Sous Chef

Signature Group; City of Edinburgh; On-site; GBP 34,000 - 50,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary plus tronc

Staff discount 25–50% on food & drink

Training and progression

Additional annual leave

Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)

Work-life balance

Job summary

Signature Group in Edinburgh is launching a new Scottish pub and dining room in the heart of the Old Town, and we are seeking a talented Sous Chef to join from day one.

You will work closely with the Head Chef to develop menus featuring Scottish produce, charcoal cooking and classical techniques, delivering elevated pub dining with consistency even on busy nights. You’ll lead, train and inspire the kitchen team, ensuring every dish leaves the pass at the highest standard.

Qualifications

• Experience as a Sous Chef in a quality, food-led kitchen.
• Excellent cooking skills with a solid grasp of classic techniques.
• Passion for Scottish produce, seasonality and from-scratch cooking.
• Attention to detail to consistently deliver exceptional food.
• Experience with charcoal cooking is a bonus.
• Ability to lead a busy service calmly without compromising quality.
• Strong organisational skills and understanding of kitchen costs, stock control and food safety.
• Enjoy developing people and building a collaborative kitchen team.
• Ambition, creativity and desire to help build something special.

Responsibilities

• Work closely with the Head Chef on menu development and seasonal dishes.
• Showcase the best of Scottish produce and technique in dishes.
• Lead busy services, maintaining high standards and consistency.
• Train and develop junior chefs and foster teamwork.
• Take ownership of day-to-day operations including stock, ordering, food safety, waste and costs.
• Collaborate with front-of-house to ensure great food and service are aligned.

Skills

Sous Chef experience

Classical techniques

Stock control

Food safety

Leadership

Charcoal cooking

Creativity

Tools

None

Job description

The Role

We're opening a new Scottish pub and dining room in the heart of Edinburgh's Old Town, and we're looking for a talented Sous Chef to join us from the beginning.

Food is at the heart of what we're building. Our focus is on exceptional Scottish produce, charcoal cooking, classical techniques and elevated pub dining. Think freshly baked bread, brilliant seafood, carefully sourced meat and familiar dishes given the attention they deserve.

We want to create somewhere that feels like a proper pub, but where the food can comfortably stand alongside some of the best restaurants in the city. Somewhere guests can come for a pint and stay for dinner, or book a table specifically because they've heard how good the food is.

We're looking for someone who genuinely loves cooking, takes pride in the details and wants to work closely with our Head Chef to build something we're all proud of.

As Sous Chef, you'll play a big part in developing the food, shaping the kitchen team and making sure we can deliver exceptional standards consistently, even when the restaurant is full.

What You'll Be Doing

Working closely with the Head Chef on menu development, seasonal dishes and showcasing the best of Scottish produce.

Bringing strong cooking skills and creativity to the kitchen, with a focus on making things properly from scratch.

Helping develop a menu that balances classical techniques, charcoal cooking and elevated pub classics.

Leading busy services, maintaining high standards and making sure every dish leaves the kitchen as it should.

Training and developing junior chefs, sharing your knowledge and helping them become better cooks.

Building a positive kitchen culture with high expectations, good communication and genuine teamwork.

Taking ownership of the day-to-day operation, including stock, ordering, food safety, waste and cost control.

Working closely with the front-of-house team. We believe great food and great service should always go hand in hand.

Helping us get the kitchen, systems and standards right from day one.

What We're Looking For

Experience as a Sous Chef in a quality, food-led kitchen, or a strong Junior Sous Chef ready for the next step.

Excellent cooking skills, a strong understanding of classical techniques and a genuine interest in developing your craft.

A passion for Scottish produce, seasonality and cooking from scratch.

An appreciation for the detail that goes into exceptional food, whether that's baking bread, preparing sauces or getting the most out of a great piece of produce.

Experience with charcoal cooking would be a bonus, but enthusiasm and a willingness to learn are just as important.

Someone who can lead a busy service calmly without compromising on quality.

Strong organisational skills and a good understanding of kitchen costs, stock control and food safety.

Someone who enjoys developing people and understands that a great kitchen is built by the whole team.

Ambition, creativity and a genuine desire to be part of building something special.

What You'll Get

Competitive salary plus tronc

25% to 50% discount on food and drink across Signature Group venues

Opportunities for training, development and progression within the group

Additional annual leave with length of service

Access to our confidential 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme

A team that takes work-life balance seriously

A Little About Signature

Signature Group has 21 venues across Scotland, including Cold Town House, Badger & Co, The Spiritualist, McLarens on the Corner, Copper Blossom and The Smokin' Fox.

We're big believers in developing our own people and giving them opportunities to grow. Whether that's progressing within your own kitchen or taking on something new elsewhere in the group, there's plenty of room to build a career with us.

If you're passionate about great food, love cooking properly and want to help build something from the beginning, we'd love to hear from you.

Signature Group operates under a privacy policy. Your information will only be used for recruitment purposes and will not be shared with third parties.