Head Chef

GuestHouse Hotels; Margate; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A collection of restaurants and hotels in Margate is seeking a Head Chef who thrives in a vibrant kitchen environment. This role requires strong leadership and food safety knowledge, with responsibilities including overseeing daily kitchen operations, leading a team, and ensuring high standards. The ideal candidate is organized, calm under pressure, and enthusiastic about fostering a positive kitchen culture. Enjoy benefits like no split shifts and discounts across the restaurant group.

Benefits

Free meals on shift

Extra holiday for your birthday

Discounts across restaurants and hotels

Qualifications

• Experience as a Head Chef or Senior Sous Chef.
• Strong knowledge of food safety, health & safety, and kitchen compliance.
• Confident with managing GPs, margins, and stock.

Responsibilities

• Run the kitchen day to day smoothly and safely.
• Lead and develop the kitchen team with clear expectations.
• Own health & safety and food safety standards.

Skills

Leadership

Food safety

Health & safety compliance

Stock management

Team training

Organizational skills

Job description

Overview

Hello Margate. Pearly Cow Margate is on the hunt for a Head Chef who loves a well-run kitchen as much as a busy service. This isn’t about reinventing the wheel every week — it’s about leading people, running a tight ship, and keeping standards sky-high, all with the sea breeze just outside the door.

If colour-coded fridges, happy teams, healthy GPs, and a calm service give you the same buzz as a perfectly cooked steak… we should talk.

About Us

Pearly Cow is an independent collection of restaurants in Margate, Brighton, and York. Our kitchens are professional, welcoming, and full of energy. We’re big on consistency, teamwork, and doing things properly — without taking ourselves too seriously.

What you’ll be doing (aka: the important stuff)

• Running the kitchen day to day — smoothly, safely, and with confidence
• Leading, motivating, and developing your team (good vibes + clear expectations)
• Owning health & safety, food safety, HACCP, and EHO standards — always inspection-ready
• Managing GPs, stock, ordering, and waste like a pro
• Writing smart rotas that work for both the business and the humans in it
• Training, supporting, and performance-managing your team when needed
• Working closely with the GM to keep service slick, standards high, and guests happy

What We’re Looking For

• A Head Chef (or very ready Senior Sous) who enjoys structure and leadership
• Strong knowledge of food safety, health & safety, and kitchen compliance
• Confidence with numbers — GPs, margins, labour, and stock don’t scare you
• A people-first leader who’s calm, fair, and consistent
• Organised, level-headed, and unflappable when it gets busy
• Someone who gets Margate — a bit quirky, a bit coastal, and never boring

What’s In It For You

• A Head Chef role with real ownership, not micromanagement
• A well-run eatery that feels more like a home than a chain
• No split shifts (ever) and all breaks paid
• An extra holiday day for your birthday
• Free meals on shift + a fully stocked team pantry
• Discounts across all our restaurants, hotels, and spas

If you’re ready to run a great kitchen, lead a happy team, and keep everything ticking along beautifully by the beach, we’d love to hear from you. Your next chapter starts in Margate — with strong systems, good people, and a splash of sea air.