Sous Chef

Birchgrove; Leatherhead; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 36,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Life assurance

Healthcare cashback

Employee assistance and mental health

Free breakfast and lunch

Electric-car salary-sacrifice

Onsite gym

Job summary

Birchgrove Ltd in Leatherhead is seeking a warm, passionate Sous Chef to work closely with the Head Chef and help deliver a personal, fresh dining experience for neighbours. You will be part of a tight-knit kitchen team, contributing ideas, and stepping up to lead when the Head Chef is away.

You are experienced in professional kitchens, can stay calm during busy services, and are committed to high standards, HACCP and allergen procedures. Weekend work and community-focused teamwork are expected.

Qualifications

• Experience in a professional kitchen with high standards.
• Capable of leading a kitchen when Head Chef is away.
• Understanding of HACCP, allergen handling and food safety.

Responsibilities

• Support the Head Chef to deliver high-quality meals for neighbours.
• Lead kitchen operations in Head Chef's absence and ensure food-safety checks are completed.
• Contribute ideas for seasonal menus and events.
• Assist with stock control, ordering, rotation and waste reduction.
• Keep the kitchen clean, organised and inspection-ready.
• Follow food-safety systems and allergen management.

Skills

Professional kitchen experience

Calm under pressure

Attention to detail

HACCP & allergen knowledge

Leadership by example

Team player and communication

Job description

Birchgrove Christ Church Apartments, Leatherhead

Sous Chef

Sous Chef

Reports to: Head Chef

About Birchgrove

Birchgrove is a different kind of later living. Our neighbourhoods are places to feel genuinely at home - with your own front door, your own routines and the freedom to live life your way, alongside a welcoming community when you want it. We believe later life should feel lighter, easier and full of possibility, with beautiful homes, friendship, independence and the reassurance of support close by.

Why neighbours? Because this is their home. The people who live at Birchgrove are not defined by a building or a service; they are the people next door, the familiar face over lunch, the person you stop and chat to in the hallway. We get to know people as individuals - their stories, preferences and even their quirks - and we want everyone to feel part of something without ever losing their independence or sense of self. Calling people neighbours simply feels more like Birchgrove: warm, personal and rooted in belonging.

The role

We are looking for a warm, passionate and talented Sous Chef to work closely with our Head Chef and help create a dining experience that feels personal, fresh and full of care.

At Birchgrove, you are not cooking for covers - you are cooking for neighbours. You will be part of a close-knit kitchen team, contribute ideas, get to know the people you cook for and step up to lead the kitchen when the Head Chef is away.

The person

• Passionate about food and proud of every plate that leaves the kitchen.
• Confident preparing fresh, seasonal dishes from scratch.
• Experienced in a professional kitchen and comfortable working to high standards.
• Calm, organised and able to manage a busy service without losing attention to detail.
• Warm and friendly, with a genuine interest in being part of a community.
• Creative and open to new ideas, menus and ways of doing things.
• A supportive team player who communicates clearly and leads by example.
• Confident following and supervising HACCP, allergen and food-safety procedures.
• Flexible to work across the kitchen rota, including weekends.

What you will be doing

• Support the Head Chef to deliver high-quality meals that neighbours genuinely look forward to.
• Take an active role in preparation, cooking, plating and service, maintaining consistent quality and presentation.
• Contribute ideas for seasonal menus, special events and new dishes.
• Support stock control, ordering, rotation and waste reduction.
• Keep the kitchen organised, clean and ready for service and inspection.
• Follow and help maintain food-safety systems, including HACCP, temperature controls, allergen management and cleaning schedules.
• Support the induction and day-to-day development of kitchen colleagues.
• Create a positive kitchen culture where colleagues treat each other with respect and help one another.
• Step up to lead the kitchen in the Head Chef's absence, including completion and sign-off of required food-safety checks within your competence and authority.
• When deputising for the Head Chef, take responsibility for the safe operation of the kitchen and escalating immediately any matter outside your authority, training or competence.
• Respond positively to neighbour feedback and help make dining feel personal rather than institutional.

What we expect from everyone

• Be warm, helpful and respectful. Get to know people as individuals and remember that, for our neighbours, this is home.
• Take ownership. If you can help, do. If you cannot, make sure the right person knows and follow it through rather than letting something drift.
• Speak up if something does not feel right - whether it is a safety concern, inappropriate behaviour, a mistake or a concern about someone's wellbeing.
• Respect people's privacy and handle personal or confidential information carefully, sharing it only when there is a genuine need to do so.
• Work safely, complete the training required for your role and ask for help when you are unsure or something is outside your training, competence or authority.

Health, safety and wellbeing

• Follow and reinforce safe food-handling, allergen, hygiene and HACCP procedures.
• Ensure temperatures, cleaning checks and other required food-safety records are completed accurately when responsible for the kitchen.
• Use equipment, knives, hot surfaces and cleaning chemicals safely and only as trained.
• Report accidents, near misses, defects, pest concerns and food-safety issues immediately.
• Follow manual-handling, PPE, COSHH and fire-safety arrangements and help colleagues do the same.

What you can expect from us

• Work that matters. Whatever your role, you will help make everyday life easier, warmer and more connected for our neighbours.
• Room to grow. We invest in learning and development, with training plans, apprenticeships, leadership pathways and opportunities to progress as Birchgrove grows.
• Trust and a voice. We want you to use your judgement, share ideas and feel able to make things better rather than simply follow a script.
• A team that looks out for one another. We value kindness, collaboration and different perspectives, and we want people to feel welcome, respected and able to be themselves. Birchgrove is a Living Wage Employer and a Disability Confident Employer.
• Benefits that support you, including life assurance, healthcare cashback, employee assistance and mental health support, long-service recognition, free breakfast and lunch when working in our neighbourhoods, an electric-car salary-sacrifice scheme and onsite gym use at selected neighbourhoods, subject to eligibility and availability.
• The chance to grow with us. Birchgrove is continuing to expand, and we want our colleagues to share in that journey, bring ideas with them and feel proud of the part they play.

This job description sets out the main responsibilities of the role and is not exhaustive. You may be asked to carry out other reasonable duties that fit the nature and level of the role and the needs of the neighbourhood

Birchgrove Christ Church Apartments, Leatherhead

Woodbank Apartments, Holly Bank Rd, Woking GU22 0AR.