Head Chef: Lead a High-Performance Kitchen + Growth

Loungers; Torquay; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary + bonus

Overtime pay

Free meal on every shift

Staff discount from day one

Career progression & training

Job summary

Loungers is seeking a hands-on Head Chef for Visto Lounge to lead the kitchen end-to-end, from open to close, ensuring high standards and a cohesive team. You will recruit, coach and develop chefs, maintain strict menu specs, and drive performance in KPIs while fostering a true one-team culture with the front of house.

You’ll be instrumental in stock control, ordering, and maintaining food safety, with clear progression pathways and a supportive in-house training program for ongoing development.

Qualifications

• Experience as Head Chef, Kitchen Manager, or Senior Sous Chef.
• Strong leadership and team-building skills in a busy kitchen.
• Solid understanding of GP, cost control and stock management.

Responsibilities

• Take full ownership of the kitchen at Visto Lounge and lead each shift from open to close.
• Recruit, develop and coach the kitchen team across all levels.
• Maintain menu specs and kitchen processes, ensure dish quality and consistency.
• Own site-level action plan with GM covering food wait times, stock counts and cleaning.
• Deliver on KPIs: food quality, wait times, wastage and waste management.
• Schedule fair rotas aligned with sales and bookings.
• Collaborate with front of house to foster a one-team culture and cross-training.

Skills

People leadership

Kitchen management

Staff coaching

Menu knowledge

Food safety

GP awareness

Job description

Loungers is seeking a hands-on Head Chef for Visto Lounge to lead the kitchen end-to-end, from open to close, ensuring high standards and a cohesive team. You will recruit, coach and develop chefs, maintain strict menu specs, and drive performance in KPIs while fostering a true one-team culture with the front of house.

You’ll be instrumental in stock control, ordering, and maintaining food safety, with clear progression pathways and a supportive in-house training program for ongoing development.