Head Chef

Petworth Places; Petworth; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A renowned hospitality group in Petworth seeks a Head Chef to drive culinary excellence and develop a high-performing kitchen team. The role involves creating innovative seasonal menus with local ingredients, ensuring a memorable dining experience for guests while achieving business targets and high standards of food safety. The ideal candidate will possess strong leadership skills, a passion for quality food, and a proactive approach to business development.

Qualifications

• Proven ability to manage budgets and maintain high food safety standards.
• Experience in culinary arts and team leadership essential.
• Strong skills in project and stakeholder management required.

Responsibilities

• Develop seasonal menus and manage team training plans.
• Collaborate with suppliers for local ingredient sourcing.
• Enhance customer dining experience through effective menu pricing.

Skills

Time Management

Organisational Skills

Budget Management

Communication

Client Service Orientation

Problem Solving

Education

City & Guilds diplomas in professional cookery

BTEC HND in professional cookery

Foundation degree in culinary arts

Health and safety and food hygiene certificates

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Outlook

Job description

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Reports To:
Group Development Chef & General Manager

Employer:
Petworth Places

Location:
Petworth, West Sussex, UK

Employment Type:
Full Time – Permanent

About the Role:

The role of Head Chef is to develop a highly profitable & desirable food offering, building a well-trained team of chefs, who will consistently deliver a high standard of dishes.

The Head Chef will create seasonal menus using local and sustainable produce and culinary experiences, which will bring to life our restaurant, exciting our guests with fresh and tantalising dishes.

He/she will create a clear and dedicated training and development plan for each member of the kitchen team to allow them to grow within the business. He/she will demonstrate an ability to improve standards and reputation, drive revenue and profit.

About Petworth Places:

Petworth Places is made up of several teams of dedicated people building a destination hospitality and food and beverage business in the beautiful South Downs market town of Petworth, West Sussex.

Established in 2010, the group comprises a multiple-award-winning food brand, The Hungry Guest (a double winner of UK delicatessen and farm shop of the year), E. Street Bar & Grill, and The Angel Inn (with seven upmarket guest rooms). The group also includes Augustus Brandt, an interiors and antiques business, and Newlands House, an exciting new gallery and exhibition space. There are also several new business units coming online in 2021 and 2022.

Responsibilities

The Head Chef will be responsible for:
Strategic Business Development:

• Have a clear vision of how to create a destination restaurant with a wonderful dining experience, and to be able to execute all aspects of the vision.
• Create a pricing policy which enhances GPs and reflects the excellence of the food but ensures take-up and profitability.
• Have a wide understanding of the hospitality industry and food; keep abreast of trends and new methods and keep ahead in the industry.
• Collaborate with relevant teams on beverage selection and management to enhance menu choices, drive up-sell and complete the overall experience in the restaurant.
• On occasion will work on other culinary events across the business to deliver exceptional food and strengthen the brand.

Menu Development:

• Create menus that reflect the vision of the restaurant and produce a consistently high-level output; ensure they are in step with local demographic needs and attract a wider audience to Petworth for a destination restaurant.
• Source local and exceptional ingredients (both in-house and 3rd party), create good working relationships with suppliers and control GPs against targets in the kitchen.

People Management:

• Staff the kitchen with the people who have the right skills, training and development to become part of a world-class team and support the Restaurant Manager to deliver excellence every day to every customer.
• Scout for local and national talent to bring into the kitchen and enhance the team.
• Keep Food Safety and Hygiene as a core discipline in the kitchen; have proven experience in this area and a real desire to adhere to all legislative requirements.
• Support in managing the daily responsibilities of kitchen team.
• Support in managing the annual food and consumable budget and ensuring this is tracked and spent accordingl

Additional Responsibilities:

This document is not intended to be an exhaustive list, and additional responsibilities may be required as the Senior Management team continually develops and grows the business and the Company as a whole.

Experience and Qualifications:

The successful candidate will possess the following:

Education, Experience and Licensing Requirements:

• City & Guilds diplomas in professional cookery
• BTEC HND in professional cookery and / or
• A foundation degree in culinary arts
• Health and safety and food hygiene certificates

Desired Qualifications / Skills:

• Efficient time management and organisational skills, and the ability to multitask.
• Proven ability to manage budgets.
• Professional and proactive work ethic.
• High competence in project and stakeholder management.
• Understanding of luxury market.
• Strong B2C experience, especially working in complex markets and being able to simplify.
• Excellent understanding of using audience understanding and data to shape, influence, amend and optimise plans.
• Competency in Microsoft applications including Word, Excel, and Outlook.

Core Competencies

Accountability:

Demonstrates and communicates a high level of ownership and commitment to achieving results, accepts responsibility for behaviour and job-related tasks and establishes an agreement on how success will be measured.

Communication:

Listens, speaks and writes clearly and concisely; provides useful and timely information to people by choosing the most appropriate method of communication and tailoring the message for the intended audience.

Client Service Orientation:

Establishes mutual expectations with clients to ensure satisfaction, going above and beyond to help build a strong relationship. Shows care and timeliness when dealing with client requests; is keen to offer assistance before a request is created.

Planning:

Uses effective methods to determine priorities, set goals and create plans. This includes the ability to organise oneself to complete routine tasks and prepare daily, weekly and monthly plans. Is able to establish priorities based on knowledge of the organisation.

Problem Solving:

Takes a systematic approach to solving problems rather than reacting to symptoms. Recognises problems quickly and uses good judgment, common sense and past experience and knowledge to act appropriately and efficiently.

Technical Savvy:

Shows an understanding of relevant technical products, programs, and their application; stays up to date on current trends and events relating to technology, and understands general business application of IT.

Other Important Traits:

Just as important as the technical requirements of the job are the less tangible elements that will help the right candidate achieve outstanding results:

• Passion for food, quality ingredients, and travel.
• Interest in heritage, culture, craftsmanship, and artisanal excellence.
• Leadership and demonstrable teamwork skills.
• Friendly and accommodating manner, with excellent interpersonal, written and oral communication skills.
• A good balance between strategic planning and hands-on delivery.
• Creative ‘outside of the box’ thinking.
• Ability to influence at a senior level to secure strategic partnerships.
• Diplomacy to have difficult conversations as needed.

Key Relationships:

• Internal: CEO, Finance, Marketing Team, HR & Training, and location Managers
• External: Local Suppliers, Local EHO, Guests

Key Performance Indicators:

The following results will be indicative of strong performance on the part of the [Role]:

Short Term – 6+ Months:

• Seasonal menu created, approved, implemented and executed in a timely manner.
• A system for Food Safety, auditable by EHO and maintaining a level 5 outcome, is maintained and improved where necessary.
• All collateral and strategies are consistent with the company brand and vision.
• Communication is strong and effective.

Long Term 12+ Months:

• Key partnerships are developed to grow business, sales and profitability.
• Constant awareness of the businesses online review standings and working towards the following online scores:
• 4.5 on Google (min of 4.0)
• 4.5 on Trip Advisor (min of 4.0)
• 4.7 on Facebook (min of 4.5)
• 4.7 on Favourite Table (min 4.5)
• Conversion rates continue to grow (on all initiatives).