Sous Chef

Bull, Ditchling; Ditchling; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 34,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Autonomy to create menus

Free meals

20% discount in Young's pubs & hotels

Company Pension Scheme

28 Days Holiday per year

Apprenticeship Scheme

Regular culinary masterclasses

Fully funded courses

Job summary

The Bull in Ditchling is seeking a passionate Sous Chef to lead from the front, support the Head Chef and raise kitchen standards in a busy country pub with rooms. You will work with fresh produce, drive day-to-day operations, and mentor the kitchen team in a fast-paced environment.

We offer development opportunities, funded courses, apprenticeships, and a clear progression path, plus benefits such as free meals, 20% pub/hotel discount, pension, and 28 days holiday. Apply now.

Qualifications

• Experience as Sous Chef or Senior CDP
• Proven leadership and ability to develop a kitchen team
• Strong communication and training skills
• Hands-on cooking with fresh produce
• Creativity in menu planning and daily specials
• Ability to manage rota, health & safety, and GP targets

Responsibilities

• Lead from the front and support the Head Chef
• Train and develop kitchen staff and foster a positive culture
• Design and contribute to menus and daily specials
• Oversee kitchen operations and ensure health & safety compliance
• Collaborate with front of house to drive service standards
• Manage staffing and scheduling to maintain cost controls

Skills

Leadership

Team development

Communication

Hands-on cooking

Menu design

Rota management

Job description

Sous Chef

About us:

Thank you for your interest in joining us at The Bull in Ditchling! We're a busy, food-led country pub with rooms, and we're looking for a Sous Chef who can help lead from the front, support the Head Chef, and play a key role in driving standards and developing the kitchen team.

This role is a great opportunity for someone who enjoys working with fresh food, thrives in a fast-paced environment, and takes pride not only in delivering consistently great dishes but also in helping build a strong kitchen culture. We're looking for someone who can take ownership, support with training and development, and help ensure smooth day-to-day operations.

What makes Young's stand out is the investment in people. We offer fantastic training and development opportunities, fully funded courses, apprenticeships, and a clear career pathway. Many of our chefs and managers have progressed internally, so if you're ambitious and looking for a place to continue developing and step up further in your career, there is a real opportunity to do so.

We'd love to hear more about your experience, leadership style, and what you're looking for in your next role.

What we offer our Sous Chefs:

• Access to our Sous Chef - Head Chef development Programme: the majority of our head chefs are internal appointments
• Autonomy to create your own menus and specials, alongside your Head Chef
• Access to our Apprenticeship Scheme - Gain a nationally recognised qualification
• Access to regular culinary masterclasses and training days to boost your skills
• Free meals
• 20% discount in all Young's pubs and hotels
• Share save Scheme
• Company Pension Scheme
• 28 Days Holiday per year

What we look for in a Sous Chef:

We are looking for an existing Sous Chef or Senior CDP looking for their next step, who considers themselves as a natural leader with a passion and flare for producing quality fresh food in an environment that makes people feel welcome. As the successful Sous Chef you will:

• Have experience championing excellent service through quality food
• Demonstrate a passion for leading and developing a team
• Be an active hands-on Chef with excellent communication skills
• Be responsible and able to manage the kitchen staff rota, training and all health and safety effectively at all times
• Working alongside your Head Chef, you will be able to demonstrate your creativity and ability by helping to design and deliver new dishes for our menus and daily specials
• Demonstrate great planning and organisational skills, necessary to maintain effective controls with regard to both GP and labour
• Have a pro-active approach to driving sales and delivering growth, through engagement with both kitchen and front of house teams

Thanks for your interest in working with Young's.