Head Chef Hotel

Alexander Hotels and Utopia Spas; Wilmington; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A prestigious hotel group in Wilmington seeks a Head Chef to lead culinary operations. This role involves menu creation, team management, and maintaining high food standards. Candidates should have experience developing dishes to a 2 rosette standard and managing a busy kitchen team. Benefits include up to £65,000 salary, medical cover, and employee discounts across hotels and spas. Join a dynamic environment in the heart of the UK hospitality industry.

Benefits

4 weeks holiday increasing to 5 weeks

Single private medical cover

Discounted hotel accommodation

Qualifications

• Experience creating 2 rosette standard menus and managing multi-menu requirements.
• Proven ability to recruit, train, and retain team members, demonstrating excellent standards.
• Practical cooking skill evidenced during a trial to motivate the team.

Responsibilities

• Responsible for all aspects of food production and delivering customer excellence.
• Develop menus that inspire local patrons and enhance the food offering.
• Conduct recruitment, training, and coaching of a kitchen team.

Job description

HEAD CHEF

Up to £65,000 + Monthly service charge payment + Quarterly Bonus Potential of £850 based on GP% results

The Place

Rowhill Grange Hotel & Utopia Spa, part of Alexander Hotels a private group of quality hotels of distinction just outside London.

4 Star, Award winning Utopia Spa, 38 bedroom hotel & offering guests a choice of Elements Brasserie and the RGs Restaurant serving 2 rosette standard food. In addition there is the self contained Clockhouse banqueting suite and the Pavilion conference venue all within 15 acres of beautiful gardens.

Please see our website for a full list of facilities and details of our restaurants and sample menus which include menus across the following areas;

• 2 Rosette RGs Fine Dining Restaurant (100 covers)
• Elements Brasserie (50 covers) + Elements Bar (30 covers)
• Af zna, Afternoon Tea (700 covers per week) and Room Service
Owlcover2 4 private dining / function rooms (catering for between 8-160 covers)

Our private facilities are a very popular Wedding venue (for ceremonies as well as Wedding Breakfasts / Evening Buffets) as well as Conferences and other functions.

Our Restaurant / Brasserie are open to non-residents and are popular venues for our Spa guests who join us for a range of inclusive packages.

The Role

Reporting to Tim Cadman the General Manager, you will have total responsibility for all aspects of food production, from sourcing suppliers to delivering customer excellence in the finished dish.

Creating a restaurant menu to inspire local patrons, an afternoon tea menu that encourages loyal local business will all be part of the role.

Responsibilities

Your responsibilities will include:

• Recruitment, training and coaching a team of 12 chefs and 4 kitchen porters; working with local colleges to encourage new recruits, with our Group Resourcer to attract quality chefs, and managing the progress of any chef apprentices with our external training provider.
• Menu planning, supplier resourcing, ordering, delivery, storage, preparation, cooking and service across the range of food areas within the hotel. Development of menu ideas to progress the food offering to achieve rosette standards across all areas of service – restaurant, banqueting, afternoon tea and corporate functions.
• Ensure compliance with HACCP and food hygiene, health and safety legislation.
• Achieving gross profit targets on dishes to allow for future investment in the facilities and staffing.
• Creating passion, flair and drive in your team to assist the hotel to achieve its quality and business objectives; practising and promoting effective teamwork and communication amongst your direct work colleagues and colleagues in other departments.

Requirements

• Experience of developing a quality hotel restaurant to 2 rosette standard.
• Proven record of team selection and retention that supports the development of excellent standards.
• Demonstrated practical ability and flair during a cooking trial that will drive and motivate others on the team.
• Ideas on how the food offering can be developed and standards improved during an interview.
• Experience in managing multi‑menu requirements and a busy banqueting operation.
• Live locally or have the ability to relocate to the area with own transportation.

Benefits

In addition you will also benefit from a range of company benefits including:

• 4 weeks holiday increasing to 5 weeks with service.
• 8 Bank holidays.
• Single private medical cover.
• Free car parking.
• Employee uniform.
• Discounted hotel accommodation for yourself and your family at all hotels.
• Discounted hair treatments at our two Utopia Spas.
• Discount off all food & beverage at all hotels.
• Discount of individual treatments booked in our two Utopia Spas.
• Discount on retail products in our two Utopia Spas.
• Refer a friend staff recruitment scheme.
• Additional benefits when you celebrate your 1 yr, 3 yr and 5 yr anniversaries including: your birthday off paid, complimentary overnight stays, complimentary lunch / afternoon tea and service‑related holiday.