Head Chef/ Kitchen Manager

Greene King; England; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 36,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Career development

Discounts

Greene King Inns

Wellbeing support

Family-friendly benefits

Recognition

Financial wellbeing

Retail discounts

Job summary

The Star, Chalton, part of Greene King, is seeking a passionate Kitchen Manager to lead day-to-day kitchen operations, ensuring top quality dishes and an organised, motivated team. You’ll drive food standards and guest satisfaction, while managing stock, waste and costs to support strong commercial performance.

As Kitchen Manager you’ll plan rotas, prep and service, uphold food safety and allergen controls, and foster collaboration with front-of-house to deliver an excellent guest experience.

Qualifications

• Previous experience working in a busy kitchen.
• Hands-on leadership style with ability to lead by example.
• Passion for great food and consistently high standards.

Responsibilities

• Lead from the front: motivate, coach and develop your kitchen team.
• Deliver great food: maintain quality, presentation and portion control.
• Run an efficient kitchen: manage stock, ordering, waste and labour costs.
• Plan for success: organise rotas, prep and service during busy periods.
• Maintain high standards: food safety, allergen management and cleanliness.
• Work as one team: build strong relationships with General Manager and front-of-house.

Skills

Busy kitchen experience

Hands-on leadership

Passion for great food

Stock control

Organisational skills

Food safety knowledge

Team development

Job description

What's the opportunity?

The Star is a charming, stone-built pub restaurant with over 400 years of history, nestled in the village of Chalton, just a short drive from Luton. With its welcoming atmosphere, peaceful bar area and spacious beer garden, it's a popular place for guests to relax, enjoy great pub food and spend time with family and friends.

As Kitchen Manager, you'll take responsibility for the day-to-day running of the kitchen, ensuring every dish is delivered to a high standard while keeping the team motivated, organised and ready for service.

You'll be responsible for:

• Leading from the front: Motivate, coach and develop your kitchen team, creating a positive environment where everyone can succeed.
• Delivering great food: Maintain consistent quality, presentation and portion control across the menu.
• Running an efficient kitchen: Manage stock, ordering, waste and labour costs to support strong commercial performance.
• Planning for success: Organise rotas, preparation and service to ensure the kitchen runs smoothly during busy periods.
• Maintaining high standards: Ensure food safety, allergen management and kitchen cleanliness are always a priority.
• Working as one team: Build strong relationships with the General Manager and front-of-house team to deliver an excellent guest experience.

Company Description

The Star, Chalton
Head Chef/ Kitchen Manager
Salary - £32,000 - £36,000 + Bonus

Ready to lead a kitchen where great food and a great team are always on the menu?

We're looking for a passionate, hands-on Kitchen Manager to join The Star in Chalton. If you're an experienced kitchen leader who enjoys developing people, delivering fantastic food and taking ownership of a successful kitchen, this could be the perfect next step in your career.

You'll have the opportunity to lead from the front, maintain high standards and create a kitchen environment where your team can thrive.

Why join The Star?

With its historic character, welcoming atmosphere and spacious beer garden, The Star offers a great setting to build your career. You'll have the opportunity to take ownership of your kitchen, develop your team and help deliver the food and service that keep guests coming back.

Additional Information

What's in it for you?

At Greene King, we believe in rewarding our teams and helping them build careers they can be proud of.

• Career development: Training, apprenticeships and opportunities to progress across Greene King.
• Discounts: 33% off food and drink in our pubs, plus 15% off for friends and family.
• Greene King Inns: 50% off stays and 25% off for friends and family.
• Wellbeing support: Access to our Employee Assistance Programme.
• Family-friendly benefits: Enhanced policies to support you through life's important moments.
• Recognition: Recommend a friend and earn up to £1,500.
• Financial wellbeing: Access to Wagestream to help manage your pay.
• Extra savings: Retail discounts, including Superdrug and Three Mobile.

Greene King is one of the UK's leading pub companies and brewers, with over 220 years of history and a team of around 39,000 people. We're passionate about pouring happiness into lives and becoming the pride of great British hospitality.

Ready to make your mark?

If you're a kitchen leader who loves great food, takes pride in developing people and is ready for a new challenge, we'd love to hear from you.

Bring your passion. Lead your team. Make The Star shine.

Qualifications

What we're looking for

We're looking for an experienced Kitchen Manager, Head Chef or senior kitchen professional who's ready to take ownership and make a real difference.

You'll bring:

• Previous experience working in a busy kitchen, ideally within a pub or restaurant.
• A hands-on leadership style and the confidence to lead by example.
• A passion for great food and consistently high standards.
• Good knowledge of stock control, ordering, rotas and kitchen costs.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to stay calm under pressure.
• A good understanding of food safety and kitchen compliance.
• The ability to motivate your team and help colleagues develop their skills.

Most importantly, you'll be someone who takes pride in their work, enjoys being part of a team and understands how a well-run kitchen contributes to the success of the whole pub.