Sous Chef

Compass Group UK; Brockenhurst; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job description

Sous Chef - Beaulieu

At RA Venues, we inspire great experiences at some of the UK’s leading cultural and heritage destinations. We celebrate great food and legendary service across our portfolio of clients.

We are looking for a talented and experienced Sous Chef to join our team at this prestigious contract based in the heart of the New Forest.

The Sous Chef will thrive in supporting the Head Chef to deliver exceptional food while ensuring the smooth operation of the kitchen. You will be passionate about food quality and presentation, maintaining high standards, and ensuring that all dishes are prepared and presented to perfection. You will be integral in leading the kitchen team, training and mentoring junior staff, and ensuring that operational efficiency and food safety standards are met.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Supporting the Head Chef: Assist the Head Chef in all aspects of kitchen management, including menu creation, food preparation, and ensuring that kitchen operations run smoothly.
2. Team Leadership: Train, mentor, and supervise kitchen staff, ensuring high standards of food preparation and cleanliness.
3. Food Quality and Consistency: Ensure that every dish is prepared and presented according to the venue’s standards, maintaining consistency and quality at all times.
4. Stock Management: Assist in ordering, stock rotation, and inventory control, ensuring that stock levels are maintained and waste is minimised.
5. Health and Safety: Adhere to health, safety, and hygiene regulations to ensure the kitchen operates in a safe and clean environment.
6. Cost Control: Work with the Head Chef to ensure food costs are controlled and within budget, while maintaining the highest quality.
7. Customer Focused: Ensure that dishes meet client and customer expectations, adapting to special dietary requirements and requests as needed.
8. Operational Support: Take charge of the kitchen when the Head Chef is absent, ensuring the operation runs smoothly.

Required Skills:

1. Culinary Expertise: Proven experience in high-quality catering, ideally within a similar venue or setting, with a passion for creating exceptional dishes.
2. Leadership Skills: Ability to supervise and motivate a team of kitchen staff, ensuring a high level of performance.
3. Food Safety: A strong understanding of food hygiene and safety standards, with the ability to enforce them in the kitchen.
4. Team Collaboration: Ability to work well with both front-of-house and kitchen teams to deliver a seamless customer experience.
5. Organisational Skills: Strong attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment.
6. Adaptability: Flexibility to assist in all areas of the kitchen and respond to changing demands during service.

Additional Traits:

1. Passion for Food: A deep enthusiasm for culinary arts and delivering an exceptional dining experience.
2. Creativity: Ability to contribute to menu planning and innovation, keeping up to date with culinary trends.
3. Financial Awareness: Ability to manage food costs and contribute to the financial success of the venue.

As a Sous Chef, you will ideally have a background in high-quality catering and be eager to further develop your culinary skills in a prestigious venue. You will be dedicated to maintaining a high standard of food and service, leading your team to ensure operational excellence and customer satisfaction.

We reward your hard work with a comprehensive benefits package, including:

1. Contributory pension scheme
2. Career development: Career Pathways and MyLearning programmes
3. Healthcare: Digital GP access for you and your family
4. Travel discounts: Savings with TUI, Expedia, Booking.com, and more
5. Shopping discounts: On Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, and others
6. Cinema: Up to 44% off tickets
7. Cash rewards: Earn rewards every time you spend
8. Wellness: Free mindfulness, wellness, and exercise classes
9. Family & friends: Share discounts with loved ones

About Us

Part of Compass Group UK&I, Restaurant Associates provides brilliant hospitality through our food, drink and services. We work with our partners and collaborate with our clients to achieve great things together. Every day, our teams of passionate hospitality professionals strive for excellence in delivering employee dining and hospitality to some of the UK's leading workplaces as well as inspiring exceptional experiences in iconic cultural and heritage destinations.

Job Reference: com/0702/64305001/52632072/SU #RA Venues

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!