Head Chef

Arena Racing Company; Mount Pleasant; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading sporting venue in the UK is seeking a Head Chef to lead culinary operations for racedays and events. The ideal candidate will manage budgets, ensure food safety compliance, and develop innovative food strategies while leading a high-performing kitchen team. Strong leadership skills and relevant experience are essential. The venue promotes inclusivity and is an equal opportunities employer. Join us to deliver exceptional culinary experiences.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a senior chef or head chef role.
• Strong knowledge of HACCP, nutrition, and allergen management.
• Good understanding of purchasing systems and IT.
• Ability to motivate and develop teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead culinary offering at the venue for racedays and events.
• Manage revenue budgets and achieve cost targets.
• Implement food safety management systems.
• Develop and deliver innovative food strategies.
• Recruit and develop high-performing kitchen teams.

Skills

Senior chef experience

HACCP knowledge

Leadership skills

Food safety management

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Job description

Based at Brighton Racecourse, this role is responsible for leading and managing the venue’s culinary offering across all racedays and events at one of the country’s most prestigious sporting venues.

Working closely with the Regional Head Chef, you will play a key role in the development and delivery of an exciting and commercially successful food offer, including the growth of our non-raceday events business.

Key Responsibilities

• Work in partnership with the Regional Head Chef to manage revenue budgets and achieve cost targets
• Develop and deliver an innovative food strategy across retail, hospitality, and fine dining propositions
• Ensure full implementation and compliance with the Company Food Safety Management System across all areas of responsibility
• Develop and implement effective procurement, storage, and distribution strategies while maintaining agreed stock levels
• Manage kitchen staff rotas across all areas in remit, ensuring timely submission to staffing managers and adherence to cost controls
• Recruit, develop, and retain a high-performing kitchen team, allocating daily workloads to maintain operational efficiency and control
• Maintain accurate records of staff attendance, sickness, and absence for all direct reports
• Take full accountability for food safety compliance, including allergen management, accurate food information display, and team training and briefings

About You

• Proven experience in a senior chef or head chef role
• Strong knowledge of HACCP, nutrition, and allergen management
• Good understanding of purchasing systems, technical packages, and IT systems
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to motivate and develop teams
• Excellent communication and organisational skills
• Passionate about food, quality, and the kitchen environment
• Thrives under pressure and is structured, systematic, and process-driven

If you are an experienced Head Chef with a passion for large-scale event delivery and culinary innovation, we would love to hear from you.

At ARC, we believe that a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace makes us a more relevant, more competitive, and more resilient company. We welcome people from all backgrounds, ethnicities, cultures, and experiences. We are an equal opportunities employer and do not discriminate on the grounds of gender, sexual orientation, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity, gender reassignment, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, disability or age. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.

If you have a disability that requires reasonable adjustments, please let us know; we will ensure that individuals with additional needs are provided reasonable adjustments to participate in the job application or interview process and to perform essential job functions.

We understand the value that diversity brings to our business and we are striving to create a working environment that is inclusive, psychologically and physically safe and ensures everyone can be heard and valued for their contributions. We are committed to making a consistent, top-down effort to be role models on what diversity, inclusion and belonging means in society.