Head Chef

Little And Large Hotel Company Limited; East Malling; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 62,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Lead and develop your own kitchen

Menu input and direction

Bonus program

Staff meals and benefits

Opportunity to grow with a growing pub

Job summary

The Leicester Arms, part of Little & Large Pub Company, is seeking a hands-on Head Chef to lead the kitchen at its pub with rooms in Penshurst, Kent. You will take real ownership of the kitchen, develop a strong brigade and drive consistently excellent food across all service periods.

You’ll manage GP and stock, lead menu development with the team, and work closely with the GM and front-of-house to enhance the pub’s food reputation in the local area.

Qualifications

• Experience as Head Chef or strong Senior Sous Chef ready to step up.
• Loves proper pub food and seasonal British cooking.
• Organised, commercially aware and able to manage GP and labour.
• Enjoys developing menus and bringing new ideas to the table.
• Can recruit, train and retain a strong kitchen team.
• Leads from the front and sets high standards.
• Understands consistency is as important as creativity.
• Works with kitchen and front-of-house teams.

Responsibilities

• Leading, motivating and developing the kitchen team.
• Delivering consistently high standards across every service.
• Creating and developing seasonal menus with the wider food team.
• Working with local suppliers and Great British produce.
• Maintaining strong GP and stock control.
• Managing kitchen labour and rotas.
• Ordering, stock management and supplier relationships.
• Recruitment, training and development of the brigade.
• Maintaining food safety and health & safety standards.
• Collaborating with General Manager and front-of-house team.
• Developing the pub’s food reputation in Penshurst and surrounding area.
• Driving specials, events, Sunday lunch and seasonal food activity.

Skills

Head Chef experience

Team leadership

Pub food knowledge

Menu development

Job description

We’re looking for an ambitious, hands‑on Head Chef to lead the kitchen at The Leicester Arms, our beautiful country pub with rooms in the heart of Penshurst, Kent.

The Leicester Arms is part of Little & Large Pub Company, an independent hospitality group focused on great pubs, brilliant food and warm, genuine hospitality.

Following a major refurbishment, The Leicester Arms combines a busy village pub, restaurant, private dining and 11 individually designed bedrooms. We’re now looking for a Head Chef who can take real ownership of the kitchen and help us continue to develop the food offer.

The Role

This is a hands‑on Head Chef position. We’re looking for someone who wants to be in the kitchen, leading from the front, developing their team and delivering consistently excellent food.

You’ll be responsible for:

• Leading, motivating and developing the kitchen team
• Delivering consistently high standards across every service
• Creating and developing seasonal menus alongside the wider food team
• Working with great British produce and quality local suppliers
• Maintaining strong food GP and effective stock control
• Managing kitchen labour and rotas
• Ordering, stock management and supplier relationships
• Recruitment, training and development of the brigade
• Maintaining excellent food safety, allergen and health & safety standards
• Working closely with the General Manager and front‑of‑house team
• Developing the pub’s food reputation within Penshurst and the surrounding area
• Driving specials, events, Sunday lunch and seasonal food activity

About You

We’re looking for someone who:

• Has experience as a Head Chef or a strong Senior Sous Chef ready to step up
• Loves proper pub food and seasonal British cooking
• Is organised, commercially aware and comfortable managing GP and labour
• Enjoys developing menus and bringing new ideas to the table
• Can recruit, train and retain a strong kitchen team
• Leads from the front and sets high standards
• Understands that consistency is just as important as creativity
• Works collaboratively with both kitchen and front‑of‑house teams
• Takes pride in running a clean, organised and professional kitchen

Most importantly, we’re looking for someone who genuinely cares about food, people and hospitality.

What We Offer

• Competitive salary dependent on experience
• The opportunity to lead and develop your own kitchen
• Creative input into menus and future food direction
• Bonus Program
• Opportunities to develop within a growing independent pub company
• Staff food and company benefits
• A fantastic venue in one of Kent’s most beautiful villages

About Little & Large

We are an independent collection of pubs built around a simple philosophy:

It’s the little things that make the large difference.

We believe great hospitality comes from brilliant people, quality ingredients, attention to detail and creating places that our teams and local communities can be proud of.

If you’re looking for a Head Chef role where you can genuinely make your mark, we’d love to hear from you.