Head Chef

Arena Racing Company Careers; Brighton; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading event catering firm based at a prestigious racecourse in Brighton is seeking an experienced Head Chef. This role involves managing the culinary offerings during race days and events, developing innovative food strategies, and ensuring compliance with food safety standards. The ideal candidate will possess strong leadership skills, a passion for food quality, and experience in managing a kitchen team. This position offers opportunities for involvement in large-scale event delivery and culinary innovation.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a senior chef or head chef role.
• Strong knowledge of HACCP, nutrition and allergen management.
• Good understanding of purchasing and IT systems.
• Ability to motivate and develop kitchen teams.
• Thrives under pressure and is process-driven.

Responsibilities

• Manage revenue budgets and achieve cost targets.
• Develop innovative food strategies for hospitality and fine dining.
• Ensure compliance with food safety management systems.
• Implement effective procurement, storage, and distribution strategies.
• Recruit and develop a high-performing kitchen team.

Skills

Leadership skills

HACCP knowledge

Food quality passion

Excellent communication

Organisational skills

Job description

Based at Brighton Racecourse, this role is responsible for leading and managing the venue’s culinary offering across all race days and events at one of the country’s most prestigious sporting venues.

Working closely with the Regional Head Chef, you will play a key role in the development and delivery of an exciting and commercially successful food offer including the growth of our non-race day events business.

Key Responsibilities

• Work in partnership with the Regional Head Chef to manage revenue budgets and achieve cost targets
• Develop and deliver an innovative food strategy across retail hospitality and fine dining propositions
• Ensure full implementation and compliance with the Company Food Safety Management System across all areas of responsibility
• Develop and implement effective procurement, storage and distribution strategies while maintaining agreed stock levels
• Manage kitchen staff rotas across all areas in remit ensuring timely submission to staffing managers and adherence to cost controls
• Recruit, develop and retain a high‑performing kitchen team allocating daily workloads to maintain operational efficiency and control
• Maintain accurate records of staff attendance, sickness and absence for all direct reports
• Take full accountability for food safety compliance, including allergen management, accurate food information display and team training and briefings

About You

• Proven experience in a senior chef or head chef role
• Strong knowledge of HACCP, nutrition and allergen management
• Good understanding of purchasing systems, technical packages and IT systems
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to motivate and develop teams
• Excellent communication and organisational skills
• Passionate about food quality and the kitchen environment
• Thrives under pressure and is structured, systematic and process‑driven

If you are an experienced Head Chef with a passion for large‑scale event delivery and culinary innovation, we would love to hear from you.

At ARC we believe that a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace makes us a more relevant, competitive and resilient company. We welcome people from all backgrounds, ethnicities, cultures and experiences. We are an equal‑opportunities employer and do not discriminate on the grounds of gender, sexual orientation, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity, gender reassignment, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, disability or age. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.

If you have a disability that requires reasonable adjustments, please let us know; we will ensure that individuals with additional needs are provided reasonable adjustments to participate in the job application or interview process and to perform essential job functions.

We understand the value that diversity brings to our business and are striving to create a working environment that is inclusive, psychologically and physically safe and ensures everyone can be heard and valued for their contributions. We are committed to making a consistent top‑down effort to be role models on what diversity, inclusion and belonging means in society.