Sous Chef

Lexington-Catering; Greater London; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free, tasty meals

Flexible working

28 days holiday + 31 after 2 years

Leave for life's moments

Paid volunteering days

Room to grow

Pension schemes & life assurance

Exclusive discounts

Job summary

Lexington is recruiting a Sous Chef to lead a four-person kitchen team within a recently mobilised contract. You will drive exceptional food quality, service, and compliance, reporting to the Catering Manager and shaping a high-performing operation.

You will oversee menus, ensure top presentation, stock control, and customer-focused service in a fast-paced environment. This role offers the chance to influence the food offer from day one.

Qualifications

• Genuine passion for food and hospitality.
• Experience in a professional kitchen environment.
• Experience supervising or leading a small team.
• Strong focus on customer service and quality.
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment.
• Good knowledge of food safety and health & safety standards.
• A positive, proactive attitude with a desire to make a difference.

Responsibilities

• Leading and developing a team of four kitchen colleagues.
• Ensuring all food is prepared and presented to the highest standards.
• Maintaining a clean, safe, well-presented, and fully stocked kitchen and service area.
• Keeping up to date with menus, recipes, and daily food offerings.
• Delivering a warm, friendly, and professional service to customers.
• Managing stock control and helping to minimise food waste.
• Driving high standards across food quality, presentation, and customer satisfaction.
• Ensuring compliance with COSHH, Food Safety, and Health & Safety regulations.

Skills

Leadership

Team management

Food safety knowledge

Customer service

Communication skills

Fast-paced environment

Proactive attitude

Job description

Posted Wednesday, 26 August 2026 at 00:00 | Expires Wednesday, 23 September 2026 at 23:59

Lexington is an award-winning contract caterer that focus on providing great food and service to customers. To do this we need fabulous people and we work hard to create an environment where our team members feel engaged, inspired, valued and enjoy what they do.

Sous Chef

What you'll be doing

As a Sous Chef, you will play a leading role in delivering an exceptional food experience while managing a small kitchen team within a recently mobilised Lexington contract. This is an exciting opportunity to make your mark, influence the food offer, and help shape a high-performing catering operation.

Reporting directly to the Catering Manager, you will be responsible for leading a team of four and ensuring the highest standards of food quality, service, and compliance are consistently achieved.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Leading and developing a team of four kitchen colleagues
• Ensuring all food is prepared and presented to the highest standards
• Maintaining a clean, safe, well-presented, and fully stocked kitchen and service area
• Keeping up to date with menus, recipes, and daily food offerings
• Delivering a warm, friendly, and professional service to customers
• Managing stock control and helping to minimise food waste
• Driving high standards across food quality, presentation, and customer satisfaction
• Ensuring compliance with COSHH, Food Safety, and Health & Safety regulations

Working Pattern: 5 days out of 7

What can you bring?

We're looking for a passionate and motivated chef who enjoys leading a team and delivering exceptional food and service.

You'll ideally have:

• A genuine passion for food and hospitality
• Previous experience working in a professional kitchen environment
• Experience supervising or leading a small team
• A strong focus on customer service and quality
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills
• The ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment
• Good knowledge of food safety and health & Safety standards
• A positive, proactive attitude with a desire to make a difference

This is a fantastic opportunity to join a recently won Lexington contract and play a key role in its success from the outset. If you're looking for a role where you can influence the food offer, lead a team, and make a lasting impact, we'd love to hear from you.

Brilliant Work Deserves Brilliant Perks!

At Elior, we believe that when you love where you work, it shows. That's why we make sure our team feels appreciated, supported, and set up for success! Here's what's waiting for you:

• Free, tasty meals - Enjoy tasty, nutritious food on us while you work!
• Flexible working - including part time roles, because life doesn't run on a 9-5 schedule.
• Plenty of Time to Unwind - 28 days of holiday, and after two years, enjoy even more with 31 days.
• Leave for life's important moments - whether family, personal or unexpected.
• Give back time - paid volunteering days for the causes you care about.
• Room to grow - career development and learning opportunities for all stages of your career.
• Financial security - pension schemes and life assurance.
• Exclusive discounts - save on entertainment, leisure, and even travel!

Why You'll Love Working Here

We're a people-first business with over 10,000 colleagues across the UK, serving everything from stadiums to hospitals, schools to workplaces. Our mission? Toenrich lives everywhere, every day.

And here's the best part - 87% of our team say they're proud to work here! Why? Because we create a place where you're listened to, trusted, supported, and valued.

We Celebrate You!

At Elior, diversity and inclusion aren't just policies, they're who we are. We know that different perspectives make us stronger, and we're dedicated to creating an environment where everyone feels seen, heard, and empowered to succeed.

Need any support or adjustments during the application process? Just let us know - we're happy to help!