Hospitality Head Chef

Houston & Hawkes; Greater London; On-site; GBP 40,500 - 49,500; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free meals at work

Contributory pension

Life assurance at 2× salary

Employee Assistance Programme

Birthday day off

Membership of CODE Hospitality

Summer & Christmas parties

Training and development

Job summary

Houston & Hawkes is looking for a talented Hospitality Head Chef in Central London to lead a prestigious boutique kitchen. You will have full ownership of the kitchen, designing refined seasonal menus and ensuring exceptional food quality across various dining styles. The role offers a Monday to Friday work pattern, an annual salary of £45,000, free meals, and various employee benefits including a contributory pension and career progression opportunities.

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a Hospitality Head Chef or strong Senior Sous Chef ready to take the next step.
• Strong background in formal fine dining.
• Experience within corporate hospitality or premium client environments is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

• Lead a small, high-quality kitchen with full ownership of standards and output.
• Deliver fine dining, elegant buffets, and beautifully presented canapé events.
• Design and evolve seasonal, refined menus with a focus on quality and presentation.

Skills

Fine dining experience

Leadership skills

Kitchen management

Food safety compliance

Job description

Houston & Hawkes | Central London, SW1E 5JL | £45,000 per annum | Monday to Friday

A rare and refined opportunity for an accomplished Hospitality Head Chef to lead a prestigious boutique hospitality kitchen in the heart of Central London — with your creativity, precision and standards centre stage.

Houston & Hawkes are seeking a talented Hospitality Head Chef to take full ownership of a small, premium client site — delivering exceptional food across formal dining, elegant buffets, canapé events and bespoke hospitality service. This is a focussed, high-standard operation where quality and guest experience are everything.

You will design refined seasonal menus, lead with confidence and build something genuinely special within an exclusive corporate environment. This is the kind of role where your touch is felt in every plate, every service and every guest interaction — and where the Monday to Friday pattern means you can do it all without compromise to your life outside work.

If you are passionate about fine dining, take pride in polished, elegant food experiences and want to lead a kitchen that truly reflects your standards — this is the role for you.

THE ROLE

• Leading a small, high-quality kitchen with full ownership of standards and output
• Delivering formal fine dining, elegant buffets and beautifully presented canapé events
• Preparing hospitality catering including working lunches and bespoke client requests
• Designing and evolving seasonal, refined menus with a focus on quality, creativity and presentation
• Maintaining exceptional consistency across every service, every time
• Managing stock, food cost and kitchen operations with efficiency and accuracy
• Building trusted relationships with clients and stakeholders, understanding and anticipating their needs
• Ensuring full compliance with food safety, allergen and hygiene standards at all times

About You

• Proven experience as a Hospitality Head Chef or strong Senior Sous Chef ready to take the next step
• A strong background in formal fine dining — essential
• Experience within corporate hospitality or premium client environments — highly desirable
• A genuine passion for high-quality, beautifully presented food
• Calm, professional and organised leadership style — you set the tone in the kitchen
• Confident managing a small team and delivering consistently exceptional standards
• Strong organisational and communication skills
• Meticulous approach to food safety, allergen management and compliance

What We Offer

• £45,000 per annum
• Monday to Friday — no weekends, exceptional work-life balance
• Prestigious Central London location
• Creative ownership of a boutique, high-quality hospitality kitchen
• Free meals at work every day
• Contributory pension and life assurance at 2× salary
• Employee Assistance Programme and enhanced family-friendly benefits
• A day off on your birthday
• Membership of CODE Hospitality
• Summer & Christmas parties and recognition awards
• Training, development and career progression within an award-winning independent

Ready to lead something exceptional? Apply now — we’d love to meet you.