head chef

wagamama; Greater London; On-site; GBP 43,000 - 53,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus up to £8,000

Private medical insurance

£200/month to spend at wagamama

50% off wagamama outside of work

Free meals on shift

Chef whites provided

Earned pay access via Wagestream

Parental pay: 26 weeks full pay + 13 1

Early access to menus

Discounts at other brands

Job summary

wagamama is seeking a head chef to lead a fast-paced kitchen, delivering fresh bowls with pride. You’ll coach a team, ensure quality, and drive improvements in every service, treating the kitchen as your own and nurturing a collaborative, energetic environment.

This full-time role offers a competitive package, private medical, and a generous bonus potential, with additional perks designed to support growth and wellbeing within wagamama.

Qualifications

• Leadership experience in a busy kitchen.
• Ability to coach and develop a team.
• Experience in fast-paced, fresh-food environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead the kitchen like it is your own, managing chefs and ops.
• Ensure high-quality food every bowl, every service.
• Coach and develop the team to grow in confidence and skill.
• Stay calm under pressure and work swiftly during peak times.
• Drive continuous improvement with a kaizen mindset.

Job description

head chef | full time

£48300pa + up to £8000 bonus + private medical + £200 per month to spend in wagamama outside of work

head chef | full time

£48300pa + up to £8000 bonus + private medical + £200 per month to spend in wagamama outside of work

at wagamama, food is life. our kitchens are all about fresh food, fast-paced, and full of real people making real food. no microwaves, no shortcuts, just big energy and bigger flavours. as head chef, you’ll run the kitchen like it’s your own. lead the team, smash service, and make sure every bowl is something to be proud of

What You’ll Be Doing

• creating a place where your team feels safe, seen, and proud to show up
• keeping quality sky-high. every bowl, every time
• coaching your team to grow in confidence and skill
• staying cool under pressure and being fast on your feet
• making your kitchen a place where people want to work and guests can taste the pride
• thinking with a kaizen mindset. constantly spotting the little ways we can do things better, then making them happen

you’ll love this role if you...

• are ready to learn, lead + level up
• thrive in a fresh kitchen with no microwaves
• take real pride in your food and your team
• want to push for better. from prep to bowl
• believe kitchens should be places of connection, creativity + good vibes

What You’ll Get

• a culture that supports your growth, wellbeing + individuality
• up to £8,000 annual bonus
• £200 a month to spend at wagamama outside of work
• private medical insurance
• 50% off wagamama outside of work
• free meals on shift
• fresh dry-cleaned chef whites, every shift
• early access to earned pay with wagestream
• 26 weeks full pay + 13 weeks half pay for new parents
• first access to our new menus
• 30% off at our other brands (brunning & price pubs, barburrito + more)

in addition to this, we offer benefits such as: pension scheme, holiday, training, cycle to work scheme, retail + leisure discounts, discounted gym memberships + long service awards

we’re proud to be a disability confident employer. no matter where you’re from or who you are, you’ve got a seat at our bench

Feed Yourself, Feed Others

#ext