Head Chef - Hitchin

Anglian Country Inns Ltd.; Hitchin; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Staff accommodation available

Staff meals on shift

Generous discount across sites

Bonus scheme

Staff discount on food and drink

Job summary

Anglian Country Inns is seeking a driven Head of Kitchen for the Farmhouse restaurant. You will lead and inspire the kitchen team, own seasonal menu changes, and drive culinary excellence. You’ll work closely with the Exec Chef, Restaurant Manager, and wider management to elevate the dining journey.

In this high-profile role, you will manage stock, health and safety, events, and team development while upholding the brand standards and guest experience. Generous staff perks accompany the position.

Qualifications

• Experience leading a busy kitchen and inspiring a team.
• Strong organisational and people leadership skills.
• Ability to own seasonal menu changes and culinary innovation.

Responsibilities

• Take full accountability of the Farmhouse restaurant kitchen & team.
• Report into the Exec Chef and work with Restaurant Manager & wider team.
• Be a senior leader driving the business forward.
• Own seasonal menus and events to set the tone for the brand.
• Recruit, train and develop kitchen staff for excellence.
• Lead kitchen cleanliness and health & safety standards.

Skills

Leadership

Team management

Menu development

Culinary innovation

Health & safety

Stock control

Rota planning

Events coordination

Job description

You are the leader and face of your kitchen from the day to day running to creating special memories for our guests. It's all about leading and inspiring your team every day, running a tight ship and keeping everyone safe whilst delivering our culinary innovative, seasonal menus. Our kitchens are busy places so a level head, great organisation, delivered every time, with a smile, is the key to success. This is a 2 Rosette aspirational kitchen with bigger goals, you will be integral to the food journey within this business, no detail can be missed. What's the role?

• Take full accountability of the Farmhouse restaurant kitchen & team
• Reporting into the Exec Chef and work collaboratively with the Restaurant Manager & wider management team.
• A key member of the senior leadership team driving the business forward.
• Culinary creation and innovation through ownership of seasonal menu changes - this is a high quality tone setting position with food at the forefront of the businesses heart.
• Ownership of frequent food led events setting the tone for our Farmhouse brand.
• Recruit, train and develop all kitchen team reporting in to you. Creating a thriving environment for excellence.
• Ownership and driver of kitchen BOH cleanliness standards
• Ownership and standards setter of all health & safety within the restaurant kitchen
• Full stock ownership, ordering, wastage stock taking and everything in between.
• Drive standards and knowledge to create food Wow moments for your guests
• Be an ambassador of the Food Journey and exceed your guests' expectations
• Supporting the events team and working collaboratively with them to ensure overall business excellence.
• Labour management & deployment, full rota accountability for the restaurant kitchen team.
• Being a great role model and setting the standards for our guests and team
• Displaying the ACI values each and every day and working towards our company mission of 'making people happy'
  Generous discount across all ACI sites on both food and drink
• Regular trips out to suppliers locally and internationally
• Great share of tips and tronc
• Bonus Scheme
• Staff Accommodation available
• Staff meals on shift
• Rising Stars program for career progression within the company
• Free gym membership
• Cycle to work scheme
• 'Live your life', charity day off each year
• Wine at cost

Anglian Country Inns Anglian Country Inns is a family run business that first opened its doors over twenty seven years ago and now we have nine award winning establishments across East Anglia, a coffee shop and brewery to boot! If you think you have the relevant experience and want to join our friendly family