Lead Chef - Hydro Hospitality | SEC

Levy; Livingston; On-site; GBP 31,000 - 37,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare & wellbeing

Annual leave

Meals on duty

Pension scheme

Life Assurance

Employee Assistance Programme

Job summary

Levy UK & Ireland is hiring a Lead Chef to support the Head Chef at The OVO Hydro and SEC campuses. You will lead a kitchen team, oversee food prep, ensure quality and safety, and contribute to menus across hospitality and retail operations.

Reporting to the Head Chef, you will drive cost control, staff development, and high standards of guest experience, while supporting events and day-to-day service with a focus on compliant food safety practices and innovation.

Qualifications

• Senior culinary experience in a high-volume environment.
• Ability to lead, mentor and manage a kitchen team.
• Strong knowledge of food safety and hygiene regulations.
• Experience with menu development and cost control.

Responsibilities

• Plan and develop menus across hospitality and retail operations.
• Oversee food preparation and presentation to high standards.
• Lead, train and mentor kitchen staff.
• Maintain food safety compliance and hygiene.
• Support events and day-to-day catering services.
• Collaborate with Head Chef and stakeholders on menus and dietary requirements.
• Monitor stock, costs and waste to optimise efficiency.
• Ensure guest experience and service quality.

Skills

Culinary experience

Leadership

Food safety

Menu development

Job description

Lead Chef - Hydro Hospitality | SEC | Full-Time / Permanent

£34,000 + excellent benefits including healthcare, wellbeing support, 20 days' annual leave plus bank holidays, life assurance, meals on duty, and more.

We're looking for...

The Lead Chef is a key kitchen leader, supporting the Head Chef to deliver exceptional culinary standards and efficient operations across both hospitality and retail. The role oversees food preparation and presentation to ensure consistency and quality, contributes to menu development and innovation, and leads, trains and mentors kitchen colleagues. With a focus on operational excellence, cost control and compliance with food safety and health and safety requirements, the Lead Chef helps create excellent customer experiences and contributes to the overall success and profitability of the operation. The role will primarily support operations at The OVO Hydro and, when required, across the wider SEC campus.

We are Levy

We are a visionary venue partner. We design and deliver bespoke guest experiences that prioritise people and the planet.

Trusted by some of the world's most iconic stadiums, entertainment venues, and major events from Wimbledon and Twickenham to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Edgbaston, the SEC and ExCeL London we bring experiences to life with passion and precision.

Our mission is to succeed the right way. From pioneering tech and seamless operations to show-stopping menus and exceptional service, we use insight and innovation to understand guests, improve the customer journey, reduce environmental impact, and support local communities.

We are a passionate, diverse team of venue specialists dedicated to making the planet better for future generations.

Lead Chef

Key Responsibilities

• Menu planning and development: Work with the Head Chef to plan and develop varied, balanced menus that meet customer needs and relevant dietary requirements across hospitality and retail operations.
• Food preparation and cooking: Supervise and take part in food preparation and cooking, ensuring food meets high standards of quality, taste and presentation and complies with food safety and hygiene requirements.
• Team leadership and development: Lead, support and mentor chefs and kitchen assistants, helping to maintain a cohesive, efficient and productive working environment. Provide training and guidance on culinary techniques and relevant dietary requirements.
• Quality control: Maintain consistency in food quality and presentation, apply quality-control measures and identify opportunities to improve the food offer.
• Stock and inventory management: Support ordering, storage and stock control of ingredients and kitchen supplies, ensuring efficient use of stock and minimising waste.
• Cost management: Support kitchen budget management, control food costs and source ingredients effectively without compromising quality or nutritional value.
• Health, safety and compliance: Ensure compliance with food safety, hygiene and health and safety requirements, as well as applicable dietary needs. Carry out regular checks to maintain high standards of cleanliness and safety.
• Events and service delivery: Support the planning and delivery of catering for events, meetings, functions and day-to-day hospitality and retail service, ensuring food and service meet stakeholder and customer expectations.
• Stakeholder collaboration: Work collaboratively with the Head Chef, nutritionists, sports science professionals and other relevant colleagues to support menus and meal plans that reflect customer, athlete and performance needs where applicable.
• Customer experience and feedback: Help create a positive dining experience for customers, players and staff. Seek and use feedback to improve the food offer and satisfaction.
• Culinary innovation: Keep up to date with culinary trends and techniques, introducing appropriate ideas, ingredients and methods to keep menus fresh and engaging.
• Operational efficiency: Help ensure smooth and efficient kitchen operations, minimising delays and downtime and supporting the effectiveness of the wider culinary team.
• Wellbeing and performance: Where relevant, support the health, wellbeing and performance goals of players and staff through suitable food and meal provision.

