Head Chef

Hand Picked Hotels Ltd; Worcester; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary plus service charge

28 days holiday per year including BH

Uniform and meals on shift provided

Free onsite parking

Job summary

Hand Picked Hotels Ltd is seeking a Head Chef for Stanbrook Abbey Hotel in Worcester. You will lead the culinary team, design menus that reflect luxury, and uphold exceptional standards of presentation and flavour across outlets.

The role is full-time, 45 hours per week, five days out of seven, with a focus on training, mentoring, and maintaining service excellence for discerning guests. A strong leadership background and advanced culinary qualifications are highly valued.

Qualifications

• Significant experience leading high-performing professional kitchens.
• Advanced culinary or hospitality qualifications preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead the delivery of an exceptional culinary experience for guests and oversee kitchen operations.
• Design and oversee seasonal menus and maintain high standards of presentation and flavour.

Job description

Hand Picked Hotels

Head Chef –Stanbrook Abbey Hotel

Location: Worcester, Worcestershire, WR2 4UA

Salary: Highly Competitive + service charge + excellent colleague benefits

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

Come and join our Team...

We are currently seeking a passionate and enthusiastic Head Chef at Stanbrook Abbey Hotel, part of Hand Picked Hotels.

We are currently seeking an enthusiastic Receptionist at Stanbrook Abbey Hotel, part of Hand Picked Hotels. Set within the majestic surroundings of a former Benedictine monastery, Stanbrook Abbey Hotel is a one-of-a-kind luxury retreat where history, elegance, and outstanding customer service come together. With 70 individually designed bedrooms, a fine dining restaurant, inspiring event spaces, and beautifully landscaped grounds, we offer guests an unforgettable experience steeped in charm and tranquillity. We’re proud to be part of a team that delivers outstanding hospitality with warmth, care, and attention to detail.

Whether it’s welcoming guests to a romantic weekend away, hosting a dream wedding, or creating exceptional dining moments, we strive to make every experience extraordinary. We’re looking for passionate, dedicated individuals who take pride in their work and want to be part of something truly special. 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, Stanbrook Abbey Hotel offers an inspiring place to grow your career.

What will the role involve?

The role of a Head Chef at Stanbrook Abbey 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’s outlets that 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, plus 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.
• Complimentary spa access (*restrictions apply).
• 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 an Executive 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.