Group Executive Chef

Compass Group; City Of London; On-site; GBP 53,000 - 63,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading catering company in London is seeking a Group Executive Chef to lead the culinary direction for a multi-site campus with 12 outlets. This role requires a passionate culinary leader to inspire a talented team and drive culinary innovation. Ideal candidates will have significant experience in multi-site culinary leadership, showcasing a strong commitment to quality and excellence.

Qualifications

• Significant culinary and retail leadership experience, with multi-site experience preferred.
• Proven track record of culinary innovation and consistency at scale.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills to influence and collaborate.

Responsibilities

• Lead culinary excellence across 12 outlets, driving quality and creativity.
• Develop and enhance menus, testing new recipes with the team.
• Inspire and mentor chefs, promoting collaboration and best practices.

Skills

Culinary leadership

Communication skills

Organizational abilities

Problem-solving skills

Job description

Group Executive Chef - Multi-Outlet Campus

• London
• Up to £63,000 per annum, depending on experience
• 5 days over 7, flexibility required in line with business needs.

Join Compass Group UK & Ireland as our Group Executive Chef leading the culinary direction for a large, multi-site campus with 12 diverse outlets. This is an exciting opportunity for a passionate and experienced culinary leader to shape, innovate, and elevate the food experience across a high-profile, fast-paced environment.

The Role

As Group Executive Chef, you'll oversee the culinary strategy and execution across all outlets on a geographically spread campus. You'll inspire and guide a talented team of chefs, ensuring every dish reflects our commitment to quality, innovation, and exceptional customer experience.

Working closely with operational and executive teams, you'll lead menu development, champion food innovation, and ensure consistency and excellence across every site.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead culinary excellence across 12 outlets, driving quality, creativity, and consistency.
• Develop and enhance menus, testing and validating new recipes in collaboration with the wider culinary team.
• Deliver key projects that support the evolution of our food offers and strengthen our brand reputation.
• Inspire and mentor chefs across the business, promoting collaboration, idea-sharing, and best practice.
• Champion client initiatives related to food and sustainability, ensuring alignment with business goals.
• Provide leadership and guidance, fostering a culture of innovation, accountability, and excellence.
• Support new business opportunities through creative culinary solutions and client engagement.

About You

You’ll be a hands‑on, visionary culinary leader with the expertise to deliver outstanding food and inspire high‑performing teams. You combine creativity with commercial awareness and have the credibility to lead across a large, complex operation.

Our candidate will have

• Significant culinary and retail leadership experience – multi‑site experience preferred.
• A proven track record of delivering culinary innovation and consistency at scale.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate effectively.
• A clear, engaging leadership style with the ability to motivate and develop teams.
• Excellent organisational and time‑management abilities.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills with an innovative mindset.

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!