Head Chef

Hickory's Smokehouse; Letchworth; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A dynamic hospitality group in Letchworth is seeking a Head Chef to lead its kitchen team and deliver exceptional BBQ dishes. This role offers a competitive salary up to £45,000 per year, including tips and uncapped bonuses. You'll work in a custom-built kitchen and benefit from excellent training, progression opportunities, and various perks that promote work-life balance, including Christmas Day off and wellbeing support.

Benefits

Generous package up to £45,000

Excellent training & progression opportunities

Free smokin' BBQ on shift

Birthday reward meal

Christmas Day off work

Paid occasion days off

Team Player card with discounts

Wellbeing support and wellness programme

Road trips and enrichment opportunities

Refer a friend scheme

Qualifications

• Experience in a fast-paced kitchen environment.
• Passion for BBQ and food quality.
• Leadership skills to manage a kitchen team.

Responsibilities

• Lead the kitchen brigade to deliver high-quality BBQ dishes.
• Manage kitchen operations and maintain food hygiene standards.
• Train and support team members.

Job description

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Start an exciting new chapter in your hospitality career at Hickory's Smokehouse - We arethrilled to have been recently crowned the‘Best Pub Employer’ for 2025 at The Publican Awards!

Join us as a Head Chef and we can offer you a generous package of up to £45,000 per year including Tip Jar plus uncapped bonus!

We’re looking for a Head Chef to lead our passionate brigade of BBQ enthusiasts, you will be responsible for running our bespoke kitchen, and delivering the very best food that our Smokehouse can offer. You will be working with and leading the team to deliver authentic fresh food-based BBQ menu in one of the busiest restaurants in town.

As the fastest growing, Southern style Smokehouse group in the UK with an award-winning Hickory’s Training Academy, we can offer you amazing opportunities as we expand. And, we have a company culture that really cares & embraces work-life – balance.

We are really going places – and we want to take you with us.

• A generous Head Chef package of up to £45,000 per year including Tip Jar plus uncapped bonus!
• The chance to work in one of our £250k bespoke built kitchens, with authentic smokers imported all the way from USA
• Excellent training & progression opportunities – through our award-winning Hickory’s Training Academy
• Birthday reward meal on us for you & your friends - every year
• Free smokin’ BBQ on shift – team food & drinks menu
• Christmas Day off work - every year
• Moments that matter – paid occasion days off (Wedding day, kid’s first day at school, moving into first home & more)
• Team Player card – 25% discount for you & 5 friends in all Hickory’s (rising to 50% for loyal service)
• Road trips to the Southern States, Europe & UK and stacks of enrichment opportunities
• Wellbeing support & 24-hour access to our wellness programme, plus a Wellbeing Champion in each restaurant to support you
• Our pledge to a work-life balance – monitoring & managing through our Red Zone
• A chance to ‘give a bit back’ with fundraising activities for Cash For Kids
• Up to £500 for you – through the refer a friend scheme

If that sounds good or does it leave you wanting to find out more? Click ‘apply’ now and you could be our next Head Chef.