Sous Chef

La Nouvelle Garde; Greater London; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 61,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary from £55k

48-hour contract

50% discount

Staff meal

Hospitality Rewards

Career growth

Job summary

La Nouvelle Garde in London is seeking a skilled Sous Chef to join the Head Chef's team, leading service and ensuring from-scratch French cuisine of the highest quality.

You will oversee a busy kitchen, develop our team, maintain food safety and work with top-quality seasonal ingredients to deliver exceptional dishes.

Qualifications

• Experienced Sous Chef with a background in high-volume restaurants.
• Able to lead a busy kitchen and multiple sections.
• Excellent culinary knowledge and from-scratch cooking.
• Strong leadership, delegation, coaching and team development.
• Solid food safety and kitchen operations expertise.
• Organised, commercially aware and able to manage stock and costs.

Responsibilities

• Lead a well-organised kitchen with clear service responsibilities.
• Ensure dishes are prepared from scratch with optimal flavour and presentation.
• Oversee all kitchen sections and maintain high standards.
• Coach and develop chefs, delegating tasks to improve performance.
• Work with Head Chef to drive kitchen performance and improvements.

Skills

Sous Chef experience

High-volume kitchens

Leadership

Food safety

Stock management

From-scratch cooking

Team development

Kitchen operations

Cost control

Job description

Our story

Back in 2019 in Paris, two friends, Charles and Victor, opened a brasserie together - the kind of place Parisians disappear into for a 3-hour lunch.

Our story

Back in 2019 in Paris, two friends, Charles and Victor, opened a brasserie together - the kind of place Parisians disappear into for a 3-hour lunch.

They called it La Nouvelle Garde: a promise to eat and drink the French way, done properly, 100% homemade, cooked from scratch from the highest quality seasonal ingredients.

They served classic French dishes prepared with care, generosity and excellence in beautiful, relaxed spaces full of energy.

Guests loved it!

So they opened another one, and then another one. Each with its own name, personality and story, but always with the same love for French food and hospitality. And 10 brasseries later, it was finally time to bring it to London.

In July 2026, in Sloane Square, Brasserie Olivia was born.

This is just the beginning of our London story, and we'd love you to help write the next chapter.

The role

As a Sous Chef, you'll be the Head Chef's right hand, playing a key role in leading the kitchen and delivering exceptional French cuisine.

You'll bring strong culinary expertise and a passion for cooking from scratch, working with high-quality seasonal ingredients and ensuring every dish is prepared with precision, consistency and attention to detail.

You'll oversee the day-to-day kitchen operation, from leading service and managing food quality to organising the team, delegating responsibilities and maintaining the highest standards.

You'll work closely with the Head Chef to develop chefs, improve kitchen performance and build a strong, skilled team that takes pride in the food it creates.

What Success Looks Like

• You will lead a well-organised kitchen where every service runs smoothly, with clear responsibilities and strong teamwork across the team
• You will ensure every dish is prepared from scratch, using the right cooking techniques and delivering exceptional flavour, presentation and consistency.
• You will oversee all kitchen sections, maintaining the highest standards of food preparation, cooking and presentation.
• You will maintain exceptional food safety, cleanliness and operational standards throughout the kitchen.
• You will lead, coach and develop our chefs, delegating responsibilities and helping them improve their skills and performance.
• You will manage stock, deliveries and supplier relationships, ensuring the kitchen is organised and ready for service.
• You will minimise waste, control food costs and make commercially smart decisions without compromising food quality.
• You will work closely with the Head Chef to continuously improve the food, develop the team and strengthen the kitchen operation.

What You'll Bring

• You are an experienced Sous Chef with a strong background in high-quality, high-volume restaurants.
• You are confident leading a busy kitchen and overseeing multiple sections at the same time.
• You have excellent culinary knowledge, strong cooking techniques and a passion for preparing exceptional food from scratch.
• You have strong leadership skills and know how to organise, delegate, coach and develop a team.
• You have excellent knowledge of food safety, kitchen operations and maintaining consistently high standards.
• You are organised, commercially aware and confident managing stock, food costs and kitchen performance.
• You lead by example, communicate clearly and take pride in delivering exceptional food and an outstanding guest experience.

What we offer:

• Annual salary starting from £55,000 (including Tronc)
• 48-hour contract, 5 working days and 2 days off
• 50% discount across all Nouvelle Garde restaurants.
• A freshly prepared staff meal on every shift
• Employee benefits platform (Hospitality Rewards)
• The opportunity to join a brand-new restaurant at the beginning of its journey and make a genuine impact from day one.
• The chance to help shape a high-performing team and culture from the early stages.
• Real opportunities for career progression as the business grows, with future restaurant openings already planned.
• The opportunity to work with the best UK suppliers and quality ingredients in a kitchen that prepares everything from scratch and takes pride in exceptional food.

La Nouvelle Garde is an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive.

Please note you must have a right to work in the UK.