Head Chef at Vivat Bacchus

Humble Grape; Greater London; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Vivat Bacchus in London is seeking a Head Chef to own the kitchen at Farringdon and help shape the brand as we scale new sites. Initially you will lead day-to-day operations, partner with our Group Exec Chef to embed standards, and build a high-performing team.

The role offers a clear growth path toward opening and running future venues and a potential Multi-Site Chef position across the portfolio. This is a long-term opportunity to develop with the business, not a quick placement, with a

Job description

Head Chef, Vivat Bacchus Farringdon - with a Path to Multi-Site Chef

Vivat Bacchus | London

The Opportunity

Vivat Bacchus is entering its next chapter -new sites, a new brand direction, and a growing multi-venue portfolio. We're looking for a chef who wants to build something, not just run a kitchen.

This role starts as Head Chef at our Farringdon site, working closely with our Group Exec Chef to bed in, learn the brand inside out, and prove what you can do. From there, as we open our next site, you'll recruit and develop your successor in Farringdon and step forward to open and run our new venues. If you build a strong track record doing that, there's the opportunity -not a guarantee, and not on a fixed timeline - to grow further into a Multi-Site Chef role across Vivat Bacchus, working under and reporting into our Group Executive Chef.

We're not offering a job, or a guaranteed title down the line. We're offering a seat at the table as we scale, and the chance to earn your way into a bigger role.

What the Role Looks Like

• Phase 1 (first 6–12 months): Head Chef, Vivat Bacchus Farringdon. Full ownership of the kitchen day-to-day, working in close collaboration with our Group Exec Chef to align on standards, sourcing, and systems.
• Phase 2: As we open our next site, recruit and train your own replacement in Farringdon, then step forward to open and run the new venue -bringing the standards and systems you've built in Farringdon with you.
• Long term (if it's earned): As the Vivat Bacchus portfolio grows, and if you've proven you can build, hand over, and open sites to a consistently high standard, there's the opportunity to grow into a Multi-Site Chef role, overseeing standards and teams across multiple venues - reporting into our Group Executive Chef, who continues to lead food across the group. There's no fixed timeline attached to this, and it isn't guaranteed; it depends entirely on you.

Who We're Looking For

• A strong Head Chef who wants to bed in properly at Farringdon first, then grow with the business as new sites open - this is a considered, step-by-step path, not a race.
• A genuine leader and developer of people - someone who can recruit, train, and hand over a kitchen to a successor they've built, rather than someone who wants to hoard the role.
• Ambition to take on more sites over time, and the understanding that this is earned through results, not assumed from day one; multi-site experience is a plus, but what matters most is proving standards can travel and training others to hold them.
• Comfortable working closely with senior leadership day to day, especially in the first year, and happy to keep reporting into our Group Exec Chef as the role grows.
• Not in a rush, and comfortable without a fixed timeline. This is a long-term move for the right person-we're building a career path and a team around whoever takes this on, but how quickly (or whether) that path extends into a multi-site role depends on how you perform, not the calendar. If you need a decision this week, this isn't the role for you.

What We’re Not Looking For

We're not hiring an external name to sit in an office and fire off emails. This role is hands-on, kitchen-first, with the chance to earn bigger responsibility over time — but that chance is earned through proving it in Farringdon and beyond, not handed over on a schedule.

What You'll Get

• A clear route from Head Chef into opening and running new venues, with the further opportunity- earned through performance, not guaranteed, and on no fixed timeline - to grow into a Multi-Site Chef role as the business scales (multiple new sites in the pipeline).
• Direct collaboration with our Group Executive Chef and the space to shape how standards operate as the brand scales.
• A long-term stake in the business as it grows - this is a five-year play, not a quick placement.

We'd rather wait for the right person than rush a decision. If that's you, we want to hear from you - but only if you're genuinely in it for the long game.

Competitive salary