Head Chef

Westgate; Winchester; On-site; GBP 41,000 - 51,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Live-in accommodation

Job summary

The Westgate in Winchester is seeking a Head Chef to lead the kitchen of a relaxed pub with a growing reputation for fresh, seasonal food prepared in house.

You will develop, cost and deliver seasonal menus, shape the food vision with the General Manager, lead and develop the team, and enjoy autonomy to create original dishes. Live‑in available; up to £46k.

Qualifications

• Experience championing excellent service through quality food either as Head Chef or Sous Chef.
• Proven ability to lead and develop a kitchen team.
• Excellent communication skills in a hands‑on role.
• Ability to manage kitchen rota, training and health and safety.
• Creativity to design and deliver new dishes for menus and specials.
• Strong planning and organisation to control GP and labour.
• Proactive approach to driving sales and growth with kitchen and FOH teams.

Responsibilities

• Inspire and lead the team to deliver high‑quality pub dishes.
• Cost and produce fresh, seasonal menus in line with the venue vision.
• Develop and coach staff while maintaining kitchen controls.
• Collaborate with the General Manager to shape the food strategy.
• Ensure health and safety standards are consistently met.

Skills

Leadership

Team development

Communication

Health & safety

Menu creativity

GP & labour control

Sales growth

Job description

Head Chef - The Westgate - Up to 46k live in

We're looking for a Head Chef for the Westgate in Winchester, a quintessential corner pub with a relaxed atmosphere and a growing reputation for fantastic fresh, seasonal food. This is proper pub food, done properly - with everything prepared in house. The ideal candidate has experience running a kitchen and managing a fresh food GP. They will have plenty of opportunity to put their stamp on the businesses and shape the food vision alongside the General Manager - all our menus are written on site. They will be passionate about delivering fantastic plates of food and leading and developing their team.

Being a Head Chef at Young's

We believe every pub should be different. This means that you'll be writing your own recipes that match the food vision of your business using fresh seasonal ingredients. The food vision could be all about showcasing local produce, country pub classics, seafood, small plates and sharers, dry-aged meat - each pub is different and its up to you as head chef to put your own creative stamp on that vision. We work with fresh, seasonal produce, so the menu should constantly evolve to showcase these fantastic ingredients when they are at their best. Premium fresh food crafted by skilled chefs in Premium Pubs .

What we offer our Head Chefs

• Head Chefs get to have full autonomy to create your own menus and specials
• Access to our Apprenticeship Scheme and Development Programmes
• Access to regular culinary masterclasses covering topics such as Game, Butchery and Shellfish
• Access to inspirational food trips with our top quality suppliers
• Regular Chef Forums with other Head Chefs to inspire and develop
• Free meals
• 20% discount in all Young's Pubs and 30% discount on overnight stays in our Pubs with Rooms
• Share save Scheme
• Enhanced Company Pension Scheme
• 28 Days Holiday per year

What we look for in a Head Chef

This role requires someone that can inspire a team, to bring out the potential and lead by example whilst being able to develop, cost and produce fresh seasonal menus for the variety of revenue streams within the business.

• Have experience championing excellent service through quality food either as a Head Chef or in the position of Sous Chef
• Demonstrate a passion for leading and developing a team
• Be an active hands‑on team player with excellent communication skills
• Be responsible and able to manage the kitchen staff rota, training and all health and safety effectively at all times
• Be able to demonstrate your creativity and ability to design and deliver new dishes for our menus and daily specials
• Demonstrate great planning and organisational skills, necessary to maintain effective controls with regard to both GP and labour
• Have a pro‑active approach to driving sales and delivering growth, through engagement with both kitchen and front of house teams