Kitchen Leader - Southampton University

Pret A Manger; Southampton; On-site; GBP 13,000 - 17,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Hourly rate £15.10

28 days annual leave

Pension scheme

Life Assurance

Healthcare cash plan

Free food and drink

Club Pret membership

Employee discounts

Job summary

Pret A Manger is hiring a Kitchen Leader for a part-time role (16 hours per week) at our Southampton shop. You’ll ensure consistent food preparation to our high standards while coaching your team to deliver excellent service.

As a hands-on leader, you’ll manage stock, handle shift performance with Managers, and help create welcoming, safe, and compliant kitchen operations. Flexible hours, staff benefits, and opportunities to grow with Pret await.

Qualifications

• Experience leading a team and driving high service standards in a fast-paced food environment.
• Ability to manage stock counts and assist with administrative tasks to support smooth operations.

Responsibilities

• Lead kitchen operations to ensure consistent preparation of high-quality food.
• Inspire and manage the shift team to deliver excellent service every day.
• Promote Pret’s values and maintain a safe, clean, and compliant kitchen.
• Support stock control and complete administrative tasks accurately.

Job description

KitchenLeader

Part time 16 hours per week

Pret here!We’reproud makers of delicious food, organiccoffeeandbig ideasacross 750+ shops in 20+ countries.

Whetheryou’remaking our customers’ days with the perfect latte or leading your team to success, roles in Pret shops come with huge opportunities forgrowth. Together,we’redoing the right thing and growing fast –it’san exciting team to hop on board!

This role is located in Unit 3 & Unit 6 (Part) Gower Building, Burgess Road, Southampton SO17 1TW GBR

Growing Good Things

Pret is where passionate, hardworking, wonderful people (like you!) find the confidence and skills they need to grow and choose their unique paths. And the proof is in the pudding – 80%+ of ourManagersand 20% of our Support Centre teams (including our CEO,Pano) started on the shop floor.

Whatwe’relooking for

As a Kitchen Leader at Pret a Manger,you’ll play a key role in ensuring the consistent preparation of delicious food that meets ourhigh standards, while leading and inspiring your team to deliver excellence every day.You’llact as a role model, promoting Pret’s core values andmaintaininga safe, clean, and compliant kitchen environment. With a sharp eye for detail,you’llmanage stock counts and complete administrative tasks accurately to support smooth operations. Working closely with Managers,you’llhelp oversee shift performance, resolve issues quickly, and ensure every customer enjoys a fresh and satisfying experience.

About you

• Be kind, honest and generous:bring genuine warmth and your authentic self to work every day.

• Bring your passion:share our passion for exceptional customer service.

• Spread joy every day:small acts of kindness(like giving away a free coffee on the house)are a big part of what makes the Pret experience special.

• Experience needed: You lead with purpose—driving team performance, protecting profit, and keeping customers happy throughhigh standardsand great energy.

We offer

• Hourly rate is £15.10 (inclusive of mystery shopper bonus)

• Afterinitialtraining, earn an extra£5 per hour for any shift started between 3-5am

• 28 days annual leave (pro-rata ifyou'repart-time)

• Pension schemeLife Assuranceat 3x annual salary & virtual GP

• Healthcare cash plan

• Free food and drink whileyou’reworking

• And whenyou’renot,you’llhaveourClub Pret Membership(giving you 50% off food andto 5 free Barista-made drinks a day)

• Loyalty award after 5, 10, 15, 20 years’ service

• Regular rewards and recognition for amazing standards

• Access marketplace discounts on shopping, travel, fitness, dining, tech and more

• Flexible working hours, means you have the time to dowhat’simportant to you

• Comfyfree shoes to wear on shift

We also offer

• Individual ways to grow–We offer lots of opportunities for learning, whether you join us for a short stint or the long game,you’regood to grow with us. Including fully funded professional qualifications –apprenticeships Level 3 and internal transfer opportunities to explore.

• Diversity and belonging–Everyone is welcome at Pret, we want you to feel confident and valued for who you are and to truly belong.

• Pace and variety -Our work is fast paced with lots of variety,you’llbuild a diverse skill set and learn a lot!

• Community and purpose-We’reproud to make a difference through The Pret Foundation, from tackling homelessness to reducing food waste and creating positive change for people and communities.

Our values

• Happy Teams Happy Customers

• Amazing Standards Every day

• Never Standing Still

• Doing The Right Thing

The interview journey

• Every interview process at Pret begins with the same two stages.Initial phone screening and 60-minute shop-based interview with the General Manager and the team

• Everyoneis welcome at Pret. We encourage applications from underrepresented groups, including women, people with disabilities, neurodiversity, ethnic minorities, and the LGBTQ+ community.Please let our recruitment team know ifyou need any adjustments or support during the recruitment process – your experience matters to us.

We’dlove to get to know you, not a robot, so please do not rely on AI to complete your application.