Head Chef

La Nouvelle Garde; Greater London; On-site; GBP 63,000 - 77,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

48-hour contract

Staff meal on shift

50% discount across restaurants

Hospitality Rewards perks

Career progression opportunities

New UK openings involvement

Job summary

La Nouvelle Garde in London is seeking an experienced Head Chef to lead our kitchen for the forthcoming opening. You will be responsible for delivering high-quality French-inspired dishes, managing seasonal ingredients and ensuring precision and consistency across all services.

You will oversee the kitchen operations, drive menu development with the team, elevate food standards, and work closely with the General Manager to optimise costs and guest experience.

Qualifications

• Experienced Head Chef in high-quality, high-volume restaurants.
• Exceptional culinary knowledge and techniques, capable of preparing dishes from scratch with seasonal ingredients.
• Proven leadership of a large kitchen operation, managing multiple sections during busy services.
• Strong people management: build, organise, delegate, coach and develop a kitchen team.
• Excellent knowledge of food safety, health & safety and UK kitchen compliance.
• Commercial awareness: able to manage food costs, stock, waste and kitchen budgets.
• Able to work closely with management to drive restaurant performance and P&L.
• Organised, decisive and capable of autonomous problem solving in a busy operation.
• Lead by example and take pride in delivering outstanding food and guest experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead a well-organised kitchen where every service runs smoothly with clear responsibilities and strong teamwork.
• Ensure every dish is prepared from scratch with proper techniques, delivering exceptional flavour, presentation and consistency.
• Maintain highest culinary standards by following recipes, methods and presentation.
• Build a high-performing kitchen team by developing Sous and Junior Sous Chefs.
• Take full responsibility for food safety, cleanliness, health & safety and compliance.
• Manage food costs, stock, waste and labour costs while maintaining quality.
• Collaborate with General Manager to improve restaurant performance and control costs.
• Foster strong relationships with front-of-house and bar teams for a seamless guest experience.
• Create and implement new ideas to continuously improve kitchen operations.

Job description

Our story

Back in 2019 in Paris, two friends, Charles and Victor, opened a brasserie together - the kind of place Parisians disappear into for a 3 hour lunch.

Back in 2019 in Paris, two friends, Charles and Victor, opened a brasserie together - the kind of place Parisians disappear into for a 3 hour lunch. They called it La Nouvelle Garde: a promise to eat and drink the French way, done properly, 100% homemade, cooked from scratch from the highest quality seasonal ingredients. From the very beginning, cooking has been at the heart of everything they do. They served classic French dishes prepared with care, generosity and excellence in beautiful, relaxed spaces full of energy. Guests loved it! So they opened another one, and then another one. Each with its own name, personality and story, but always with the same love for French food and hospitality. And 10 brasseries later, it was finally time to bring it to London. In July 2026 in Sloane Square, Brasserie Olivia was born. This is just the beginning of our London story, and we'd love you to help write the next chapter. With new openings in the pipeline, you'll have the opportunity to develop your talent, grow with us and be part of what comes next.

The role

As we prepare for our second London opening in Spring 2027, we’re looking for an experienced and passionate Head Chef to join the team.

As a Head Chef, you’ll take full responsibility for leading our kitchen, delivering exceptional food inspired by classic French cuisine.

You’ll bring strong culinary expertise and a passion for cooking from scratch, working with high-quality seasonal ingredients and ensuring every dish is prepared with precision, consistency and attention to detail.

You’ll oversee the entire kitchen operation, from food quality and service to team performance, stock, food costs and operational standards, while working closely with the General Manager.

You’ll build and develop a strong kitchen team, leading your chefs, setting clear expectations and creating a culture where everyone takes pride in the food they prepare.

You’ll work closely with Head Chef Rachide and the wider Nouvelle Garde team to shape our menu and develop new recipes while continuously improving kitchen performance and contributing to the success of the restaurant.

What Success Looks Like

• You’ll lead a well-organised kitchen where every service runs smoothly, with clear responsibilities and strong teamwork across all sections.
• You’ll ensure every dish is prepared from scratch, using the right cooking techniques and delivering exceptional flavour, presentation and consistency.
• You’ll maintain the highest culinary standards, ensuring the recipes, cooking methods and presentation are followed consistently.
• You’ll build a high-performing kitchen team, developing your Sous and Junior Sous Chefs, delegating responsibilities and creating opportunities for people to grow.
• You’ll take full responsibility for food safety, cleanliness, health & safety and compliance across the kitchen.
• You’ll manage food costs, stock, ordering, waste and supplier relationships, making commercially smart decisions without compromising food quality.
• You’ll work closely with the General Manager to improve restaurant performance, manage kitchen labour costs and deliver a healthy P&L.
• You’ll build strong relationships with the front of house and bar management teams, ensuring excellent communication and a consistently great guest experience.
• You’ll have the autonomy to create and implement new ideas, continuously improving the way the kitchen operates.

What You'll Bring

• You’re an experienced Head Chef with a strong background in high-quality, high-volume restaurants.
• You have exceptional culinary knowledge, excellent cooking techniques and a genuine passion for preparing food from scratch using quality seasonal ingredients.
• You have experience leading a large kitchen operation, managing multiple sections and maintaining consistently high standards during busy services.
• You’re a strong leader who knows how to build, organise, delegate, coach and develop a kitchen team.
• You have excellent knowledge of food safety, health & safety and UK kitchen compliance requirements.
• You have strong commercial awareness and experience managing food costs, stock, waste, labour costs and kitchen budgets.
• You’re confident working closely with the General Manager and taking responsibility for the kitchen’s contribution to the restaurant’s commercial performance.
• You’re organised, decisive and comfortable working autonomously, solving problems and making decisions in a busy operation.
• You lead by example, communicate clearly and take pride in delivering exceptional food and an outstanding guest experience.

What We Offer

• Annual salary starting from £70,000 (including Tronc)
• 48-hour contract, 5 working days and 2 days off
• 50% discount across all Nouvelle Garde restaurants.
• A freshly prepared staff meal on every shift
• Employee benefits platform (Hospitality Rewards)
• The opportunity to join a new company at the beginning of its UK journey and make a genuine impact from day one.
• The chance to help shape a high-performing team and culture from the early stages.
• Real opportunities for career progression as the business grows, with future restaurant openings already planned.
• The opportunity to work with the best UK suppliers and quality ingredients in a kitchen that prepares everything from scratch and takes pride in exceptional food.

La Nouvelle Garde is an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive.

Please note you must have a right to work in the UK.