Lead Head Chef — Build a Top-Tier, High-Impact Kitchen

Loungers plc; Sunderland; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive base salary

Bonus

Overtime pay

Free meals on shift

Holiday off

Staff discount

Loungefest

Early pay

Charity support

Job summary

Loungers plc is hiring a full-time Head Chef to lead the kitchen at Varo Lounge, our brand-new site. You will join and head the opening team, ensuring high standards and a one-team culture with front of house.

We offer a permanent full-time role with a 48-hour contract (40-hour option available), plus bonus, overtime pay, free meals on shifts, and strong career progression through in-house training and Future Ops development.

Qualifications

• Experience as Head Chef, Kitchen Manager or Sous Chef ready for your next step.
• Hands-on leader who can build teams and run a kitchen with high standards.
• Strong GP, labour, stock and food safety awareness to run a busy service.

Responsibilities

• Take full ownership of the kitchen at Varo Lounge—leading every shift from open to close.
• Recruit, develop and coach your kitchen team at all levels with clear development plans.
• Know menu specs and kitchen processes inside out to ensure dishes are spot on.
• Own a site-level action plan covering food wait times, standards, ordering, stock counts and cleaning.
• Deliver on kitchen KPIs—food quality, wait times, wastage and GP; report on performance each shift.
• Schedule fair rotas based on sales and bookings forecast to ensure skilled coverage.
• Work closely with front of house to build a genuine one-team culture.

Skills

People leadership

Hands-on cook

Kitchen leadership

Commercial mindset

Head Chef experience

Job description

Loungers plc is hiring a full-time Head Chef to lead the kitchen at Varo Lounge, our brand-new site. You will join and head the opening team, ensuring high standards and a one-team culture with front of house.

We offer a permanent full-time role with a 48-hour contract (40-hour option available), plus bonus, overtime pay, free meals on shifts, and strong career progression through in-house training and Future Ops development.