Head Chef for Gastropub

Only Chefs Ltd; Greater London; On-site; GBP 43,000 - 53,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid breaks

Free meals on shift

Training and upskilling

Discounts on food and drink

NEST pension

Share of tips and service charge

Warm and friendly environment

Job summary

Only Chefs Ltd in London is seeking a Senior Sous or Head Chef to lead a small kitchen in East Finchley (N2). Salary £48,000 per year, including tips and service, with 47 hours over five shifts, Wednesday to Sunday, and occasional event days.

We value seasonality, British ingredients, and a warm, inclusive team. You will develop menus, manage stock, and uphold high food safety standards while mentoring a small kitchen team.

Qualifications

• Prior experience as a chef in a fast-paced, quality kitchen.
• Experience handling butchery, fish, pastry, and menu planning.

Responsibilities

• Lead and inspire a small kitchen team in a hands‑on, calm environment.
• Collaborate on menu development and stock management.
• Ensure high hygiene and food safety standards across the kitchen.
• Work directly with owners to grow the kitchen operation and GP margins.

Skills

Butchery

Fish skills

Pastry work

Menu creation

Recipe writing

Education

Level 3 Food Safety qualification

Job description

Salary: £48,000 per annum (this includes tips and service)

Days: Wednesday to Sunday

Hours: 47 hours over five shifts

Location: East Finchley, N2

Benefits

• Excellent work life balance
• Sensible Hours
• Paid Breaks
• 28 days Holiday
• Staff Meals
• Pension
• Warm, welcoming, inclusive, and encouraging work environment

Are you passionate about food, the Great British Pub, seasonality and sustainability? Maybe you’re a Sous Chef looking for a more senior role? Then we’d love to hear from you.

Days and hours 47 hours per week. Wednesday to Sunday (with occasional days for special events). The kitchen is closed on Mondays, Tuesdays, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Years Day. The kitchen closes at 9pm (Wed to Sat) and 7pm on Sundays.

About us

We’re a small, successful pub business, with a number of awards and accolades, including The British Institute of Innkeeping ‘Licensee of The Year Award’. We’re ambitious, and we’re looking for a passionate, hands on chef to work with us to step our food offer up, help develop our menu, and improve our kitchen operation, building on an excellent existing reputation and loyal customer base. All food is prepared on site and cooked with integrity. We like to keep things fairly simple and seasonal, using British ingredients, including produce from our own kitchen garden, to shape a menu of exceptionally prepared pub classics and British seasonal specials. We care about our people, our customers, our community, and the environment, and we look for like-minded people when we recruit. We’re a small, close-knit team, working together to create a great experience for everyone who walks through our doors, whilst also looking after one-another, and mucking in whenever needed. We leave our egos at the door and get things done together.

What we need

We’re looking for someone who has held a Senior Sous or Head Chef role in the UK for a minimum of two years within a season-driven gastropub or restaurant where the menu is focused on British produce. You’ll work directly with the business owners to develop and grow the kitchen operation, collaborating and then leading on menu development. You will lead, develop and inspire a small kitchen team in a positive, calm, welcoming, and inclusive working environment. This is a hands-on role in a small team. You won’t be weighed down with too many admin tasks, but we will expect a strong understanding of GP, great stock management, allergen awareness, solid menu and recipe writing skills, and exceptional standards of hygiene and food safety.

About you

You must be resident in the UK and have the right to work here. Proven experience as a Head Chef or a Senior Sous Chef ready to take the next step. Passionate about food and seasonal British produce. Ability to output fantastic looking plates and produce sensational, high level Sunday roasts. Willing to go above and beyond to ensure all the dishes you produce are of the very best standard. Can manage and supervise a small kitchen whilst also maintaining high level food hygiene safety standards. Confident communicator. Can help and support with stock management and food GP margins. Capable of running the kitchen alone in quieter times. Someone who thrives on delivering a menu to a high standard, consistently. Someone who cares where meat comes from and how it's cooked. Organised, hands-on, and calm under pressure.

Experience and skills

• Prior experience as a chef within a fast-paced, quality kitchen is a must.
• Butchery and fish skills.
• Pastry work and pie making skills.
• Menu creation and recipe writing.
• Holding a Level 3 Food Safety qualification is essential.

We offer

• Paid breaks.
• Free meals on shift.
• Training and upskilling.
• Discounts on food and drink.
• NEST pension.
• A share of tips and service charge.
• Warm and friendly environment.