Sous Chef

The Royal Household; Greater London; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days annual leave

Non-contributory pension 15%

Complimentary lunch on-site

Staff discounts

Job summary

The Royal Household is seeking an experienced chef to join our catering operation at Buckingham Palace and other royal residences. You’ll work hands‑on with the Head Chef to prepare and deliver meals for employee dining, hospitality events and formal functions, using quality ingredients and seasonal produce.

You’ll train and supervise junior chefs, help with menu planning and stock control, and ensure health and safety standards are met.

Qualifications

• City and Guilds catering qualification (or equivalent).
• Experience at Junior Sous or Sous Chef level in high‑quality catering.
• Proficiency across all kitchen sections: Larder, Veg, Sauce, Pastry.
• Strong leadership and coaching abilities for junior staff.
• Excellent communication and organisational skills.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with Head Chef to ensure high standards of quality and service.
• Assist with preparation and production for daily meals, events and hospitality.
• Support with ordering, stock control and menu planning.
• Train and supervise junior chefs across sections.
• Maintain health and safety and hygienic kitchen practices.

Skills

Leadership

Team supervision

Menu planning

Communication

Food preparation

Education

City and Guilds catering qualification

Tools

Larder

Veg

Sauce

Pastry

Job description

It's using your expertise to deliver the highest standards.

It's developing your leadership skills. And it’s helping to deliver extraordinary service. This is what makes a career at the Royal Household so different.

Joining our highly accomplished team, you’ll work hands-on with your colleagues to deliver food to the highest standards.

Working with quality ingredients and making the most of locally sourced and seasonal produce, you’ll support a varied catering operation. You'll help prepare and deliver meals for employee dining and hospitality services daily. Alongside this, you'll contribute to a range of events as well as Royal functions throughout the year.

Our team members work collaboratively, with the opportunity to gain experience in all aspects of the kitchen. With training and support embedded in our team culture, you’ll be encouraged to grow your skills.

Although based at Buckingham Palace, you’ll also work at different locations throughout the year.

Key Responsibilities

• Collaborate closely with the Head Chef and kitchen team to ensure a seamless catering operation, consistently delivering high standards of food quality and service.
• Assist with and supervise the preparation and production of food for a range of requirements, from daily employee meals to formal dining and hospitality events when required.
• Support the Head Chef with ordering, stock control and menu planning, making suggestions for new or improved items.
• Train, inspire and supervise junior chefs, developing their skills in a range of cooking and preparation techniques across all sections of the kitchen.
• Ensure that correct procedures are followed according to health and hygiene regulations.

Typical Working Pattern

We offer a flexible and supportive working environment. Our standard working week is around 45 hours, with two days off in every seven and regular weekends off (and sometimes evenings). When travel to other Royal Residences is required, split shifts may be part of the schedule, and any travel time is balanced with time off in lieu upon return.

We value work-life balance and aim to accommodate individual needs. Typically, rotas are planned four weeks in advance to provide plenty of notice and stability.

Accommodation

You’ll have the option to live on site in single‑person accommodation (for which there will be a 16.7% salary deduction to cover bills). With breakfast, lunch and dinner provided each day, you’ll be well fuelled and ready to support the team throughout the day.

• With a City and Guilds catering qualification (or equivalent), you’ll also have gained substantial experience working in a high-quality catering or hospitality operation, and recent expertise at a Junior Sous or Sous Chef level.
• Proficiency across all kitchen sections: Larder, Veg, Sauce, and Pastry, showcasing your skills, with versatility to support different service styles and requirements.
• Exemplify strong leadership abilities, with a knack for inspiring, coaching and encouraging junior team members.
• Well organised, you can plan and delegate effectively.
• With a sound understanding of health and safety requirements you ensure a safe and hygienic kitchen environment.
• With good communication skills, you can build great working relationships with colleagues and stakeholders across the organisation.
• Able to thrive in a fast-paced environment, where every day presents new challenges and opportunities for culinary innovation.
• Above all, you’ll exhibit an unwavering commitment to service excellence, making you an invaluable asset to our esteemed Kitchen team.

We know that to deliver our best work; we need to feel at our best. That’s why at the Royal Household we offer a generous benefits package designed to support your wellbeing and life priorities.

Enjoy 25 days annual leave, rising to 30 days (plus bank holidays) dependent on the length of time you have worked for us.

Our excellent non-contributory pension plan (we’ll contribute 15% and you can contribute more if you wish) is highly valued by our employees, as is complimentary lunch on-site to keep you fuelled throughout the day.

We also offer a range of leave options to support your life priorities, such as parental pay and leave and volunteering days, as well as benefits to support your physical and mental wellbeing.

Other perks include 20% off at our Royal Collection Trust Shops and complimentary admission tickets across all our locations, along with many more exclusive employee discounts.

Find out more about the full range of benefits available to our employee here.