Hotel Head Chef

Arena Racing Company; Wolverhampton; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 46,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

2 Annual Members’ passes

Hotel discounts

Annual leave 22+ days

Pension & life assurance

Healthshield with GP access & EAP

Training & development

Job summary

Arena Racing Company is seeking an ambitious Hotel Head Chef at Wolverhampton Racecourse to lead the hotel kitchen operation, covering dining, banqueting, events and race days.

You will maintain exceptional food standards while balancing menus, purchasing, people, food safety and profitability in a fast-paced environment, delivering top guest experiences.

Qualifications

• Essential Level 3 Food Safety, Level 3 HACCP and Allergen qualification.
• Minimum 2 years as Head Chef in hotel or high-volume operation.
• Experience across hotel dining, banqueting and events.
• Proven ability to manage costs, margins and supplier relationships.
• Strong leadership and people management skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead and inspire a team of chefs and kitchen porters.
• Oversee menus, preparation, presentation and quality for hotel and events.
• Drive food costs, GP, purchasing, stock and labour to budgets.
• Ensure kitchen is resourced and prepared for operations.
• Maintain HACCP, allergens, hygiene and legal compliance.
• Develop the operation to improve menus and guest experience.
• Collaborate with hotel and catering teams to deliver outstanding service.

Skills

Leadership

Menu planning

Food safety

Cost control

Staff management

Communication

Education

Level 3 Food Safety

Level 3 HACCP

Allergen qualification

Level 4 Food Safety Management

Tools

Kitchen management systems

Stock control tools

Job description

We’re looking for an ambitious and commercially minded Hotel Head Chef to join our team, based at Wolverhampton Racecourse, and take the lead in our hotel kitchen operation.

From hotel dining and banqueting to major events and race days, ours is a fast-paced and varied operation where no two days are the same.

You’ll be responsible for maintaining exceptional food standards while balancing the demands of a busy commercial kitchen from menus and purchasing to people, food safety and profitability.

About us…

Arena Racing Company does so much more than lead the UK’s largest horse racing group. We have 21 racing venues showcasing horse racing, greyhound racing, golf courses, hotels and events. In short, leisure, entertainment, media production and global distribution are at the heart of what we do, making it an exciting and diverse place to work! Our success is a team effort which is why we offer great opportunities for growth, development and career progression. After all, it’s our employees that enable us to offer first class service and create an electric atmosphere, all within an industry we love.

What is ARC? We embrace diversity. We develop our people. We care for our visitors. We think about our impact. We are proud of our sport.

Work Perks

• 2 Annual Members’ passes giving access to over 1,500 racedays
• Hotel discounts and complimentary golf
• Annual leave starting at 22 days, rising to 28 with service
• Pension & group life assurance schemes
• Healthshield – including 24/7 GP access & EAP
• Funded training & development opportunities
• …and plenty more!

Key Responsibilities

• Lead & inspire – manage, motivate and develop a team of Chefs and Kitchen Porters, creating a positive, high-performing kitchen culture.
• Deliver exceptional food – oversee menus, preparation, presentation and quality across the hotel and events operation.
• Drive commercial performance – manage food costs, GP, purchasing, stock, waste and labour to achieve agreed budgets and targets.
• Plan & organise – ensure the kitchen is fully resourced and prepared for hotel operations, functions, events and race days.
• Set the standard – maintain the highest standards of food safety, HACCP, allergens, hygiene and legal compliance.
• Develop the operation – identify opportunities to improve menus, processes, kitchen performance and the overall guest experience.
• Work collaboratively – build strong relationships with the wider hotel and catering teams to deliver outstanding service.

About you

• At least 2 years' experience as a Head Chef in a hotel, hospitality or high-volume food operation.
• Experience across hotel dining, banqueting, events, retail and/or fine dining.
• A proven track record of managing and improving food costs and margins.
• Strong experience managing labour and staffing costs against budget.
• Excellent knowledge of food safety, HACCP, nutrition and allergens.
• Experience with purchasing, stock control and kitchen management systems.
• A natural ability to lead, motivate and develop people.
• Excellent organisation, communication and attention to detail.
• The ability to remain calm and make good decisions under pressure.
• A genuine passion for food and delivering an exceptional guest experience.

Qualifications

• Level 3 Food Safety, Level 3 HACCP and an Allergen qualification (Essential)
• Level 4 Food Safety Management(Desirable)

At ARC, we believe that a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace makes us a more relevant, more competitive, and more resilient company. We welcome people from all backgrounds, ethnicities, cultures, and experiences.We are an equal opportunities employer and do not discriminate on the grounds of gender, sexual orientation, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity, gender reassignment, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, disability or age. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.

If you have a disability that requires reasonable adjustments, please let us know; we will ensure that individuals with additional needs are provided reasonable adjustments to participate in the job application or interview process and to perform essential job functions.

We understand the value that diversity brings to our business and we are striving to create a working environment that is inclusive, psychologically and physically safe and ensures everyone can be heard and valued for their contributions. We are committed to making a consistent, top-down effort to be role models on what diversity, inclusion and belonging means in society.