Head Chef

Elior Uk; Greater London; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 48,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free meals

Flexible working

28 days annual leave

31 days after 2 years

Leave for life events

Volunteer days

Career development

Wellbeing support

Pension & life assurance

Exclusive discounts

Job summary

Elior UK is seeking a Head Chef to lead and support a catering team, driving culinary excellence and cost controls to support financial growth. You will recruit, train and develop staff, manage stock within budget and maintain strong client relationships to deliver outstanding service.

Working pattern is 5/7, mainly Monday to Friday, 40 hours per week. The role requires proven leadership, a passion for customer service and extensive catering/chef experience, with 2+ years in Head Chef or Sous

Qualifications

• Catering experience essential with chef skills.
• Proven leadership ability with a proactive, hands-on approach.
• 2+ years experience as Head Chef or Sous Chef ready for their next step.
• Focused on the front line and customer service excellence.

Responsibilities

• Recruit, train, and develop team to deliver high-quality service.
• Maintain, order and control food stocks within budget.
• Ensure ongoing team communications and client liaison for operational excellence.
• Accountable for COSHH, Food Safety, H&S and environmental policies.

Skills

Leadership

Customer service

Front line

Catering experience

Head/Sous Chef

Job description

Lexington is an award-winning contract caterer that focus on providing great food and service to customers. To do this we need fabulous people and we work hard to create an environment where our team members feel engaged, inspired, valued and enjoy what they do.

What you'll be doing...

As a Head Chef you will be proactively managing and supporting a catering team as well as creating a platform for financial growth through cost control and culinary excellence.

• Recruiting, training, supporting and people development to deliver an efficient, high quality service to Elior UK, customer and client
• Maintaining, ordering and controlling food stocks within budget
• Ensuring ongoing team communications, including building internal and external relationships, management reporting and client liaison to enable operational excellence
• Accountable for COSHH, Food Safety, H&S, legal regulations, environmental policies and duty of care to customer and colleagues

Working Pattern:

5/7 mainly Monday to Friday, 40 hours per week

What can you bring?

• Proven leadership ability with a proactive, hands‑on approach
• Genuine interest in customer service excellence
• Focused on the front line
• Catering experience essential with chef skills
• 2+ years experience as Head Chef or Sous Chef ready for their next step

Brilliant Work Deserves Brilliant Perks!

At Elior, we believe that when you love where you work, it shows. That's why we make sure our team feels appreciated, supported, and set up for success! Here's what's waiting for you:

• Free, tasty meals - Enjoy tasty, nutritious food on us while you work!
• Flexible working - including part time roles, because life doesn't run on a 9-5 schedule.
• Plenty of Time to Unwind - 28 days of holiday, and after two years, enjoy even more with 31 days.
• Leave for life's important moments - whether family, personal or unexpected.
• Give back time - paid volunteering days for the causes you care about.
• Room to grow - career development and learning opportunities for all stages of your career.
• Wellbeing first - mental health support and wellbeing perks.
• Financial security - pension schemes and life assurance.
• Exclusive discounts - save on entertainment, leisure, and even travel!

Why You'll Love Working Here

We're a people-first business with over 10,000 colleagues across the UK, serving everything from stadiums to hospitals, schools to workplaces. Our mission? To enrich lives everywhere, every day.

And here's the best part - 87% of our team say they're proud to work here!

Why? Because we create a place where you're listened to, trusted, supported, and valued.

We Celebrate You!

At Elior, diversity and inclusion aren't just policies, they're who we are. We know that different perspectives make us stronger, and we're dedicated to creating an environment where everyone feels seen, heard, and empowered to succeed.

Need any support or adjustments during the application process? Just let us know - we're happy to help!