Head Chef

Hand Picked Hotels Ltd; Uckfield; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 62,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

28 days holiday per year including BH

Uniform and meals on shift

Free onsite parking

Employee wellbeing support

Company pension

Bonus and service charge share

Annual loyalty awards

Job summary

Hand Picked Hotels is seeking a knowledgeable Head Chef for Buxted Park Hotel in East Sussex. You will lead the kitchen to deliver luxurious, creative menus that reflect seasonal variety and exceptional presentation.

You will mentor and manage the culinary team, oversee operations, supplier relations, stock control, and the creation of bespoke hotel menus to enhance guest experiences while maintaining the hotel’s luxury standards.

Qualifications

• Significant experience leading high-performing professional kitchens.
• Ability to design and oversee creative, seasonal menus.
• Strong leadership, mentorship and team development skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead kitchen operations and ensure exceptional culinary experiences.
• Develop and train culinary team, provide guidance and inspiration.
• Oversee stock, costs, supplier relationships and bespoke hotel menus.

Skills

Kitchen leadership

Menu design

Staff training

Cost control

Supplier relations

Education

Advanced culinary qualification

Job description

Hand Picked Hotels

Head Chef – Buxted Park Hotel

Location: Buxted, East Sussex, TN22 4AY

Job Type: Full-time | Permanent | 5 days out of 7

Come and join our Team...

We are currently seeking a knowledgeable and enthusiastic Head Chef at Buxted Park Hotel, part of Hand Picked Hotels. Set within 312 acres of pristine Sussex parkland, Buxted Park Hotel offers an inspiring and elegant environment to grow your hospitality career. This magnificent Palladian mansion welcomes guests seeking timeless elegance, quiet grandeur, and deeply personal experiences. As part of our team, you’ll help bring that sense of effortless luxury to life. As a member of our team, you will help create unforgettable moments for guests as they explore our tranquil parkland, celebrate special events, and enjoy our personalised service, with an emphasis on service excellence & consistency. If you’re passionate about hospitality, thrive in a supportive environment and enjoy making a real difference to someone’s stay, Buxted Park Hotel offers an inspiring place to grow your career.

What will the role involve?

• The role of a Head Chef at Buxted Park Hotel involves leading the delivery of an exceptional culinary experience for guests, ensuring that all menus reflect creativity, quality, and seasonal diversity. The Head Chef will design and oversee dishes that complement the hotel’s luxury offering, providing expert leadership in the kitchen and maintaining outstanding standards of presentation and flavour.
• As Head Chef your role will focus on supporting and developing the culinary team through training, guidance, and inspirational leadership. Responsibilities also include managing kitchen operations, maintaining strong relationships with suppliers, monitoring stock and costs, and creating bespoke menus across the hotel that will enhance the overall guest experience and uphold the hotel’s reputation for excellence in luxury hospitality.
• This is a full-time role working 5 days out of 7 including weekends on a rota basis, 45 hours per week, which may vary depending on business.

What’s in it for you?

• A competitive salary discussed at interview, plus a bonus based on KPI and a share of service charge.
• A welcoming, inclusive culture where long-term friendships and diversity are celebrated.
• Ongoing career development with in-house and external training, including apprenticeships and industry-recognised courses.
• 28 days holiday per year including bank holidays, increasing to 33 days including bank holidays with length of service.
• Uniform and meals on shift provided.
• Free onsite parking (where applicable).
• Access to wellbeing support through our Employee Assistance Programme.
• Company pension, enhanced sick pay & Life assurance scheme.
• Online retail discount platform offering thousands of savings with high street retailers and restaurants as well as a health and well-being platform.
• Discounted stays in our hotels and on food, drink, spa treatments & products.
• Annual loyalty awards (like afternoon teas and overnight stays).
• Introduction bonus for new colleague recommendations.
• Colleague of the Month awards, which leads to our annual awards ceremony.
• Regular team gatherings and appreciation events.

Are you Hand Picked?

• We are looking for active and enthusiastic candidates that have a willing attitude and a welcoming and friendly nature. We work as a team to ensure our hotel operates smoothly and our guests are receiving a high-quality, personalised, and magical experience that they remember, recommend and return to time and time again.
• You will have significant experience leading high-performing professional kitchens, ideally supported by advanced culinary or hospitality qualifications. As a Head Chef, you will demonstrate exceptional leadership, strategic kitchen management, and a strong commitment to culinary excellence and innovation. You will bring outstanding organisational and operational skills, meticulous attention to detail, and a genuine passion for delivering exceptional food and hospitality experiences while mentoring and developing your team.
• We want people that are passionate, showing the ability to go above and beyond naturally, that take pride in delivering consistently high standards and pay attention to all the details, with a focus on service, excellent and consistency as the everyday.

Who we are…

Hand Picked Hotels was founded in 2001 by owner and Chairman, Julia Hands MBE, and today still remains a family-owned group which has 21 unique luxury country houses and coastal retreats, each hand picked for their individuality. Architecturally distinctive and quintessentially British, every hotel boasts an extraordinary location from Scotland to the Channel Islands, offering breathtaking views from vast countryside to expansive beaches, to lush woodlands.

Dedicated to creating unique and enchanting stays, curated personalised service runs through the heart of every hotel. Whilst each hotel is individual, each property fulfils the company values of family, individuality, community and care, with a team commitment to aiming higher and delight their guests with magical experiences that offer a true escape from the every day.

Hand Picked Hotels are committed to protecting the environment for a sustainable future, and all of our hotels have received the ‘Green Tourism’ accreditation. A Recognition of our progress in reducing energy use and waste, supporting biodiversity, and sourcing responsibly from local and ethical partners.

Hand Picked Hotels is an Equal Opportunities employer. Candidates must be eligible to live and work in the UK.