Head Chef

Arena Racing Company Careers; Sunderland; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent sports hospitality employer in Sunderland seeks a Head Chef to lead back-of-house operations across multiple venues. You'll manage a diverse team, ensure high food quality, and comply with health regulations. The ideal candidate has proven experience in a senior culinary role, strong leadership skills, and a thorough understanding of food safety management. This full-time position offers a range of employee perks, including flexible work arrangements.

Benefits

Annual passes to venues

Discounted food

Generous holiday allowance

Life assurance scheme

Discretionary annual bonus

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a Head Chef or senior Sous Chef role in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong leadership and team management skills.
• Thorough understanding of food safety and allergen compliance.

Responsibilities

• Oversee back-of-house operations across two venues.
• Ensure compliance with health regulations and food safety standards.
• Lead a diverse team and manage kitchen operations.

Skills

Leadership

Food Safety Management

HACCP Compliance

Kitchen Management

Communication

Education

Level 4 Food Management in Food Safety

Level 3 HACCP qualification

Tools

Purchasing systems

Kitchen management software

Job description

Why join us

• Annual passes to enjoy any of our 21 venues.
• Discounted food and exciting ARC days out.
• Cycle to work scheme for a healthier commute.
• Generous holiday allowance increasing with service up to 28 days.
• Life assurance scheme for peace of mind.
• Discretionary group annual bonus to reward your hard work.
• Support for your studies through our assistance schemes.

About the role

As the Head Chef you will oversee all back‑of‑house operations across our Sunderland and Newcastle Greyhound Stadium venues which includes managing kitchens snack bars and event catering. You will lead a diverse team of chefs trainees and kitchen porters ensuring the highest standards of food quality and compliance with health and safety regulations. This role requires a flexible work approach to support both race days and non‑race day events with travel between sites being essential.

Your responsibilities will include

• Budgeting & Purchasing: Work closely with the Catering & Operations Manager to ensure financial targets are met. You will monitor expenditure explain variances and ensure compliance with supplier agreements.
• Stock & System Management: Manage the Indicater catering system for effective finance reporting stock control and menu planning. Regular stock takes and precise reporting will be key.
• Food Safety & Compliance: Lead the implementation of our Food Safety Management System ensuring all legal and health regulations are adhered to across all units.
• Menu & Quality Control: Ensure that all menu specifications are consistently followed maintaining high food quality and presentation while managing portion sizes to support cost targets.
• Operations & Planning: Plan kitchen operations based on event needs managing the ordering and distribution of food and supplies efficiently.
• Team Management & Training: Lead a team of chefs and kitchen staff allocating workloads managing absences and facilitating training and development opportunities.
• Health & Safety: Uphold a safe working environment by ensuring compliance with all health and safety procedures.
• External Liaison & Regulatory Compliance: Act as the primary contact for local authority inspections and ensure readiness for legislative changes.

Key Performance Indicators

• Control labour costs and address budget deviations.
• Improve staff recruitment and retention reducing reliance on agency staff.
• Manage site spending and enhance food spend per head.
• Maintain target food margins while ensuring full HACCP compliance.
• Deliver high service standards and customer satisfaction.
• Facilitate effective communication with Sales Marketing and on‑site teams.

The ideal candidate will possess

• Level 4 Food Management in Food Safety (Level 3 minimum).
• Level 3 HACCP and allergens qualification.
• First Aid qualification (desirable).

Essential Skills & Experience

• Proven experience in a Head Chef or senior Sous Chef role within a high‑quality fast‑paced environment.
• Strong leadership and team management capabilities.
• Thorough understanding of HACCP nutrition and allergen compliance.
• Proficient in purchasing systems and kitchen management software.
• Exceptional communication skills and a systematic approach to operations.
• A passion for food and a commitment to delivering excellence.

At ARC we believe that a diverse equitable and inclusive workplace makes us a more relevant more competitive and more resilient company. We welcome people from all backgrounds ethnicities cultures and experiences. We are an equal opportunities employer and do not discriminate on the grounds of gender sexual orientation marital or civil partner status pregnancy or maternity gender reassignment race colour nationality ethnic or national origin religion or belief disability or age. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories consistent with legal requirements.

If you have a disability that requires reasonable adjustments please let us know; we will ensure that individuals with additional needs are provided reasonable adjustments to participate in the job application or interview process and to perform essential job functions.

We understand the value that diversity brings to our business and we are striving to create a working environment that is inclusive psychologically and physically safe and ensures everyone can be heard and valued for their contributions. We are committed to making a consistent top‑down effort to be role models on what diversity inclusion and belonging means in society.

Closing Date

The key skills required are summarized below, specifically focused on experience in culinary arts and management.

Culinary Experience,Food Handling,Restaurant Experience,Kitchen Management Experience,Food Preparation Experience,Kitchen Experience,Food Industry,Cooking,Cost Control,Baking,Sanitation,Leadership Experience

Employment Type: Full-Time

Experience: years

Vacancy: 1