Head Chef

Market House; Reading; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A vibrant dining venue in Reading is seeking a Head Chef to oversee kitchen operations and deliver bold, consistent food. The ideal candidate will have proven experience in leading a busy kitchen, managing staff, and ensuring high standards of food production. Responsibilities include running food service, controlling costs, and supporting menu development. This role offers a competitive salary, a supportive management team, and a chance to make a significant impact in a well-established venue.

Benefits

Competitive salary & tronc

Supportive management team

Creative input into menus

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a Head Chef or strong Senior Sous ready to step up.
• Comfortable cooking for numbers, not just covers.
• Strong grip on GP, margins and kitchen admin, not just service.

Responsibilities

• Run a tight kitchen delivering food consistently.
• Full ownership of food GP, stock control, ordering and waste.
• Build, train and retain a strong kitchen team.

Skills

Leadership

Kitchen management

Cost control

Team building

Organizational skills

Job description

Head Chef

Market House is Reading’s grown‑up playground. High-volume, games‑led, late‑night, fast‑moving, and not remotely precious. Food here matters, but it’s part of a bigger picture. Big nights, big energy, big expectations.

We’re looking for a Head Chef who can run a tight kitchen, lead a proper team, and deliver bold, consistent food at scale without losing their head on a Saturday night.

The role

You’ll be fully accountable for the kitchen operation, end to end. This isn’t a clipboard role and it’s not a “just get through service” job either. You’ll be expected to lead from the front, set standards, and build a kitchen that performs every day of the week.

You’ll work closely with the General Manager and wider management team on menus, events, forecasts and big trading moments. This is a senior role in a busy business, not a silo.

What you’ll be responsible for

• Running a kitchen delivering our Loaded & Dirty food offer consistently.
• Full ownership of food GP, stock control, ordering and waste.
• Building, training and retaining a strong kitchen team with clear structure and standards.
• Writing and maintaining specs, recipes and portion control.
• Managing rotas in line with budget and trade.
• Delivering food safely and compliantly, every shift, no shortcuts.
• Supporting menu development, new launches and event food.
• Keeping the kitchen calm, organised and professional even when the building is full.

What we’re looking for

• Proven experience as a Head Chef or strong Senior Sous ready to step up.
• Comfortable cooking for numbers, not just covers.
• Strong grip on GP, margins and kitchen admin, not just service.
• A leader who backs their team, holds standards, and doesn’t tolerate nonsense.
• Organised, level‑headed and solutions‑focused.
• Someone who understands that this is a late‑night, games‑led venue with busy weekends and big events.

What this isn’t

• It’s not a fine dining kitchen.
• It’s not a slow‑paced pub carvery.
• It’s not a role for someone who avoids weekends or big services.

What you’ll get

• A busy, well‑established venue with consistent trade.
• A supportive GM and senior management team who actually care about food.
• Real input into menus and how the kitchen runs.
• Competitive salary & tronc.
• The chance to put your stamp on a kitchen in a landmark venue.

About us:

Market House is set in the centre of Reading, 5 min walk from the train station and surrounded by shops, restaurants and bars. With 23 hotel rooms, private spaces, a roof terrace bar, shuffle boards, ping pong tables, darts and a karaoke booth we are anything but standard. We strive to provide the best eating, drinking, sleeping and gaming experiences possible, we want to make sure that everyone who walks through our door has the best time possible and most importantly wants to come back and have it again!