Head Chef

Balfour at Bow; Cranbrook; On-site; GBP 41,000 - 50,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private healthcare insurance through V

Staff discount 35% on drinks, food and

Birthday stay with bubbles

Wage Stream access

Refer a friend scheme

Flexible hours

Wellbeing Promise

Job summary

The Winemaker’s Pub, part of Balfour Winery, located in Goudhurst, near Cranbrook, is seeking a Head Chef to lead our kitchen. You will oversee daily operations, inspire a talented team and deliver seasonal British dishes with estate wines.

We value hands-on leadership, excellence in food safety, and strong financial awareness to hit targets while maintaining hospitality. Join a warm, welcoming team with flexible hours and staff benefits.

Qualifications

• Held a senior chef position in a premium pub or restaurant.
• Experience managing a kitchen and leading a team.
• Knowledge of HACCP, COSHH and Food Safety.
• Own transport is essential.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day kitchen operations and manage a happy team.
• Deliver high-quality dishes with seasonal produce.
• Maintain standards and cost controls; achieve financial targets.
• Ensure kitchen organisation and safety compliance.

Skills

Senior chef leadership

Team motivation

Organisation

Kitchen numbers

HACCP COSHH Food Safety

Finance awareness

Job description

Part of Balfour Winery and set in the nearby village of Goudhurst, The Winemaker’s Pub is our traditional local with wine at its heart. Rooted in English wine, British cooking and a strong sense of home, it sits alongside The Winemakers’ Kitchen and the Cellar Door as one of three ways to experience Balfour across the estate. This is English wine in its most natural setting: a welcoming, generous pub where guests can return time and again for seasonal British dishes, estate-only wines by the glass, and a relaxed overnight stay in one of four boutique bedrooms. Homely, informal and quietly elevated, The Winemaker’s Pub brings the vineyard into everyday life. This is a place for good food, good wine and good company without pretention.

AsHead Chef you are the leader and face of your kitchen from the day to day running, to managing a happy team, it’s all about leading your kitchen every day. Our kitchens are busy places so as Head Chef a level head, great organisation, delivering every time, with a smile, is the key to success.

We can offer you:

• Up to £45,000plus TRONC
• Comprehensive privatehealthcare insurance through Vitality
• 35% discount on all drinks, food and accommodation across every Balfour site and Balfour Winery
• A stay for you and a plus 1 at any of our hotels for your birthday plus a bottle of bubbles too
• Access to Wage Stream to help you with those unexpected nasty bills
• A great refer a friend scheme
• Flexible hours to suit you and your work/life balance
• Accredited members of “Wellbeing Promise”, meaning we are an employer who really does care! (www.wellbeingpromise.co.uk)

We're looking for our head chefs to:

• Have held a senior chef position in a premium pub or restaurant
• Care about using fresh and seasonal produce
• Motivate their team, leading by example
• Be organised
• Know their kitchen numbers
• Have excellent knowledge of HACCP, COSHH and Food Safety

In this role we need someone with:

• Previous experience at management level in a premium hospitality business
• Excellent food & drink knowledge
• Good understanding of the importance of financial targets and how to achieve them
• Own transport is essential

We welcome applications from a diverse range of individuals and will consider any reasonable adjustments to enable candidates to perform as well as possible during the recruitment process, with any requests.