Kitchen Manager

Holiday Inn Ashford Central; Ashford; On-site; GBP 34,000 - 45,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Fully funded apprenticeships

Hotel discount programme

Gym, pools and leisure facilities

Wellbeing, financial and legal support

Job summary

Kew Green Hotels is seeking an experienced Kitchen Manager at Holiday Inn Ashford Central in Ashford, United Kingdom. You will lead the kitchen to operate safely, efficiently and profitably while delivering high-quality food and guest experiences.

You will manage the kitchen team, maintain compliance with health and safety regulations, control costs, and drive improvements based on guest feedback. The role offers development opportunities and a collaborative culture within a busy hotel

Qualifications

• Proven experience as Kitchen Manager or similar leadership role.
• Strong leadership and coaching abilities.
• Solid understanding of food safety, health and hygiene regulations.
• Commercial awareness with budgeting and profitability focus.
• Ability to perform under pressure in a fast-paced environment.
• Proactive problem-solving and process-improvement mindset.
• Excellent communication and organisational skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead kitchen operations to ensure safety, quality and profitability.
• Develop and motivate kitchen team to deliver excellence and uphold standards.
• Regularly review guest feedback to improve food quality and service.
• Manage kitchen administration, audits and third-party contractors.
• Ensure compliance with health, hygiene and food safety regulations with audit readiness.
• Control stock, ordering, rotation and minimize waste while maximizing gross profit.
• Own budgets and deliver against financial targets.
• Collaborate with other departments to enhance guest experience.
• Support recruitment, onboarding, training and development of line cooks.

Skills

Leadership

Food safety

Budgeting

Team development

Communication

Organisational skills

Job description

We’re looking for an experienced and motivated Kitchen Manager to take ownership of our kitchen operation. You’ll lead from the front, driving quality, efficiency and profitability while creating a positive, engaging culture for your team.

Reporting directly to the Hotel Manager, you’ll be responsible for ensuring the kitchen consistently delivers high standards, meets all compliance requirements and plays a key role in the overall success of the hotel.

About the Role

You’ll lead the kitchen function, ensuring it operates efficiently, safely and profitably while delivering consistently high-quality food.

Key responsibilities include:

• Ensuring consistent delivery of high-quality food that enhances the guest experience.
• Leading, motivating and developing the kitchen team to deliver excellence while embedding company values and culture.
• Reviewing guest feedback regularly and identifying innovative ways to improve food quality and service delivery.
• Managing all kitchen administration, including compliance documentation, audits and third-party contractors.
• Ensuring full compliance with Health, Hygiene and Food Safety regulations, maintaining audit-ready standards at all times.
• Managing stock control, ordering and rotation to minimise waste and maximise gross profit.
• Taking ownership of budgets, controlling costs and delivering against agreed financial targets.
• Partnering with other departments to ensure smooth, joined-up operations that enhance the overall guest experience.
• Supporting recruitment, onboarding, training and development of Line Chefs to build a strong and capable team.

About You

You’re a confident kitchen leader who combines strong culinary knowledge with commercial awareness and people leadership. You set high standards and bring out the best in your team.

We’re looking for someone who brings:

• Proven experience as a Kitchen Manager, Head Chef or in a similar leadership role.
• Strong leadership skills, with the ability to motivate, coach and develop a team.
• A solid understanding of food safety, health & hygiene regulations and compliance requirements.
• Commercial awareness, with experience managing budgets, controlling costs and driving profitability.
• The ability to work under pressure in a fast-paced environment while maintaining high standards.
• A proactive and solutions-focused mindset, always looking for ways to improve.
• Strong communication and organisational skills.
• A positive, can-do attitude and a passion for delivering great food and great experiences.

What’s in it for you

• Career development through fully funded apprenticeships and our internal development programme.
• Discounts on hotel stays and a variety of major retailers, restaurants and days out.
• Free use of our gyms, pools, and leisure facilities.
• 24/7 access to wellbeing, financial, and legal support.

Next steps

If you’re shortlisted, we’ll give you a quick call to learn more about you and answer your questions. Candidates who progress will then be invited to the hotel for an in-person interview.

At Kew Green Hotels, we’re committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive. If you need any adjustments during the recruitment process, just let us know at [e-mail] - we’re here to support you.

Who are Kew Green Hotels?

Kew Green Hotels is one of the UK’s leading hotel management companies, operating a diverse portfolio of global brands. We’re a people-driven business that’s passionate about performance, guest experience, and creating hotels and teams that make us proud.

Learn more about who we are and what drives us at www.kewgreenhotels.com.