Head Chef

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

Job summary

Join a prestigious culinary team as a Head Chef at a leading hospitality company in London. This role involves overseeing the culinary program, developing menus, maintaining safety standards, and coaching a skilled team. Ideal candidates will have significant experience in high-volume event catering and a passion for culinary excellence.

Benefits

Private medical insurance

Subsidised eye care

Subsidised fitness membership

Employee Assistance Program

25 days annual leave plus bank holidays

Interest-free loan for rail season tickets

Subsidised bicycle purchase

Continuous professional development support

Employee recognition programs

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of progressive culinary management experience.
• Proven experience in hiring and leading culinary teams.
• High-end event catering experience.

Responsibilities

• Oversee culinary program in the UK, including menu development.
• Maintain high health and safety standards in the kitchen.
• Act as a hands-on leader for the culinary team.

Skills

Culinary Management

Leadership

Food Safety Management

Menu Development

Presentation Skills

Communication Skills

Job description

We are seeking a Head Chef to join our prestigious Culinary team. The Head Chef will report directly to the Venue Manager and will be a critical leader of our team.

Who We Are:

Convene is a premium hospitality company that designs and operates meeting, event, flexible office, and membership spaces. With a network of 38 locations across nine cities in the U.S. and UK, Convene thoughtfully combines beautiful yet intuitive design, fully-integrated technology services, and a warm and welcoming environment to create a turnkey solution for extraordinary meeting and work experiences. Founded in 2009 with the goal of bringing hospitality and lifestyle into traditional commercial real estate assets, Convene partners with the industry’s top landlords to deliver increased value to their assets and premium experiences to their tenants. The company counts Hudson’s Bay Company, Ares, and RXR Realty among its investors and has been named one of America’s 100 Most Promising Companies by Forbes and a Best Workplace by Inc. magazine, Fortune magazine, and Built In.

What You’ll Do:

We’re looking for a Head Chef to join Convene’s prestigious culinary team. This position requires experience in high-volume environments with a focus on presentation and conference style catering. As the Head Chef, you will be responsible for the maintenance of budgeted food cost, ordering, menu development, food safety management system development, and inventory.

• Oversee Convene’s culinary program in the UK, including the development of menus, integrating local and seasonal elements, and setting up vendor and purchasing partnerships.
• Maintain high health and safety standards, including cleaning, kitchen maintenance, pest control, waste management protocols, and all related team training.
• Partner with the US-based Operations team to develop Convene’s culinary presence in the UK.
• Act as a hands-on and enthusiastic coach-centric leader for the culinary team. Act in partnership with the operations team to deliver a best-in-class client experience.
• Oversee all aspects of the kitchen including hiring and training, safety & sanitation, adherence to local regulations, equipment maintenance, and incorporation of sustainability best practices.
• Oversee labor management and scheduling for your team, including departmental payroll.
• Develop a strong working relationship with building management.
• Display passion for increasing knowledge of the culinary field through collaborative development and curation of menus and specials

What We Look For:

• Minimum 5 years of progressive culinary/kitchen management experience, depending upon formal degree of training
• Proven experience hiring and leading culinary teams
• High-end and high-volume event experience
• Flexibility and willingness to ensure a successfully run property
• Comprehensive knowledge and interest of food and catering trends with a focus on quality, production, sanitation, food cost controls, and presentation
• Leading pre-shifts and recurring property leadership meetings
• Strong cooking and knife skills required
• Positive and enthusiastic approach to all assignments
• Ability to work well with others and have good communication skills
• Cheerful, presentable, and helpful when dealing with customers

Health and Wellness

• Private medical insurance
• Subsidised eye care
• Subsidised fitness membership
• Employee Assistance Program: well-being support and personal advice programme

Time Off and Work-Life Balance

• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays, and company sick pay
• Financial Support and Benefits
• Interest-free loan for rail season tickets & further education
• Subsidised bicycle purchase through Cycle to Work scheme

Professional Development and Recognition

• Continuous professional and personal development support
• Employee recognition and reward programs to mark achievements and milestones

Community and Impact

• Opportunities to volunteer, donate, and participate in community give-back initiatives
• The opportunity to have a significant impact on your team and the business in the work that you do

Convene is committed to building an inclusive and diverse workforce. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and welcome people from all backgrounds, experiences, abilities and perspectives.

Please note: The candidate must currently reside in the UK and be able to work in the UK without sponsorship.

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