food waste reduction through planning, menu engineering and ingredient utilisation
• And engaging the culinary team and suppliers around sustainable practices and agreed environmental targets.
• Take overall responsibility for culinary cost, labour and profitability, managing purchasing, suppliers, food cost and waste and working with the General Manager and finance team to deliver agreed financial targets.
• Ensure kitchen operations meet the highest standards of food safety, hygiene and compliance, working alongside the Venue Compliance Manager on current and future challenges.
• Build strong relationships with clients, event teams, operational colleagues and key stakeholders, ensuring the culinary proposition supports the wider commercial and guest experience strategy and representing the employer professionally at senior level.

Required Experience & Qualifications

• Minimum 8–10 years' progressive culinary experience, including significant senior leadership experience.
• Proven track record at Executive Chef, Executive Head Chef, Senior Head Chef or equivalent level.
• Extensive senior culinary leadership experience within a large-scale hospitality, sporting, events, hotel or contract catering environment.
• Proven experience leading large and diverse culinary teams, including managing multiple culinary teams or functions.
• Experience delivering high-volume sporting, hospitality or event operations.
• Proven experience in menu development, cost control and financial management.
• Exceptional culinary and menu development skills.
• Strong commercial and financial understanding.
• Excellent leadership, communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong knowledge of food safety, allergens and operational compliance.
• Genuine passion for sustainable food and responsible sourcing.
• Inspirational, visible and approachable leadership style, with strong coaching and mentoring skills.
• Proven ability to develop and retain culinary talent and to create a high‑performing, inclusive and accountable culture.
• Passionate about developing the next generation of chefs, and about food, people and hospitality.
• Creative, innovative and commercially minded, with strong attention to detail and high personal standards.

Preferred Skills

• Experience of sustainable food initiatives is highly desirable.

Salary

• £75,000

Benefits & Perks

• Private health cover (Medicash, Aviva).
• Medicash healthcare benefits, including dental, optical and therapy treatments (includes up to four dependent children).
• Aviva Digicare free annual healthcare check.
• Discretionary bonus.
• Enhanced holiday allowance (27 days, bank holidays and birthday off annually).
• 23 days plus bank holidays and an additional day off for your birthday.
• Two days' additional leave following return from maternity leave during the first year back.
• Free staff meals and meals on duty.
• Job enhancement training and development courses, ongoing training and career pathways.
• Company pension scheme and life assurance.
• Exclusive benefits and wellbeing site (Perks at Work).
• Entertainment discounts of up to 55% off cinema tickets.