Lead Chef at Heritage Portfolio

Sodexo; Street; On-site; GBP 19,000 - 28,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Great training and development

Wider business exposure

Team-focused culture

Job summary

Heritage Portfolio, part of Sodexo Live, is seeking a Lead Chef for our Central Production Kitchen in Leith. You will lead a kitchen team, delivering high-quality, made-from-scratch dishes for weddings, private dining and corporate events, with a focus on freshness, provenance and flavour.

Join a dynamic, creative team in Edinburgh and play a key role in menu development, training, and cross-site collaboration across our venues during peak periods.

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a chef in a senior or supervisory role.
• Strong leadership and team management skills.
• Attention to detail and punctuality.
• Experience in event service and preparation.
• Flexibility to work shifts, including evenings and weekends where required.

Responsibilities

• Lead, motivate and support the kitchen team to deliver an excellent standard of food and service.
• Prepare, cook and present dishes to the required quality and consistency.
• Plan menus, specials and daily food preparation in line with business requirements.
• Manage stock control, ordering, deliveries and food storage.
• Monitor food costs, portion control and minimise waste.
• Ensure compliance with food hygiene, health and safety regulations, and allergen procedures.
• Maintain high standards of cleanliness, organisation and kitchen maintenance.
• Support the training and development of kitchen team members.
• Ensure the kitchen operates efficiently during busy service periods.
• Work closely with management and front-of-house teams to deliver an excellent customer experience.

Skills

Senior chef experience

Leadership

Attention to detail

Event service

Flexibility to work shifts

Job description

The following content displays a map of the jobs location - Heritage Portfolio - 49 North Fort Street

Closing Date:

19/11/2026

Job Category:

Chefs

UK Sodexo Live - Casual

Package Description

• 30 hour per week contract, paid overtime as required.
• From £17 per hour, experience dependant.
• Shift pattern 5 day out of 7, day and evening shifts.
• Great training and development opportunities.
• Join a fun and creative team at one of Edinburgh's leading event catering companies.
• Opportunities to get involved in the wider business during peak and busy times.

Job Introduction

Heritage Portfolio are looking for a talented and enthusiastic LeadChef to join our team based at ourCentral Production Kitchen in Leith. With an emphasis on fresh, sustainable, made from scratch cooking, our culinary teams execute outstanding catering and event services, from private dining, weddings and corporate clients to exceptional in-house café services.

The successful candidate will play a key role in the day-to-day running of the kitchen and managing the kitchen team, ensuring food is prepared and presented to a consistently high standard while maintaining a clean, safe and organised working environment.

Under guidance of our Head Chef and culinary development teams, you will prepare and deliver a range of menus, from deli style retail offers to high end fine dining experiences, all with our overarching ethos of quality, seasonality, provenance and flavour at their heart.

Joining our central production kitchen team will give you the unique opportunity to work across all site within the business. Heritage Portfolio currently run some of Edinburgh's premier cultural destinations including Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Gallery of Modern Art, Holyrood Palace, Edinburgh Castle, The Royal Botanic Gardens, Signet Library, Mansfield Traquair and Musselburgh Racecourse. We have also previously run the Royal Garden Party, the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo and the Genesis Scottish Open.

Main Responsibilities

As a Lead Chef your main responsibilities will be:

Lead, motivate and support the kitchen team to deliver an excellent standard of food and service.

Prepare, cook and present dishes to the required quality and consistency.

Plan menus, specials and daily food preparation in line with business requirements.

Manage stock control, ordering, deliveries and food storage.

Monitor food costs, portion control and minimise waste.

Ensure compliance with food hygiene, health and safety regulations, and allergen procedures.

Maintain high standards of cleanliness, organisation and kitchen maintenance.

Support the training and development of kitchen team members.

Ensure the kitchen operates efficiently during busy service periods.

Work closely with management and front-of-house teams to deliver an excellent customer experience.

The Ideal Candidate

• Proven experience as a chef in a senior or supervisory role
• Strong leadership and team management skills
• Attention to detail and punctuality
• Experience in event service and preparation
• Flexibility to work shifts, including evenings and weekends where required

About The Company

Heritage Portfoliois the sub-segment of Sodexo Live! that produces outstanding catering and event services for our cultural destinations. These include exceptional “in-house” café services in some of Britain’s leading visitor attractions such as V&A Dundee, The Signet Library, Portrait Gallery, private parties and dining, weddings and prestigious events.

Our mantra is “Never standing still” and as we grow and flourish in the world of bespoke events and venues, we remain true to our original ethos: to provide an amazing experience that goes beyond the remarkable food we serve. Therefore we are always looking for passionate, enthusiastic and motivated individuals to join our team and take pride in the work they deliver.