Head Chef (Monday-Friday)

Vacherin; Greater London; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Life assurance scheme

Pension scheme

Holiday allowance

Healthcare Support App access

Eye care

Wellbeing strategy

Job summary

Vacherin in London is seeking a Head Chef to lead kitchen operations within a busy corporate environment. The role focuses on delivering premium food and service for staff dining across breakfast and lunch, with direct responsibility for a team of 4, including 2 Chefs and 2 Kitchen Porters.

Salary £50,000 per annum plus overtime, with a 40-hour work week from Monday to Friday. You will drive food quality, cost control, and menu development while maintaining high hygiene and safety standards.

Qualifications

• Experience leading kitchen operations in workplace catering, hospitality, or premium food service environments.
• Strong leadership and team development capabilities.
• Commercial awareness with focus on food quality, customer experience and cost control.

Responsibilities

• Lead kitchen operations across both retail and hospitality services within a busy corporate environment.
• Oversee food production for a staff dining operation serving approximately 300 covers across breakfast and lunch daily.
• Support hospitality delivery for meetings, events, and corporate functions while maintaining exceptional food quality and presentation.
• Manage kitchen operations within a building with a daily footfall of up to 800 people.
• Lead, motivate, and develop a team of 4 direct reports, including 2 Chefs and 2 Kitchen Porters.
• Plan and deliver high-quality, plated cuisine in a fast-paced environment.
• Manage stock, ordering, labour, and food cost control to achieve financial targets.
• Ensure all food is prepared and presented to a consistently high standard.
• Support menu development aligned with a modern, premium food offer.
• Maintain excellent food hygiene, health and safety, and compliance standards.
• Build strong relationships with the Catering Manager and wider operational team to ensure a seamless customer experience.
• Report directly to the Catering Manager and contribute to the overall success of the contract.

Skills

Kitchen leadership

Staff management

Food quality

Cost control

Menu development

Job description

At Vacherin we celebrate diversity and embrace individuality. We genuinely like the people we work with, and love coming together to reset , refresh and have fun. We empower our people through togetherness , we give them the chance to shine and unlock their potential, and they fuel our strength and growth.

Are you passionate about food ,drink and service ,want to be part of an award-winning hospitality team- and still make it home for dinner? We are looking for a Head Chef to join our team in London.

Salary: £50,000 per annum plus Over time

Working pattern: 40 hours per week (Monday to Friday)

Location: London, EC2V 7JD

Key Responsibilities

• Lead kitchen operations across both retail and hospitality services within a busy corporate environment.
• Oversee food production for a staff dining operation serving approximately 300 covers across breakfast and lunch daily.
• Support hospitality delivery for meetings, events, and corporate functions while maintaining exceptional food quality and presentation.
• Manage kitchen operations within a building with a daily footfall of up to 800 people.
• Lead, motivate, and develop a team of 4 direct reports, including 2 Chefs and 2 Kitchen Porters.
• Plan and deliver high-quality, plated cuisine in a fast-paced environment.
• Manage stock, ordering, labour, and food cost control to achieve financial targets.
• Ensure all food is prepared and presented to a consistently high standard.
• Support menu development aligned with a modern, premium food offer.
• Maintain excellent food hygiene, health and safety, and compliance standards.
• Build strong relationships with the Catering Manager and wider operational team to ensure a seamless customer experience.
• Report directly to the Catering Manager and contribute to the overall success of the contract.

Our Ideal Candidate

• Experience leading kitchen operations within workplace catering, hospitality, or premium food service environments.
• Strong understanding of both retail and hospitality catering operations.
• Commercially aware with a strong focus on food quality, customer experience, and cost control.
• Proven experience managing and developing kitchen teams.
• Comfortable operating in a busy corporate environment with varying service demands.
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to motivate and develop teams.
• Hands-on, proactive, and passionate about delivering exceptional food and service.
• Adaptable, organised, and confident working in a fast-paced environment.

What's in it for you?

• Personal Development and Training opportunities
• Life assurance scheme
• Pension scheme
• Holiday allowance
• Access to Healthcare Support App which includes Annual health check, Digital GP, Mental Health Consultations, Nutritional Consultations, Second Medical Opinion
• Eye care
• A great wellbeing strategy – including access to our Employee Assistance Programme, salary finance
• Family friendly support
• Regular social events and communication with our leaders
• A holiday purchase scheme
• Volunteering days
• Professional subscriptions
• Recognition schemes and people awards
• Long service awards
• Access to some great high street discount vouchers

Compass Group UK&I is committed to fostering an environment where every individual can truly be themselves at work and has equal opportunities to advance in their careers. We strive to build a culture that respects and celebrates the unique talents, beliefs, backgrounds, and abilities of all our team members. We want our colleagues to feel valued, empowered to reach their full potential, and to thrive - because diversity is our strength!