Head Chef

THE EDEN TRUST; St Blazey; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 40,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Work-life balance

Creativity

Variety

Dining discount

Job summary

Eden Project is seeking a Head Chef to lead and evolve menus across seasonal offerings, using on-site produce and local partnerships. You will drive culinary innovation, manage a dynamic kitchen team, and ensure high standards across outlets at Eden Project Destination.

With a focus on sustainability, you will collaborate with procurement to balance quality and cost, mentor staff, and deliver exceptional visitor experiences in a fast-paced, multi-site environment.

Qualifications

• An appropriate catering qualification equivalent to NVQ2 is an essential requirement.
• Current certification in food safety, food hygiene and COSHH is required.

Responsibilities

• Menu Innovation: design, test, and deliver high-quality, seasonal dishes.
• Team Leadership: lead and inspire Hospitality Sous Chefs in a high-performing kitchen.
• Kitchen Operations: source and approve food/beverage products within budget.
• Safety & Standards: maintain food safety standards and allergen handling processes.

Skills

Leadership

Menu design

Catering experience

Seasonal cooking

Education

NVQ2-equivalent catering qualification

Job description

Hospitality Head Chef

Job Description

Join our innovative and vibrant team at the Eden Project, bringing sustainably-grown and delicious local food to our diverse venues across this unique site.

Due to internal promotion, we are now looking for an exceptional, forward-thinking Head Chef to support the creation of exciting menus and dishes throughout the seasons, using seasonal produce grown at our on-site nursery as well as partnering with local businesses to offer sustainable and delightful meal options.

What We Offer

• Competitive Salary:£38,000 - £40,000 per annum (dependent on experience)
• Work-Life Balance:No split-shifts.
• Creativity:Let your creativity flow in this wonderful setting, designing menus for our visitors around the seasons and availability of produce.
• Variety:Whether it’s comfort food by the Ice Rink, salads in the summer or enticing street food during Eden Sessions, there is never a dull moment in the Eden Kitchens.
• Employee Benefits:50% dining discount across our venues, free entry for family and friends, and an enhanced company pension scheme are just some of the benefits to working at Eden.
• Investment:Opportunities for training and professional development, growing your culinary skills alongside passionate people.

Your Role & Responsibilities

• Menu Innovation:Design, test, and deliver high-quality, seasonal dishes that keep our guests coming back.
• Team Leadership:Lead and inspire the Hospitality Sous Chefs, fostering a positive and high-performing environment.
• Kitchen Operations:Partner with the Procurement Team to source and approve food and beverage products while keeping within a budget. Liaise with the Hospitality Manager to ensure menu information is effectively communicated to Hospitality team members.
• Safety & Standards:Maintain impeccable food safety standards and allergen handling processes, updating records and ensuring legislative compliance.

The Ideal Candidate

• Proven Experience:An appropriate catering qualification and ability to demonstrate experience of catering and hospitality within large-scale operations.
• Leadership Style:A calm, authoritative, and motivating presence in the kitchen, someone who leads by example.
• Passion:A genuine love of great food, presentation, quality and consistency as well as a desire to be sustainable and innovative.

The closing date for applications is Monday 12 th October 2026

JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Family Definition

Roles within the Hospitality job family are dedicated to sourcing, creating and serving innovative, exciting and delicious food and drink in a variety of catering environments across Eden, enhancing visitors experience, understanding and enjoyment of their visit.

Role Purpose

Works with the Executive Chef on creation of menus and dishes that surprise and delight our daily visitors to Eden Project Destination. Focusing on local and seasonal ingredients, dishes will be created to offer something for all ages and dietary needs. Menus will be dynamic and flex with the season and themes on site. Producing food at scale and in a variety of outlets and above and beyond the typical visitor destination standard is paramount.

Key accountabilities

1. Manages the Hospitality Sous Chefs, leading by example to support and enable them to deliver high quality dishes, run efficient venues and plan ahead to create new and innovative menus.
2. Works with the Executive Chef and Procurement Team, to source food, and beverages and associated products, before approving the purchase of new ingredients and finished bought in products. Ensures expenditure is controlled within budget.
3. Works with the Executive Chef to ensure all staff understand food safety standards and allergen handling processes through effective training and ensures all monitoring, documentation and processes relating to food safety standards are compliant with legislation and the company Food Safety Management System.
4. By liaising with the Hospitality Manager, manages the relationship with the Front-of House (FoH) Hospitality team, ensuring FoH staff are fully conversant with food hygiene and safety standards and are informed and inspired to engage with visitors regarding seasonal menus and locally sourced products.
5. Liaises and collaborates with other key departments within Eden, keeping abreast of seasonal activities, themes and events to identify opportunities for the introduction of ingredients, dishes and menus that compliment and promote the Eden ethos and brand.
6. Manages and directs the Back of House team, ensuring all employees receive the appropriate induction, training and coaching to enable them to perform at the highest level within their respective roles, whilst dynamically flexing the deployment of staff to meet the needs of a highly seasonal business.
7. Is required to support the Event Head Chef in times where the Events team requires additional resource to deliver any events program.

Demands of the Role

Education & qualifications

An appropriate Catering qualification equivalent to NVQ2 is an essential requirement for this role. The jobholder will also hold current certification in the areas of food safety, food hygiene and COSHH.

Knowledge & skills

The jobholder will be able to demonstrate proven experience of catering and hospitality within large-scale operations. They will also have gained experience of managing and supervising junior staff. An in-depth knowledge of food preparation and the hospitality industry is essential as the jobholder will need to provide hands‑on assistance during busy periods.

Decision- making

Planning ahead is key to running this highly seasonal operation, although day to day variations in visitor patterns requires constant adjustment to resources and volumes to meet the needs of Eden's multi-site food outlets.

Resourcefulness

Plans, organises and directs the preparation and cooking of food ensuring that the Eden’s reputation for sustainability, innovation and quality is maintained and enhanced.

People & asset management

Managerial responsibility for the Hospitality Department team of Chefs and kitchen porters. Custodial responsibility for the care and maintenance of Eden's catering equipment and for controlling expenditure within the allocated budget. Delegated authority to approve the purchase of new ingredients and pre-prepared products of up to £1,000. Accountable for minimising waste and for optimising recycling.

Communication & visitor experience

The jobholder regularly interacts with suppliers and key stakeholder. Oral communications involve the jobholder in training and coaching staff and issuing quick and clear instructions ahead of and during service.

Operational environment

The role is primarily 'hands‑on' in a high-pressure catering and hospitality environment, working alongside the chef team. Visits to key and new suppliers and trips to relevant national exhibitions are also a requirement.

Additional features

It is essential that the jobholder ensures that their certification in the areas of food safety, food hygiene and COSHH remains current.

Job Details

Job Family: Hospitality

Pay Type: Salary