Sous Chef

Hand Picked Hotels Ltd; Brockenhurst; On-site; GBP 44,000; Full time

Job summary

A luxury hotel chain in Brockenhurst is seeking a Sous Chef to join their team at Rhinefield House Hotel & Spa. This role involves leading the kitchen, creating exceptional food, and developing management skills for potential career advancement. Ideal candidates will have experience in quality-driven hospitality and a passion for providing an outstanding guest experience.

Benefits

Competitive salary package

Company pension scheme

Employee Assistance Program

28 days holiday per year

Discounted employee stays

Online retail discount platform

Qualifications

• Excellent knowledge and experience of a quality-driven kitchen.
• Enthusiasm and willingness to take on new responsibilities.
• Ability to impart knowledge to junior team members.
• Desire to learn the latest cooking trends.
• Ability to ensure a high-quality, personalized guest experience.

Responsibilities

• Create fantastic food and lead the kitchen team.
• Assist with kitchen management and paperwork.
• Participate in training courses for development into Head Chef.

Skills

Kitchen management experience

Knowledge of quality-driven hospitality

Emotional intelligence

Ability to train junior staff

Flexibility in kitchen roles

Job description

Hand Picked Hotels

Hand Picked Hotels is a beautiful collection of 21 privately owned, luxury country houses and coastal retreats, each hand picked for their individuality. Architecturally distinctive and quintessentially British, every hotel boasts an extraordinary location, from Scotland to the Channel Islands, offering breath taking views, from vast countryside to expansive beaches, to lush woodlands. With every need taken care of, the team at each hotel ensures every guest has a magical experience, encouraging them to return time and time again.

Hand Picked Hotels was founded in 2001 by owner and Chairman, Julia Hands MBE. Whilst each hotel is individual, every property fulfils the company values of family, individuality, community and care, ensuring a hand picked experience for every guest and employee.

We are currently recruiting for a Sous Chef at Rhinefield House Hotel & Spa, part of Hand Picked Hotels.

Known locally as the 'Jewel in the Forest', Rhinefield House is an award‑winning luxury hotel steeped in natural beauty, hidden deep within the New Forest National Park. Rhinefield House is proud to be the only AA four red star hotel in the New Forest. The hotel has 50 bedrooms, including three feature suites, an outdoor pool, a small health suite and a 2 AA Rosette fine dining restaurant & bar. It is a popular wedding and Afternoon Tea venue with beautiful gardens and grounds.

About the Role

Are you an experienced Chef looking to progress your Kitchen Management experience? We know the step from being a Sous Chef to Head Chef can be a big one so here at Hand Picked Hotels we aim to equip our Sous Chefs with the skills they need to take that step. From involvement in office and paperwork responsibilities, to people management training courses and development with your culinary skills, we will help give you the exposure you need to develop your career as a Chef. And of course alongside all of that you get to do what you do best, create fantastic food and lead the team in our professional kitchens.

About You:

• To be considered for this role you will have excellent knowledge and experience of the kitchen within a quality‑driven hotel, restaurant, or hospitality environment.
• You will be enthusiastic and willing to take on new responsibilities. Adopt a flexible approach to assist in different areas of the kitchen as business and guest needs dictate.
• You will have the ability to impart your knowledge to the junior members of the team.
• Your finger will be on the pulse of all the latest trends, and have the desire to learn the next big thing.
• Having a high level of emotional intelligence, you will be able to anticipate our guests’ needs ensuring they receive a Hand Picked experience.
• It is essential you can demonstrate how you would be able to deliver our guest experience standards at Hand Picked Hotels, which includes the ability to go above and beyond to ensure guests have a high‑quality, personalised, and magical experience that they remember, recommend, and return to time and time again.

Company Benefits

Our Benefits include:

• A competitive salary package of £44,000 per year, plus a share of service charge.
• This is a Full‑Time role working 5 days out of 7 including weekends on a rota basis, 45 hours per week, which may vary depending on business needs.
• Company pension scheme with a generous employer contribution.
• Life assurance scheme.
• Employee Assistance Program to support you with whatever life throws at you.
• Company Sickness Scheme Benefit.
• 28 days holiday per year including bank holidays, increasing to 33 days including bank holidays with length of service.
• Forward career progression, with access to our In‑House and external training programmes, including apprenticeships up to level 7, which are all supported by our learning and development team.
• £30 staff stays with Hand Picked Hotels per room Bed & Breakfast & 25% discount on all food & drink. Yes, it’s as good as it sounds! Annual loyalty awards (like afternoon teas and overnight stays)
• Online retail discount platform offering thousands of savings with high street retailers and restaurants as well as a health and well‑being platform.
• Opportunity to make lifelong friendships and be part of team that celebrates Diversity and Inclusion.

Hand Picked Hotels is an Equal Opportunities employer. Candidates must be eligible to live and work in the UK.