Head of Food, Corporate & Social Events

Convene; City Of London; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A global hospitality company is seeking a Head of Food to lead culinary excellence across the UK. This role requires innovative menu development, compliance with food safety standards, and inspiring leadership for kitchen teams. Ideal candidates will have over ten years of experience in high-volume culinary settings, a passion for UK culinary traditions, and a strategic mindset to drive quality and efficiency within kitchen operations.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of culinary leadership experience in high-volume operations.
• Experience in menu development and international collaboration.
• Strong knowledge of UK culinary traditions and food safety regulations.

Responsibilities

• Drive menu innovation and adapt to UK preferences.
• Lead and inspire kitchen teams while maintaining high food standards.
• Ensure compliance with food safety legislation and hygiene protocols.

Skills

Culinary leadership

Menu development

Food safety compliance

Cost management

Team leadership

Quality assurance

Job description

Please note: candidate must currently reside in the UK and be able to work in the UK without sponsorship.

Head of Food | London

We’re looking for a visionary culinary leader to shape the future of food at Convene across the UK. As our Head of Food—or as we call it, Head of Culinary—you’ll set the standard for excellence, creativity, and consistency across all our kitchens. With a deep appreciation for the UK’s rich and diverse food scene, you’ll drive innovation, champion quality, and foster a positive, empowering kitchen culture. This is a high-impact role for someone with not only an exceptional palate, but also a proven strategic mindset to scale culinary experiences that wow our guests — every time. In this position you'll be partnering with our US-based Sr. Director of Food & Beverage to help drive and scale our culinary program globally.

What You'll do:

• Strategic Menu Innovation & UK Adaptation: Collaborate with the global culinary team to envision and develop new menu concepts. Lead the adaptation of these concepts, and generate UK-specific menus, leveraging local ingredients and suppliers, catering to the distinct preferences of the British market while aligning with our global culinary vision.
• Leadership & Culture Building: Provide inspirational and hands-on leadership to UK kitchen teams, establishing and upholding the highest food standards. Cultivate a positive, collaborative, and high-performing kitchen culture, fostering an environment where creativity thrives, and staff are motivated, trained, and committed to excellence.
• Operational Excellence & Standards: Oversee and optimize all aspects of UK kitchen operations, ensuring meticulous adherence to standardized recipes, advanced culinary techniques, and stringent food safety and hygiene protocols.
• Health and Safety Oversight: Ensure full compliance with UK food safety legislation, allergen regulations, and HACCP protocols across all venues. This includes the management of regular internal audits and Environmental Health Officer (EHO) inspections to consistently maintain or exceed required standards.
• Talent Development: Design and implement comprehensive training programs and workshops for UK culinary staff. Your focus will be on enhancing their skills, promoting professional growth, fostering teamwork, and ensuring consistency in food quality and presentation across all locations.
• Pipeline & Brand Enhancement: Forge strategic partnerships with local UK culinary schools and educational institutions to enhance the brand's visibility within the culinary community and create a robust pipeline of early talent.
• Quality Assurance: Conduct regular, strategic audits and inspections to rigorously monitor food quality, portion control, and compliance with all operational and hygiene standards.
• Cost Management: Proactively identify challenges and implement effective, cost-efficient solutions that streamline processes, enhance efficiency, and ensure outstanding customer satisfaction without compromising quality. Work closely with the procurement team to identify new vendors and potential partnerships.
• Market Trend Integration: Remain at the forefront of UK and international culinary trends, techniques, and best practices. You will champion the incorporation of new ideas, sustainable sourcing, and innovative approaches to continually enhance and differentiate our culinary offerings in the UK market.
• Project & Transition Oversight: Coordinate and strategically manage significant culinary projects, including new kitchen openings, renovations, or large-scale special events, ensuring seamless execution and minimal disruption to ongoing operations.

What We Look For:

• Ten+ years of progressive culinary and kitchen leadership experience, ideally within high-volume, complex food service operations, including large-scale catering operations, with a significant portion in a strategic or directorial capacity.
• Demonstrable experience in international culinary collaboration, with a proven ability to adapt global concepts to local market tastes and sourcing.
• Extensive experience in menu development, culinary innovation, and quality assurance at a multi-unit or regional level.
• A strong understanding and passion for UK culinary traditions, ingredients, and dining trends.
• Comprehensive knowledge of food and catering trends, with an acute focus on premium quality, efficient production, meticulous food safety compliance (HACCP, UK regulations), robust food cost controls, and impeccable presentation.
• Proven track record of leading large, geographically dispersed culinary teams, with the ability to inspire and manage through influence and direct engagement.

Who We Are:

Convene is a global hospitality company that manages a growing portfolio of lifestyle brands focused on revolutionizing the way people meet, work, and gather. It creates hospitality-driven experiences and uniquely designed destinations across its various brands with the singular mission of fostering human-to-human connection. The Convene portfolio comprises Convene, etc.venues by Convene, and Convene Signature, offering clients multiple products including event venues, meeting rooms, flexible office spaces, and building amenity centers. With hospitality at its core, each brand and product offers on-site culinary, in-room A/V, production services, and dedicated hospitality staffing resources. As the largest single provider of dedicated meeting and event venues in the U.S. and UK, and with a growing footprint of flexible office space, the Convene portfolio has a network of nearly 40 locations across nine global cities.

Equal Opportunity Employer: Convene is committed to building an inclusive and diverse workforce. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and welcome people from all backgrounds, experiences, abilities and perspectives.

Thank you for your interest in joining Convene.