Head of Food, Corporate & Social Events

Convene; Sunderland; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A global hospitality company is seeking a Head of Food to lead culinary operations across the UK. The role involves innovative menu development and ensuring high food quality standards while leading and training kitchen teams. The ideal candidate will have over ten years of culinary experience and a strong understanding of UK food trends and safety regulations. This position is pivotal for enhancing the company's culinary brand and offerings.

Benefits

Private medical insurance

Subsidised eye care

Subsidised fitness membership

Bonus scheme

25 days annual leave plus bank holidays

Qualifications

• Experience in high-volume food service operations.
• Ability to adapt global culinary concepts to local tastes.
• Strong understanding of UK culinary traditions.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with the global culinary team to develop UK-specific menus.
• Provide inspirational leadership to kitchen teams across the UK.
• Ensure compliance with UK food safety legislation and HACCP protocols.
• Design training programs for culinary staff.
• Conduct strategic audits to monitor food quality.

Skills

Culinary innovation

Leadership

Menu development

Food safety compliance

Cost management

Education

Ten+ years of culinary leadership experience

Job description

Head of Food, Corporate & Social Events

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 programme 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, 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 optimise all aspects of UK kitchen operations, ensuring meticulous adherence to standardised 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 programmes 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 revolutionising 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 centres. 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 U.K., and with a growing footprint of flexible office space, the Convene portfolio has a network of nearly 40 locations across nine global cities.

Learn more at https://convene.com/.

We're Here For You: Health and Wellness

• Private medical insurance
• Subsidised eye care
• Subsidised fitness membership
• Employee Assistance Programme: well‑being support and personal advice programme

Time Off and Work‑Life Balance

• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays, and company sick pay
• Financial Support and Benefits
• Bonus scheme
• Interest‑free loan for rail season tickets & further education
• Subsidised bicycle purchase through Cycle to Work scheme

Professional Development and Recognition

• Continuous professional and personal development support
• Employee recognition and reward programmes to mark achievements and milestones

Community and Impact

• Opportunities to volunteer, donate, and participate in community give‑back initiatives
• The opportunity to have a significant impact on your team and the business in the work that you do

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.