Head Chef – London, LONDON

Holroyd Howe; City Of London; On-site; GBP 46,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading catering company is seeking an experienced Head Chef in Central London to lead a culinary team. Responsibilities include crafting innovative menus and managing kitchen operations in a dynamic environment. Ideal candidates will have a passion for food and strong leadership skills, along with relevant certifications. This full-time role offers a competitive salary and a supportive work culture.

Benefits

Competitive salary

28 days holiday

Pension and life insurance

Career development opportunities

Free meals on duty

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a Head Chef or Senior Sous Chef.
• Strong leadership and team management skills.
• Ability to work under pressure and maintain high standards.

Responsibilities

• Deliver high-end hospitality menus, ensuring quality and innovation.
• Create bespoke menus for fine dining, canapés, and special occasions.
• Manage a talented team to execute seamless service for events.

Skills

Leadership

Menu development

Food presentation

Allergen management

Education

Level 3 Food Safety Certificate

Culinary Qualification (e.g., NVQ Level 2/3)

Job description

Head Chef – London, London

Position: Head Chef

Location: Central London

Salary: £46,000 per annum

Contract: Full-time, 52 weeks

Why Consider This Role?

• Competitive salary with an attractive benefits package
• Lead a distinguished culinary team within a renowned institution
• Permanent, full-time role with room for career progression
• Central London location with an excellent work-life balance, primarily weekdays

About the Role:

We’re seeking a skilled and experienced Head Chef with expertise in fine dining and canapé preparation. This is an exciting opportunity to lead a talented culinary team, creating exceptional dishes in a refined and professional environment. You’ll have the chance to make an impact, overseeing a diverse range of high-quality culinary offerings in a well-respected setting.

What We Offer:

• 28 days holiday
• 3 volunteering days
• 3 days grandparent leave
• Enhanced maternity leave (24 weeks)
• Bespoke training and development opportunities
• Pension and life insurance
• High street, holiday & cinema discounts via our Perkbox app
• Access to our Wellbeing Hub & Employee Assistance Programme
• Free meals on duty
• Career development & apprenticeship opportunities

At Holroyd Howe, we pride ourselves on creating exceptional hospitality experiences within independent schools. Our commitment to fresh, seasonal, and locally sourced ingredients ensures that we deliver outstanding food while maintaining sustainability and innovation.

Job Description

As Head Chef, you will be responsible for:

• Delivering high-end hospitality menus, ensuring quality and innovation
• Creating bespoke menus for fine dining, canapés, and special occasions
• Managing a talented team to execute seamless service for events
• Upholding the highest standards of food presentation and service
• Overseeing fresh, seasonal, and locally sourced ingredients

This is a fantastic opportunity for a chef with a passion for events catering to thrive in an exciting and dynamic environment. At Holroyd Howe, we offer the chance to showcase your talent, redefine hospitality in an educational setting, and work in a beautiful, iconic location.

If you’re ready to bring your creativity and leadership to this exceptional role, we’d love to hear from you!

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a Head Chef or Senior Sous Chef
• A passion for seasonal, fresh ingredients and delivering exceptional food presentation
• Level 3 Food Safety Certificate (or willingness to obtain)
• Strong leadership and team management skills
• Ability to work under pressure and maintain high standards
• Excellent menu development and cost control knowledge
• Experience in allergen management and dietary requirements compliance
• A relevant Culinary Qualification (e.g., NVQ Level 2/3, City & Guilds, or equivalent) is desirable but not essential

If you’re ready to bring your culinary expertise and event catering experience to this exciting role, we’d love to hear from you!

Additional Information

Holroyd Howe is one of the UK’s leading contract caterers, providing fresh innovative food services solely to independent schools and colleges. We are a team of experienced professionals who tailor our catering service provision specifically to suit children of all ages in order to meet the bespoke requirements of each school.

To provide our teams with the right skills to succeed in their jobs, we invest in their training and development. Our exceptional teams of seasoned specialists customise our catering services to fit children of all ages and satisfy the unique needs of our clients.

We pride ourselves on:

• Sustainability – Sustainability is at the heart of our thinking; always mindful of the ethics of our sourcing and how we prepare our meals.
• Nutrition – We take nutrition seriously and understand the impact a healthy diet has on development. Meals are always freshly prepared from scratch and packed with nutritious ingredients.
• Food Innovation – We offer a wide portfolio of training opportunities and experiences, which attracts chefs who are passionate about culinary excellence and menu innovation. From tasting tables, theme days and food theatre, to chef demonstrations and supplier showcases, we create engaging and fun dining experiences for our students.

We work together to make mealtimes exploratory, quirky, and fun for our pupils, helping them build strong and healthy relationships with food.

Equal Opportunity – Holroyd Howe is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expect all employees to share this commitment. All roles within Holroyd Howe are regarded as regulated activity; it is an offence to apply for a role in regulated activity if you are barred from working with children. We will require an Enhanced DBS and relevant information regarding any criminal offences for shortlisted applicants.

This appointment is offered on the return of satisfactory professional references.

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