Head Chef

Wilson Vale; Oxford; On-site; GBP 41,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading catering company in Oxford is seeking an experienced Head Chef. Responsibilities include menu planning, managing a kitchen team, and ensuring high food standards. The ideal candidate should possess strong communication and customer service skills, and have a passion for exceptional service. The role offers a competitive salary of £41,000, with a focus on creativity and quality ingredients.

Benefits

Craft-focused career development training programme

Paid training bespoke to you

Access to Employee Assistance Programme

Online employee benefits scheme

Birthday off after 1 year’s service

Enhanced maternity pay

Qualifications

• A passion for exceptional service is essential.
• Strong premium hospitality experience in another venue is required.
• Local knowledge and experience working in the area is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Menu planning, costing, and developing your team and the offer.
• Daily operation of the kitchen and preparation of all dishes.
• Training and development of the kitchen team.

Skills

Customer service skills

Strong communication skills

Teamwork

Ability to work in a high‑pressured environment

Innovation and creativity

Exceptional presentation skills

Proactive and reliable

Job description

We have an exciting opportunity to become our new Head Chef to join a prestigious venue in Oxford. Salary; circa. £41,000

We are a fresh, food‑led operation open seven days a week, welcoming an average of 200 guests daily, in addition to providing hospitality services. As our Head Chef, you will be responsible for menu planning, costing, and developing your team and the offer. We take great pride in the high quality of our offering, which includes daily breakfast, lunch, and dinner services featuring buffets, a salad bar, a grab‑and‑go section, and freshly baked goods. We also provide daily specials and host fine dining dinners, special events, and themed social gatherings. We place a strong emphasis on guest interaction during service, so you must be personable, approachable, and well presented.

This is a permanent position based on a 40‑hour working week. However, we operate a TOIL system to help align workflow and demand with seasonal peaks and troughs. Shifts will be on a rota basis between the hours of 6am and midnight to accommodate special evening events. For this reason, flexibility is essential in this role.

Responsibilities

• Menu planning, costing, and developing your team and the offer.
• Daily operation of the kitchen and the preparation and cooking of all dishes.
• Managing a brigade of chefs across all services (kitchen team of 10).
• Delivering consistent food standards following Wilson Vale brand standards and adding flair.
• Deliver fresh, seasonal and innovative food from around the world.
• Responsible for food safety, hygiene and Health and Safety both in practice and keeping relevant records.
• Allergy reporting and responsibility for sign‑posting to customers.
• Budgeting, ordering, stock taking.
• Training and development of the kitchen team.
• Supporting the Executive Chef in training and developing the team.

Qualifications & Skills

• Love food, and love working in a team.
• Positive attitude.
• Have good customer service skills and strong communication skills.
• Be able to work in a high‑pressured environment.
• Strong premium hospitality experience in another venue.
• Local knowledge and experience working in the area.
• A passion for exceptional service is essential.
• Strong understanding of service styles, food trends.
• Innovation and creativity.
• A passion for training and development.
• Exceptional presentation skills.
• Articulate and very well organised.
• Proactive and reliable.

Company Culture & Perks

• Craft at our core – we pride ourselves on our craft‑skilled chefs who create wonderful fresh food from scratch.
• It’s all about the food – the menu is the most important document our chefs write every week.
• Quality, seasonal ingredients – 300+ British suppliers and our chefs can source locally.
• Freedom to create – our teams love to cook up exciting food themes and pop‑ups to keep the food fun.
• Support like no other – our business was founded by family and we have stayed true to those same family values of nurturing development, protecting our values and building trust and loyalty.
• Making food that not only tastes great but is good for the planet. We have always had a strong environmental ethos and are dedicated to our social and environmental commitments.
• We believe in tailored training and opportunities to build your career us.
• Our working environment is fun and inspiring, with excellent career development opportunities.
• Craft Works – Free craft‑focused career development training programme.
• Paid training bespoke to you.
• Access to our Employee Assistance Programme – your wellbeing is very important to us.
• Online employee benefits scheme – monetary savings on everyday items!
• Your birthday off every year after 1 year’s service.
• Enhanced maternity pay.

Equal Opportunities

Wilson Vale is an equal opportunities employer that strives to create an inclusive working environment for all. We are committed to supporting our people and do not tolerate discrimination of any kind. From each and every person in our catering teams, to our operations and central support teams – everyone has a voice.