head chef

wagamama; London; On-site; Full time

Job summary

Join a leading restaurant as a Head Chef and lead the kitchen team to deliver high-quality dishes while fostering a positive work environment. You'll be part of the Wagamama way, emphasizing inclusion and continuous improvement, with plenty of growth opportunities and extensive benefits.

Benefits

Bonus scheme up to £8,000

Private medical insurance

28 days holiday

Financial wellbeing support

Dedicated training programme

Family friendly policy

50% discount at Wagamama

Cycle to work scheme

Qualifications

• Experience in leading a kitchen in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong communicator ensuring team engagement.
• Experience maintaining food and safety standards.

Responsibilities

• Lead kitchen team ensuring high standards of food preparation.
• Support team development through inspiring leadership.
• Manage financial performance and labor costs.

Skills

Communication

Leadership

Food Safety Standards

Financial Management

Inclusivity

Job description

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Head Chef at Wagamama

As a head chef at Wagamama, you'll lead your kitchen team in the Wagamama way, embodying our people promise, values, and core leadership behaviors. You’ll be responsible for ensuring that every dish served meets our high standards. You’ll also look after the development and growth of your team through inspiring leadership, ensuring they are engaged, motivated, and high performing.

• Bonus scheme | Up to £8,000 a year bonus opportunity
• Private medical insurance + pension scheme
• Dedicated 6-week training programme
• Dry-cleaned chef whites provided every shift
• £14 - £25 of free food allowance on every shift
• 50% discount at Wagamama + 30% off all other TRG brands with family and friends
• Internal progression opportunities | Fully funded apprenticeship programmes to support your growth
• 28 days holiday
• Kintsugi wellness | Access to counselors, cycle to work scheme, discounted gym + leisure
• Family friendly policy | Expectant or adopting parents receive 26 weeks full pay + 13 weeks half pay
• Financial wellbeing support | Access to salary-repaid loans for urgent financial needs

What we look for

• An experienced head chef capable of leading a kitchen team through positive behaviors and actions to drive performance in a fast-paced + complex environment
• A strong communicator who has real conversations with consideration + care, ensuring your team feels heard + supported
• Experience in maintaining spotless food, health, and safety standards
• Experience understanding the financial performance of a kitchen, including gross profit and stock control
• Comfort in managing labor costs and reacting to changing demands
• Passionate about creating an inclusive environment where your team feels respected and belonging
• An inspiring leader who engages their team to nourish and flourish in their roles and careers

The Wagamama Way

Kaizen, meaning ‘good change,’ is our core philosophy. It shapes every dish we create and pushes us to find better ways in all we do—our food, our thinking, our working methods. We are committed to championing change in our communities and the planet.

With three decades of acting differently, we celebrate diversity, appreciating personality over perfection. We welcome everyone and their unique stories, promising to support and build trust. We aim to create safe spaces for real conversations with open hearts and minds. All we ask is for you to dish up what makes you different.