Head Chef

Odyssey; Greater London; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A luxury aviation catering company is seeking a Head Chef to lead culinary operations in Greater London. In this role, you will ensure every dish meets high standards of luxury and consistency, oversee a skilled kitchen team, and manage all aspects of kitchen operations including menu creation and quality compliance. Candidates should have significant experience in high-end culinary environments and a deep understanding of food safety regulations. The position involves mentoring staff and ensuring first-class service delivery.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a head chef or senior chef role, preferably in a similar high-standard environment.
• Strong understanding of food safety, hygiene, HACCP standards, and aviation-specific protocols.
• Exceptional culinary skills with a focus on luxury dining.

Responsibilities

• Lead culinary operations ensuring high standards of luxury and consistency.
• Oversee team performance and development in a dynamic kitchen environment.
• Manage daily kitchen operations to maintain productivity and quality.

Skills

Culinary leadership

Menu planning

Team management

Hygiene and safety compliance

Job description

Head Chef – Working hours: 48 hours per week

Role Overview

As Head, you will lead the culinary operations of our aviation-focused catering kitchen, ensuring every dish reflects the standards of luxury, precision, and consistency required for premium private aviation. You will oversee the full kitchen team, maintain exceptional quality control, and ensure flawless execution for both high-volume production and bespoke VIP requests.

Key Responsibilities

Culinary Leadership & Menu Excellence

• Lead the Planning, and execution of luxury menus tailored to private aviation, ensuring impeccable taste, presentation, and consistency.
• Set and uphold exacting culinary standards across all sections, ensuring every dish meets brand expectations and aviation-specific requirements.
• Oversee the creation of bespoke dishes for VIP clients, including tailored dietary requests and last‑minute adjustments.

Operational Management

• Manage and supervise all daily kitchen operations, ensuring smooth workflow, organisation, and optimal productivity across the team.
• Ensure all mise en place is completed to exceptional standards and within strict timelines.
• Coordinate with procurement to forecast needs, maintain ingredient quality, manage stock rotation, and proactively identify shortages or quality concerns.
• Oversee precise labelling, packaging, and storage of all dishes to ensure safe transit and premium inflight presentation.

Team Development & Leadership

• Lead, motivate, and mentor the kitchen team, providing training, guidance, and development to junior chefs, sous chefs, and production staff.
• Uphold a disciplined, calm, and collaborative working culture that supports efficiency and high performance.
• Conduct performance reviews and support recruitment efforts to build a strong, skilled culinary team.

Quality, Safety & Compliance

• Maintain strict adherence to food safety, hygiene, HACCP standards, and aviation-specific protocols, ensuring full traceability and best‑practice handling at all times.
• Implement and monitor quality‑control procedures to ensure consistency across all dishes departing the kitchen.
• Work closely with operational and logistics teams to ensure seamless production and dispatch workflows.

Communication & Cross-functional Collaboration

• Collaborate with management, operations, and client-facing teams to ensure client expectations are understood and exceeded.
• Communicate effectively with the wider team to ensure daily priorities, deadlines, and service levels are met.
• Represent the culinary team during internal and external tastings, audits, and client visits when required.