Junior Sous Chef

Loungers plc; Basildon; Hybrid; GBP 11,000 - 18,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Hourly pay + tips

Flexible contract (evening/weekend)

Free meal on every shift

50% discount on food and drinks from:

Staff discounts from day one

Loungefest staff party

Early access to pay

Support from Licensed Trade Charity

Job summary

Loungers is hiring a Junior Sous Chef for Orleto Lounge, a local café bar. You’ll support the Head Chef and Sous Chef, helping the team deliver great shifts and ensuring each dish goes out to spec. This role offers up to £13.30/hr plus tips and includes staff meals and discounts from day one.

We’re a growing hospitality brand with opportunities to advance into senior kitchen roles, with a flexible, evening/weekend friendly schedule and strong career pathways.

Qualifications

• Experience with fresh ingredients and strong kitchen skills in prep, cleaning, and hygiene.
• Knowledge of allergens and food safety best practices.
• Punctual, reliable, and team-oriented.

Responsibilities

• Support Head Chef and Sous Chef to deliver great shifts and ensure daily prep and dish accuracy.
• Maintain a clean, well-organised kitchen and uphold high standards.
• Own your section, manage prep, par, hygiene and food safety.
• Follow allergen processes and keep kitchen compliant and safe.
• Support and mentor junior team members.
• Know dish specs and ensure every plate meets standards.

Skills

Team player

Food safety

Allergen knowledge

Knife skills

Food preparation

Pace in fast environment

Job description

We’re hiring a Junior Sous Chef to be part of the kitchen team at Orleto Lounge, a local café bar. Part of Loungers, proudly named Casual Dining Group of the Year 2026. Offering up to £13.30/hr + tips, paid breaks, staff food every shift, and 50% off food & drinks from day one. This is a great next step for an experienced Chef de Partie, Senior Chef, or line chef ready to take on more responsibility.

About the Junior Sous Chef Role

Lounges are pretty special places, and what makes they so special is the brilliant people who work in them.

As Junior Sous Chef you’ll be a key part of the Orleto Lounge kitchen; supporting the Head Chef and Sous Chef, helping the team deliver great shifts every week, and making sure every dish that leaves the pass is something to be proud of. If you love real cooking, care about the people around you, and want to grow into a senior kitchen role, you’ll fit right in.

We’re a growing hospitality brand across England and Wales with over 300 sites and plenty of opportunity to grow with us.

What’s in it For You?

• Hourly pay + tips. Tips are shared equally across the team, based on hours worked
• Hourly paid flexible contract. Ideal for part-time, full-time, or flexible work seekers. This role is likely to include evening and weekend work.
• Free meal on every shift no matter the length
• Christmas and Boxing Day off
• Genuine career development with our career pathways and bitesize training courses
• 50% discount on food and drinks from day one. Including alcohol across all our brands (Lounge, Cosy Club, & Brightside) from day one
• The most talked-about staff party in hospitality — Loungefest!
• Long service awards – Vouchers/Extra money
• Early access to your pay with Stream
• Emotional and practical support via the Licensed Trade Charity

What you’ll Do

• Support the Head Chef and Sous Chef to deliver great shifts, ensuring the prep is done for each day and every dish goes out to spec
• Help maintain a clean, well-organised kitchen and uphold high food standards every single shift
• Take ownership of your section, keeping on top of prep & par, cleanliness, hygiene and food safety at all times
• Follow allergen processes at all times and ensure the kitchen is compliant and safe
• Support and work alongside the wider kitchen team, helping newer chefs develop their skills and confidence
• Know the dish specs inside out and make sure every plate that goes out is something to be proud of

What You’ll Bring

• You are probably an existing Junior Sous Chef, or an experienced Chef de Partie or Senior Chef looking to take the next step in their career
• Someone the team can count on — you show up, you're on time, and you give it everything when you're there
• Experience working with fresh ingredients and able to demonstrate strong kitchen skills (food prep hot and cold, cleaning, knife skills, good hygiene practices)
• A natural team player who rolls their sleeves up, leads from the front, and genuinely cares about the food that goes out
• Self-motivated and able to work at pace with limited supervision
• Strong knowledge of best practice when it comes to allergens, kitchen essentials, and food safety