Person Specfication

What we're looking for

• Culinary experience: Proven experience in a senior culinary role, such as Sous Chef, ideally within a stadium, arena, large hotel, high-volume hospitality or high-performance environment. Experience across hospitality and/or retail catering is relevant.
• Leadership and management: Ability to lead, mentor and manage a kitchen team, fostering a positive, supportive and productive working environment.
• Food safety and hygiene: Strong knowledge of food safety regulations, hygiene standards and compliance requirements, with experience maintaining high standards.
• Creativity and innovation: Ability to contribute to varied and engaging menus that cater to different tastes and dietary requirements while maintaining nutritional balance where appropriate.
• Budgeting and cost control: Experience managing food costs, supporting budget planning and sourcing ingredients effectively without compromising quality.
• Communication and collaboration: Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with the Head Chef, colleagues and relevant stakeholders.
• Flexibility and adaptability: Willingness to work flexible hours, including evenings and weekends, in line with venue, event and operational requirements.

What You'll Get In Return

• Competitive salary with bonus and full company benefits
• 20 days' annual leave plus bank holidays, your birthday off, and a holiday purchase scheme
• Healthcare & wellbeing: Aviva Digicare, Medicash (dental, optical, therapy treatments)
• Mental health support: 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme
• Family benefits: Enhanced maternity, paternity, and adoption leave. 2 days additional leave after returning from maternity leave, day off for your baby's first birthday, enhanced family leave
• Perks & discounts: Shopping, entertainment, and travel discounts, 20% off Nuffield Health and 10% off PureGym memberships
• Financial wellbeing: Pension scheme, Life Assurance, preferred rates on salary finance products
• Development opportunities: Professional subscriptions, ongoing training and structured career pathways
• Meals on duty included

Why Join Us?

Levy UK & Ireland is part of Compass Group, the world's largest catering company, and a vibrant leader in hospitality.

We believe in celebrating individuality and building inclusive teams where everyone feels they belong. Our diverse team fuels creativity, innovation, and excellence.

We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and welcome candidates from all backgrounds to join us in creating a supportive, empowering workplace where everyone can thrive.

Together, we create unforgettable experiences and shape the future of hospitality.

• Medicash - Healthcare benefits, including dental, optical and therapy treatments (includes up to 4 dependent children)
• Aviva Digicare - Free annual healthcare check
• Exclusive Benefits & Wellbeing site (Perks at Work)
• Entertainment discounts - up to 55% off cinema tickets
• Health & Wellbeing discounts - Discounts for Nuffield Health (20%) and Pure Gym (10%)
• Travel discounts - Discounts with holiday companies such as TUI and Expedia
• Shopping discounts - Save up to 15% at high street and online stores by purchasing Shopping Cards
• Meals on duty
• Vodaphone discounts
• Pension scheme and Life Assurance
• Employee Assistance Programme
• 20 days + BH's and additional day off for your birthday
• 2 days additional leave, following return from Maternity leave during first year back
• Competitive and supportive family benefits
• Day off for baby's first birthday
• Holiday purchase scheme
• On-going training & development and career pathways
• Professional subscriptions paid
• Financial wellbeing programme and preferred rates on salary finance products

As part of Compass you'll help to feed people, fuel progress and forge connections in around 6,000 venues. Join us to grow your career with the industry leader, and get competitive pay, great perks and unrivalled opportunities for learning and development, at one of the UK's biggest businesses.

Job Reference: com/1808/68674001/52828220/SU #SCOT #Levy UK

Compass Group UK&I is committed to fostering an environment where every individual can truly be themselves at work and has equal opportunities to advance in their careers. We strive to build a culture that respects and celebrates the unique talents, beliefs, backgrounds, and abilities of all our team members. We want our colleagues to feel valued, empowered to reach their full potential, and to thrive - because diversity is our strength!