Junior Sous Chef

Loungers; Exeter; On-site; GBP 15,000 - 22,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Tips

Paid breaks

Staff meals

Staff discount

Loungefest party

Early pay access

Job summary

Puerto Lounge, part of Loungers, is hiring a Junior Sous Chef to join the kitchen team. This role offers up to £13.30/hr plus tips, paid breaks, and staff meals from day one. Evening and weekend work is likely, with a flexible contract and 50% food and drink discount from day one across all brands.

You’ll support the Head Chef and Sous Chef, help maintain high standards, and develop your skills toward a senior kitchen position. A stepping-stone with genuine career development opportunities.

Qualifications

• Experience working with fresh ingredients and able to demonstrate strong kitchen skills (food prep hot and cold, cleaning)
• Strong knowledge of best practice for allergens, kitchen essentials and food safety
• Good hygiene practices and attention to detail

Responsibilities

• Support Head Chef and Sous Chef to deliver great shifts and ensure prep is done for each day
• Maintain a clean, well-organised kitchen and uphold high food standards
• Take ownership of your section, manage prep, par, cleanliness and food safety
• Follow allergen processes and ensure kitchen is compliant and safe
• Support and help develop newer chefs in the team
• Know dish specs inside out and ensure every plate leaves the kitchen to spec

Skills

Food preparation

Knife skills

Hygiene

Team player

Food safety

Job description

We’re hiring a Junior Sous Chef to be part of the kitchen team at Puerto 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 them so special is the brilliant people who work in them.

As Junior Sous Chef you’ll be a key part of the Puerto 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

Ready to Apply?

We want to work with kind people so if you want to work hard, have fun and be part of the Loungers ride, we’d love to have you. Want to find out more? Check out our socials at @TheLounges