Senior Kitchen Assistant

Vagabond Wines; Brighton; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 26,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Wellbeing budget

Free meals on shift

Cinema tickets discounted

Discounted holidays

Gym memberships

Wine trips abroad

Long Service Awards

Birthday Present

Volunteer Day Off

Partayyyyyyyyys!

Job summary

Vagabond Wines is seeking a Senior Kitchen Assistant to support Kitchen Managers, learn food safety, prep, compliance, and kitchen hygiene, and grow toward a future managerial role.

You will shadow the Line, direct KAs, manage ordering and stock, and mentor junior crew to deliver memorable guest experiences in a vibrant wine bar environment.

If you enjoy teamwork, a fast-paced setting, and are eager to learn and progress, join us for a dynamic career with Vagabond.

Qualifications

• From ordering to food safety, food prep, compliance, and kitchen hygiene, you know it all (or are ready to learn it!).

Responsibilities

• Shadow and support Kitchen Managers, helping run the kitchen smoothly in a fast-paced environment.
• Direct KAs, measure ingredients accurately, and ensure standardized recipes are prepped to perfection.
• Help receive, store, and organize supplies, rotate stock, and assist with ordering so stock levels stay spot on.
• Mentor KA's, answer questions, and lead junior team members.
• Drive food safety guidelines, keep workstations sanitised, and ensure health and safety standards are audited and met.
• Ready to step up and run the kitchen when the manager's away with confidence and composure.
• You love helping junior kitchen team members grow and glow, guiding them through the Vagabond experience.

Job description

The Role: Senior Kitchen Assistant: At the heart of our stores are of course people who through their vibrancy & energy bring our wines to life. A Vagabond Senior Kitchen Assistant is on the up‑stepping into more responsibility, supporting the Kitchen Managers, and showing off their skills. From ordering to food safety, food prep, compliance, and kitchen hygiene, you know it all (or are ready to learn it!). Watch out world, because as a Senior KA, you are the future manager of our business! Bonus Points (But Not Deal Breakers): Got your Food Safety Level 2 or 3? Gold star for you! If not, no stress. We're big on training, so you'll be up to speed in no time.

• Support the Line Like a Legend: You'll shadow and support Kitchen Managers, helping run the kitchen smoothly even in a fast‑paced environment.
• Plan, Prep, Portion, Repeat: Direct KAs, measure ingredients accurately, and ensure standardized recipes are prepped to perfection.
• Order & Inventory Pro: Help receive, store, and organize supplies, rotate stock, and assist with ordering so stock levels stay spot on.
• Mentor Junior Crew: Guide KA's, answer questions, and lead junior team members like the future manager you are.
• Captain of Hygiene & Safety: Drive food safety guidelines, keep workstations sanitised, and ensure health and safety standards are audited and met.
• Step Up in Managerial Absence: Ready to step up and run the kitchen when the manager's away with confidence and composure.
• Team-Building Superstars: You love helping junior kitchen team members grow and glow, guiding them through the Vagabond experience.
• Hospitality Enthusiasts: If making people feel welcome and delivering memorable customer experiences lights you up inside, you're definitely our kind of human.
• Sharp, Trusty, and All‑Around Classy: You show up looking good, doing good, taking pride in your work, and keeping a cool head under pressure.
• Total Foodie (Bonus if You Can't Stop Acting as a Food Disruptor): Whether it's prepping ingredients or contributing to menu ideas, you've got mad love for great culinary experiences.
• Team Player Vibes Only: Lone wolves need not apply; you're all about communication, collaboration, and the occasional safe mid‑shift dance party when song strikes!

At Vagabond Wines we like to set our priorities right; people first, wine first and passion first! Ok, look, we're devoted to all three-just don't ask us to choose! We're on the hunt for passionate, driven leaders to join our rebellion and help us take over the universe! (Okay, maybe just the London wine scene for now, but next…THE UNIVERSE!!) Who Are We? We're Vagabond. We do things differently. No wine snobbery. No food flabbergastery. Just lots of people‑level‑uppery. We're an award‑winning, high‑fiving, people‑loving, training‑leading, tech‑embracing wine bar with a buzzing atmosphere where our teams shine brighter than a leprechaun's butt cheeks. We offer over 100 delicious wines by the glass, ready for tasting and exploring through our futuristic wine dispensers. Pair that with our seasonal sharing menu and our very own, very cool, urban winery (where we make English wines that'll knock your nan's wig off), and you've got the perfect place to work and play.

Benefits & Perks

• £950 to spend on your mental and physical wellbeing every year
• A benefits package, including half-price cinema tickets, discounted holidays, shopping and gym memberships
• Free meals on every shift
• Competitive rates of pay
• Training and development out your ears
• 50% discount on everything in every Vagabond and 20% on Majestic Wine
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Flexible working hours
• Opportunity to grow and progress your career
• Referral fee
• Wine trips abroad
• Long Service Awards
• Birthday Present
• Volunteer Day Off
• Partayyyyyyyyys!