Head Chef

LQ Resorts; Woodbridge; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

Join LQ Resorts as a Head Chef, where you'll lead a dedicated kitchen team to deliver exceptional dining experiences. This role involves managing kitchen operations, ensuring food quality, and fostering a positive work environment. Enjoy a supportive culture with growth opportunities and employee discounts.

Benefits

Free onsite parking

Discounts for employees and their families

Free gym membership

Access to wellness programmes

Shares of the Resort's service charges monthly

Extra days holiday after 2 years

Progression and career development opportunities

Free staff meals

Pension Scheme

Qualifications

• Previous experience in a Senior Sous Chef or Head Chef role in a busy kitchen.
• Strong knowledge of food safety legislation and kitchen routines.
• Experience in managing and training kitchen staff.

Responsibilities

• Oversees daily kitchen operations and manages kitchen staff recruitment.
• Controls food preparation processes and maintains quality standards.
• Champions team training and development for optimal performance.

Skills

Leadership

Time Management

Attention to Detail

Creativity

Problem Solving

Flexibility

Education

NVQ Level 3 or equivalent in Professional Cookery

Level 3 Food Safety Certificate

English GCSE grade 4/C or above

Maths GCSE grade 4/C or above

Job description

An exciting opportunity has arisen in our busy kitchen for a Head Chef. We are looking for an experienced head chef or chef to lead our growing team. The ideal candidate will have a flexible approach to work and be committed to promoting a positive work environment, working collaboratively with their fellow kitchen brigade and front of house team to ensure the highest levels of guest satisfaction.

To operate at both an operational and strategic level, managing all of the kitchen’s activities, taking personal responsibility for monitoring the quality of the food, hiring, training and supervising all team members, identifying additional sales opportunities, delivering excellent guest services and maximising revenues and profitability.

About The Role

Roles and Responsibilities:

Oversees, leads and directs the following activities both personally and through members of the kitchen team.

Set objectives and be responsible for the day to day running of the kitchen.

Manage recruitment and training of all kitchen staff, liaising with HR to ensure required paperwork is completed correctly and all necessary checks are undertaken.

Manage the performance of the team by conducting regular appraisals and provide coaching and mentoring to ensure the team performs to the standards required.

Control and direct food preparation processes and any other relative activities.

Implement and follow company standard menu / dishes.

Ensures company standard dish specifications are followed ensuring dish allergen information is correct food costs are maintained.

Ensure training is carried out in line with company policy to ensure all staff are knowledgeable and motivated.

Recruit, maintain and develop a strong team.

Champion a training culture within the team that maintains knowledge and skills within the team and encourages and nurtures talent for succession planning.

Purchases all food and food related products using company nominated suppliers

Ensure delivery checks / audits are carried out with all suppliers / deliveries and all items stored safely and correctly

Control food costs and monitor waste to meet budgets.

Ensures stock rotation and use by dates for the production of food are correctly followed

Carries out thorough and accurate monthly stock takes

Maintains daily / weekly flash on Entegra Europe (including accepting invoice onto system)

Arranges for kitchen / equipment repairs when necessary

This job description is not exhaustive and the job holder may be required to carry out other reasonable tasks as specified by their manager.

Team Management and Cross Function Responsibilities

Be fully in charge of hiring, managing, training developing kitchen staff

Ensures all new staff receive departmental induction

Plans and creates effective efficient rotas to cover the business whilst working within kitchen payroll budgets (Inc managing “Fourth” employee Rota/payroll management system)

Maintains records of payroll and attendance

Manages the kitchen teams’ holidays effectively ensuring the kitchen is adequately manned at all times

Ensures kitchen team are motivated to ensure a great experience for all guests

Undertakes staff briefing with all team members at the start of their working day and service periods

Completes annual appraisals PDP’s

Works closely with the central FB team to deliver promotions / daily specials / opportunities

Works closely with the sales and events teams, ensuring all business sheets are kept up to date

Hygiene/Personal Safety/Environment

Manages all HACCP procedures according to the company’s Food Safety Management document.

Ensures security is adhered to at all times

Confident and approachable

Good team work and can work well alone

All staff Key Performance Measures

Our values underpin everything we do here at LQ Resorts and staff should ensure that these are at the fore front of what they do, day to day.

To focus on the guest experience at all times and continually strive to delight time after time

To see each guest as part of a long-term relationship not a onetime event

To create a team that is enthusiastic, consistent and committed in the workplace that encourages an open honest and supportive culture, by working together to create excellence.

