Head Chef

Houston and Hawkes - Chanel; City of Westminster; On-site; GBP 47,000 - 63,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Birthday off every year

Enhanced maternity/paternity/adoption

Free meals on duty

Pension scheme

Life assurance

Career progression

Job summary

Houston & Hawkes in Central London is hiring a Head Chef to lead a premier kitchen for a new opening. You will shape a modern, seasonal food offer and direct a high-calibre team across fine dining, events and corporate dining.

The role focuses on creativity, quality, and client-facing success, with a 40-hour week and Monday–Friday schedule in a luxury workplace environment.

Qualifications

• Head Chef experience in premium contract catering or high-quality food environments.
• Background across workplace dining and high-end hospitality.
• Excellent fine dining, events and canapé experience.
• Passion for seasonal food and well-executed dishes.
• Creativity to develop menus and introduce new ideas.
• Strong commercial awareness of food cost and labour.
• Inspiring leadership to build and develop a great team.
• Excellent organisation and attention to detail.
• Confident collaboration with clients and senior stakeholders.
• Ambition to create a standout food offer.

Responsibilities

• Lead the kitchen and set exceptional culinary standards from day one.
• Create fresh, seasonal menus across a modern workplace dining offer.
• Deliver outstanding fine dining, hospitality, events and canapé service.
• Bring creativity, flavour and presentation to all offerings.
• Build, lead, motivate and develop a talented kitchen team.
• Develop seasonal dishes, specials and new concepts.
• Collaborate with hospitality team to ensure seamless services.
• Own food quality, consistency and presentation.
• Manage food cost, labour, ordering, stock and wastage.
• Foster strong client relationships and understand requirements.
• Maintain high standards of food safety, allergen management, hygiene and compliance.
• Create a positive kitchen culture emphasizing quality and pride.

Skills

Head Chef experience

Premium catering

Workplace dining

Fine dining

Menu development

Creativity

Cost control

Leadership

Client relationships

Attention to detail

Job description

HEAD CHEF

Houston & Hawkes | Central London | £55,000 per annum | 40 hours per week | Monday to Friday

Great food, beautiful presentation and the opportunity to create something genuinely special from the very beginning.

Houston & Hawkes is looking for a talented Head Chef to lead an exciting new Central London opening within an exceptional luxury workplace. You will shape a fresh, modern food offer where quality ingredients, seasonality and creativity are at the heart of everything we do.

From vibrant everyday dishes to elegant fine dining, beautifully executed canapés and high-end events, you will set the standard across the entire kitchen. This is your opportunity to build a talented team, develop exciting menus and create food you are genuinely proud to serve.

THE ROLE

• Lead the kitchen and establish exceptional culinary standards from day one
• Create fresh, seasonal menus across a modern workplace dining offer
• Deliver outstanding fine dining, hospitality, events, working lunches and canapé service
• Bring creativity, flavour and beautiful presentation to every part of the food offer
• Build, lead, motivate and develop a talented kitchen team
• Develop seasonal dishes, specials and new food concepts
• Work closely with the hospitality team to ensure every service and event is delivered seamlessly
• Take ownership of food quality, consistency and presentation
• Manage food cost, labour, ordering, stock and wastage effectively
• Build strong relationships with clients and understand their requirements
• Maintain the highest standards of food safety, allergen management, hygiene and compliance
• Create a positive kitchen culture where quality, creativity and pride in food come first

WHAT YOU’LL BRING

• Strong Head Chef experience within premium contract catering or another exceptional high-quality food environment
• A proven background across workplace dining and high-end hospitality
• Excellent fine dining, events and canapé experience
• A genuine passion for fresh, seasonal food and beautifully executed dishes
• Creativity and confidence to develop menus and bring new ideas to the table
• Strong commercial awareness across food cost, labour and kitchen performance
• An inspiring leadership style with the ability to build and develop a great team
• Exceptional organisation, consistency and attention to detail
• Confidence working closely with clients and senior stakeholders
• The ambition to create a food offer that genuinely stands out

WHY JOIN HOUSTON & HAWKES?

• £55,000 per annum
• The opportunity to shape an exceptional new opening from day one
• Birthday off every year
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave
• Free meals on duty
• Contributory pension scheme
• Life assurance
• Employee Assistance Programme
• CODE Hospitality membership
• Exclusive masterclasses with award-winning chef Sally Abé
• Foodie Socials bringing our chefs together to explore new flavours, techniques and ideas
• Ongoing learning, development and genuine career progression
• Summer Awards Party celebrating our people and achievements
• An unforgettable Christmas Party at one of London’s outstanding venues

ABOUT HOUSTON & HAWKES

Houston & Hawkes is an award-winning independent caterer creating vibrant, creative and exceptional food and hospitality experiences across some of the UK’s most prestigious workplaces.

We’re a Certified B Corp, recipient of the King’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development 2026 and proud to be ranked No. 14 in The Caterer’s Best Places to Work in Hospitality.

If you are a Head Chef who loves great food, wants the freedom to create and is excited by the opportunity to shape an outstanding new opening, we would love to hear from you.