Head Chef

City Gate, Exeter; Exeter; On-site; GBP 42,000; Full time

Job summary

A popular pub in Exeter is seeking a Head Chef to oversee kitchen operations and create seasonal menus. This role involves writing menus, managing team performance, and ensuring high-quality food. The ideal candidate will have a passion for food, strong leadership skills, and experience in a similar role. Enjoy full autonomy in menu creation, culinary masterclasses, and employee benefits like discounts and holidays. Join this vibrant community pub and make your culinary mark.

Benefits

Full autonomy to create menus

Culinary masterclasses

Free meals

20% discount in all Youngs Pubs

30% discount on overnight stays

Enhanced Company Pension Scheme

28 Days Holiday per year

Qualifications

• Experience championing excellent service through quality food either as a Head Chef or in the position of Sous Chef.
• Demonstrate a passion for leading and developing a team.
• Be able to demonstrate your creativity and ability to design and deliver new dishes.

Responsibilities

• Write menus and ensure high standards in the kitchen.
• Develop the team and manage all aspects of kitchen management.
• Drive sales and deliver growth through team engagement.

Skills

Culinary Experience

Food Handling

Restaurant Experience

Kitchen Management Experience

Food Preparation Experience

Kitchen Experience

Food Industry

Cooking

Cost Control

Baking

Sanitation

Leadership Experience

Job description

Head Chef - 42k basic plus tronc and tips.

We’re looking for an experienced Head Chef to take the helm at the City Gate in Exeter. We are famous for our events spaces – including our hidden garden and cellar bar – and well known for serving fantastic traditional food: proper pub food made with fresh seasonal ingredients. We want a Head Chef who has experience working with fresh food to create comforting classics that showcase the best local produce. We also have a whole host of event spaces in the pub and are keen to hear from Head Chefs who have experience delivering menus for all occasions.

You’ll be in charge of writing menus, ensuring high standards in the kitchen, developing the team and looking after all aspects of kitchen management. Alongside our place as a favourite spot for an overnight stay (we have 20 bedrooms) and events, we are a modern community pub with close ties to Exeter Football Club and Exter Chiefs and are truly ingrained within our community.

Being a Head Chef at Youngs

We believe every pub should be different. This means that you’ll be writing your own recipes that match the food vision of your business using fresh seasonal ingredients. The food vision could be all about showcasing local produce, country pub classics, seafood, small plates and sharers, dry‑aged meat – each pub is different and it’s up to you as head chef to put your own creative stamp on that vision. We work with fresh seasonal produce so the menu should constantly evolve to showcase these fantastic ingredients when they are at their best. Premium fresh food crafted by skilled chefs in premium pubs.

What we offer our Head Chefs

• Full autonomy to create your own menus and specials
• Access to our Apprenticeship Scheme and Development Programmes
• Regular culinary masterclasses covering topics such as Game Butchery and Shellfish
• Inspirational food trips with our top quality suppliers
• Regular Chef Forums with other Head Chefs to inspire and develop
• Free meals
• 20% discount in all Youngs Pubs and 30% discount on overnight stays in our Pubs with Rooms
• Share save Scheme
• Enhanced Company Pension Scheme
• 28 Days Holiday per year

What we look for in a Head Chef

This role requires someone that can inspire a team to bring out the potential and lead by example whilst being able to develop cost and produce fresh seasonal menus for the variety of revenue streams within the business.

• Experience championing excellent service through quality food either as a Head Chef or in the position of Sous Chef
• Demonstrate a passion for leading and developing a team
• Be an active hands‑on team player with excellent communication skills
• Be responsible and able to manage the kitchen staff rota training and all health and safety effectively at all times
• Be able to demonstrate your creativity and ability to design and deliver new dishes for our menus and daily specials
• Demonstrate great planning and organisational skills necessary to maintain effective controls with regard to both GP and labour
• Have a pro‑active approach to driving sales and delivering growth through engagement with both kitchen and front of house teams

Required Experience

IC

Key Skills

• Culinary Experience
• Food Handling
• Restaurant Experience
• Kitchen Management Experience
• Food Preparation Experience
• Kitchen Experience
• Food Industry
• Cooking
• Cost Control
• Baking
• Sanitation
• Leadership Experience

Employment Type

Full‑Time

Experience

years

Vacancy

1