Head Chef

Crazy Bear Group; Oxford; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

50% off food and drink for up to four

50% off overnight stays

28 days’ annual leave including bank

Training and progression opportunities

Workplace pension

Job summary

Crazy Bear Stadhampton is seeking a Head Chef to manage the combined English and Thai menus, overseeing both à la carte dining and large events. You will unite two specialist teams into one cohesive kitchen brigade, setting standards and driving the food offering forward with a hands-on leadership style.

You’ll ensure service quality, cost control, and safety across all operations, from plates to events. A driving licence and reliable transport are essential due to location and hours.

Qualifications

• Proven experience as Head Chef.
• Experience leading à la carte restaurant service and events.
• Ability to lead different specialist kitchen teams as one operation.
• Strong menu development and food-costing skills.
• Good understanding of margins, labour, stock, wastage and revenue.
• Experience recruiting, leading and developing a kitchen brigade.
• The confidence to contribute as part of a senior management team.
• Excellent knowledge of food safety, allergens and kitchen compliance.
• A calm, organised and hands‑on leadership style.
• The confidence to make decisions and hold high standards consistently.

Responsibilities

• Take responsibility for the combined English and Thai menus.
• Lead and unite the English and Thai kitchen teams as one brigade.
• Plan and execute food for weddings, corporate events, meetings and large functions.
• Lead tastings and contribute to event planning.
• Create seasonal menus built around quality ingredients.
• Recruit, train, develop and manage the kitchen brigade.
• Plan rotas and manage kitchen labour effectively.
• Cost menus and manage food margins, stock and wastage.
• Oversee suppliers, purchasing, deliveries and stock rotation.
• Work closely with restaurant, events, sales and hotel management teams.
• Maintain excellent food safety, allergen, hygiene and health & safety standards.

Skills

Leadership

Menu development

Food costing

Staff management

Food safety & hygiene

Budgeting & margins

Event planning

Flexibility

Job description

Head Chef – Crazy Bear Stadhampton

A busy à la carte service and a large wedding are not the same job. We need a Head Chef who knows how to run both and everything in between.

You’ll take full responsibility for the complete food operation at Crazy Bear Stadhampton. That includes our combined English and Thai menus, à la carte dining and events. You’ll bring the English and Thai kitchen teams together as one brigade, while respecting the specialist knowledge and identity behind each menu.

This is a hands-on leadership role and a senior position within the hotel. You’ll set the standards, develop the food offering and make sure the operation works on the plate, during service and on the numbers.

Please note: there is no live-in accommodation available. A valid driving licence and reliable transport are essential due to our location and working hours.

What you’ll be doing

• Taking responsibility for the combined English and Thai menus
• Building a kitchen culture based on teamwork, accountability and mutual respect
• Planning and executing food for weddings, corporate events, meetings and large functions
• Leading tastings and contributing to event planning
• Creating seasonal menus built around quality ingredients
• Recruiting, training, developing and managing the kitchen brigade
• Planning rotas and managing kitchen labour effectively
• Costing menus and managing food margins, stock and wastage
• Overseeing suppliers, purchasing, deliveries and stock rotation
• Working closely with the restaurant, events, sales and hotel management teams
• Maintaining excellent food safety, allergen, hygiene and health and safety standards

What we’re looking for

• Proven experience as a Head Chef.
• Strong experience leading à la carte restaurant service & events
• The ability to lead different specialist kitchen teams as one operation
• Strong menu-development and food-costing skills
• Good understanding of margins, labour, stock, wastage and revenue
• Experience recruiting, leading and developing a kitchen brigade
• The confidence to contribute as part of a senior management team
• Excellent knowledge of food safety, allergens and kitchen compliance
• A calm, organised and hands‑on leadership style
• The confidence to make decisions and hold high standards consistently
• Flexibility to work evenings, weekends and bank holidays
• A valid driving licence and reliable access to transport
• The right to work in the UK

Different menus. Different services. One brigade and one set of standards.

The good stuff

• On Target Earnings £50,000 - £55,000 per year
• 50% off food and drink for up to four people
• 50% off overnight stays
• 50% off Crazy Bear ticketed events
• One free overnight stay every year
• An extra day off for your birthday
• 28 days’ annual leave, including bank holidays
• One additional day of holiday for each completed year of service, up to 33 days including bank holidays
• Training and opportunities to progress
• £300 for successfully referring someone who joins us
• Financial recognition for going above and beyond
• Bear of the Month rewards
• Workplace pension
• Access to Hospitality Rewards perks and discounts

Where you’ll be working

Crazy Bear Stadhampton is Country.

Set in the Oxfordshire countryside, it’s our original home—signature bedrooms, a 16th-century pub, an al fresco terrace and spaces for weddings, private dining, corporate meetings and events.

The operation is varied. One service might focus on individual restaurant tables; the next could involve feeding an entire event at the same time. Breakfast, afternoon tea, barbecues and VIP occasions all sit within the same food operation, and you’ll be responsible for making the whole thing work.

If you can bring two specialist kitchen teams together, control the numbers and deliver excellent food across restaurant and event service, we should talk.