To create an organisation with high integrity, that recognises potential and success, that both guests and employees want to be part of and associated with

To encourage our team to contribute to excellent working conditions for all

To gain a reputation for delivering financial performance and being consumed and enthralled about business.

LQ Resorts will offer you a fantastic working environment with plenty of opportunity to make a difference each day. In addition, you will receive:

Discounts across the resort, including family and friends

Free onsite parking

Progression and career development opportunities.

Pension Scheme

Free staff meals

Free gym membership

Access to wellness programmes

Share of Resort’s service charges on monthly basis

Extra days holiday after 2 years

Skills required

Ability to work to deadlines

Able to deliver High standards of presentation, organisation and cleanliness

Great attention to detail

Able to design menus and prepare food to a high standard

Excellent time management and organisation skills

Excellent Leaderships skills

Reliable and able to work under pressure.

High level of creativity with problem solving capabilities

Able to maintain budgets in respect of menu and staffing costs

Thrives on routine daily tasks

Polite and friendly

Helpful to guests requiring assistance

Respectful

Ambitious

Passion for new ideas

Flexible approach to work (shifts, evenings and weekends)

Team player and able to lead by example

Skills Needed

About The Company

About Us

Langstone Quays Resort sits on the beautiful and historic Chichester harbour, on the northern tip of Hayling Island in the heart of the Hampshire coastline.

Langstone Quays has been lovingly and thoughtfully refurbished, creating a unique blend of amazing experiences throughout across unrivalled hotel, restaurant, leisure, meeting and event spaces

Lion Quays Resort sits on the beautiful and historic Oswestry waterways, on the banks of the Llangollen Canal in the heart of the Shropshire countryside.

Lion Quays has been lovingly and painstakingly built from the ground up, creating a unique blend of amazing experiences throughout the Resort, across unrivalled hotel, restaurant, spa, leisure, meeting and event spaces.

Ufford Park Resort is nestled in the beautiful and historic parkland, on the heritage Suffolk Coast

Ufford Park boasts elegant and modern accommodation, an award winning golf course, Suffolk’s only two-tiered driving range and new spa and club A unique blend of amazing experiences throughout the Resort, across unrivalled hotel, restaurant, spa, leisure, meeting and event spaces.

Company Culture

Why LQ Resorts ?

Our Company

LQ is a family run, collection of quality destination led Hotel Resorts.

Its family ethos, values and vision are well known to those who choose to spend their quality time with us.

LQ Resorts work incredibly hard to put the guest experience at the heart of all it does and to develop long term relationships with our guests and never seeing them as a one- time event.

A passion for hospitality is supported by the obsession with developing the very best services and facilities for our guests, delivered by an enthusiastic, enthralled team within an open, honest and supportive culture, working together to create excellence.

Our Values

To see each guest as part of a long-term relationship, not just a onetime event To focus on the guest experience at all times and continually strive to delight time after time

To create a team that is enthusiastic, consistent and committed in a workplace that encourages an open, honest supportive culture, by working together to create excellence.

To create an organise with high integrity, that recognises potential and success, that both guests and employees want to be part of and associated with.

To encourage our team to contribute to excellent working conditions

Our Employees

Are a vital part of LQ Resorts .

Supporting our team’s physical and mental health Providing free gym membership

Delivering employee recognition programmes to reward hard work and effort.

Creating an environment that supports the development of skills, knowledge, qualifications and career progression

Discounts across all Resorts, to encourage leisure time

Desired Criteria

• Knowledge and experience of hospitality industry
• Knowledge of Fourth Hospitality System
• Willingness to undertake further training.
• English GCSE grade 4/C or above
• Maths GCSE grade 4/C or above

Required Criteria

• Level 3 Food Safety Certificate
• Good understanding of Health and Safety and Food Safety legislation
• NVQ Level 3 or equivalent in Professional Cookery
• Previous experience in a Senior Sous Chef role or as a Head Chef in a busy quality kitchen environment
• Experience of managing a team
• In-depth knowledge of commercial kitchen routines and utensils
• In-depth knowledge of maintaining culinary utensils
• Experience of training kitchen staff and implementing procedures
• Experience of negotiating with suppliers to ensure value for money
• Experience of recruiting and training staff

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Created on 16/07/2025 by TN United Kingdom