Sous Chef

Compass Group UK; London Borough of Southwark; On-site; GBP 37,000 - 45,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

A collaborative and inclusive culture,

Beautiful setting surrounded by nature

20 days annual leave

Free staff meals

Access to Compass Group perks &benefit

Discounts and promotions

Training and development opportunities

On-site F&B discounts

Job summary

Compass Group UK is hiring a Sous Chef for Imperial War Museum London. You will support the Head Chef in day-to-day kitchen operations, delivering high-quality food and ensuring FSMS compliance in a busy, educational setting.

This full-time permanent role requires 40 hours per week over 5 days, including weekends. You will lead, train and mentor staff, manage stock and food costs, and strive for excellence in presentation and service.

Qualifications

• Culinary expertise with experience in high-quality catering.
• Leadership and ability to supervise kitchen staff.
• Solid knowledge of food safety and hygiene standards.
• Strong teamwork with front-of-house and kitchen.
• Excellent organizational and multi-tasking skills.
• Adaptability to changing demands.
• Passion for food and creativity.
• Financial awareness to manage food costs.

Responsibilities

• Assist Head Chef in menu creation, prep, and kitchen operations.
• Train, mentor, and supervise kitchen staff.
• Ensure dishes meet venue standards for quality and presentation.
• Assist in stock control, ordering and waste minimisation.
• Maintain health and safety standards and cleanliness.
• Control food costs and budget adherence.
• Meet client and customer expectations, accommodating dietary requests.
• Take charge of kitchen in Head Chef's absence.

Skills

Culinary expertise

Leadership

Food safety

Team collaboration

Organisational skills

Adaptability

Passion for food

Creativity

Financial awareness

Job description

Sous Chef
Location: Imperial War Museum London
Salary: Up to £41,000 per annum

Contract: Full Time, Permanent, 40 hours per week, 5 days out of 7, including weekends.

As a Sous Chef, at Imperial War Museum, you will support the Head Chef in leading day-to-day kitchen operations across the well known tourist attraction, embedded into educational history. You will be responsible for delivery of high-quality food, FSMS compliance, team supervision, training, stock processes, and service performance. In return, you will have the chance to progress your career with company that invests in its people, celebrates individuality, and rewards and recognises employees who go beyond the plate.

The Sous Chef will thrive in supporting the Head Chef to deliver exceptional food while ensuring the smooth operation of the kitchen. You will be passionate about food quality and presentation, maintaining high standards, and ensuring that all dishes are prepared and presented to perfection. You will be integral in leading the kitchen team, training and mentoring junior staff, and ensuring that operational efficiency and food safety standards are met.

What we can offer you:

• A collaborative and inclusive culture, where your ideas are valued, and creativity is encouraged.
• The chance to work in a truly beautiful and inspiring setting, surrounded by nature and stunning gardens.
• 20 days annual leave (Excluding bank holidays and national holiday days)
• Free staff meals whilst at work.
• Access to Compass Group company perks & benefits.
• Perks for Works discounts and promotions
• Access to training, mentoring and development, with support from our wider Restaurant Associates and Compass Group UK networks.
• On-site F&B discounts.

Responsibilities:

• Supporting the Head Chef: Assist the Head Chef in all aspects of kitchen management, including menu creation, food preparation, and ensuring that kitchen operations run smoothly.
• Team Leadership: Train, mentor, and supervise kitchen staff, ensuring high standards of food preparation and cleanliness.
• Food Quality and Consistency: Ensure that every dish is prepared and presented according to the venue’s standards, maintaining consistency and quality at all times.
• Stock Management: Assist in ordering, stock rotation, and inventory control, ensuring that stock levels are maintained and waste is minimised.
• Health and Safety: Adhere to health, safety, and hygiene regulations to ensure the kitchen operates in a safe and clean environment.
• Cost Control: Work with the Head Chef to ensure food costs are controlled and within budget, while maintaining the highest quality.
• Customer Focused: Ensure that dishes meet client and customer expectations, adapting to special dietary requirements and requests as needed.
• Operational Support: Take charge of the kitchen when the Head Chef is absent, ensuring the operation runs smoothly.

About You:

• Culinary Expertise: Proven experience in high-quality catering, ideally within a similar venue or setting, with a passion for creating exceptional dishes.
• Leadership Skills: Ability to supervise and motivate a team of kitchen staff, ensuring a high level of performance.
• Food Safety: A strong understanding of food hygiene and safety standards, with the ability to enforce them in the kitchen.
• Team Collaboration: Ability to work well with both front-of-house and kitchen teams to deliver a seamless customer experience.
• Organisational Skills: Strong attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment.
• Adaptability: Flexibility to assist in all areas of the kitchen and respond to changing demands during service.
• Passion for Food: A deep enthusiasm for culinary arts and delivering an exceptional dining experience.
• Creativity: Ability to contribute to menu planning and innovation, keeping up to date with culinary trends.
• Financial Awareness: Ability to manage food costs and contribute to the financial success of the venue.

As a Sous Chef, you will ideally have a background in high-quality catering and be eager to further develop your culinary skills in a prestigious venue. You will be dedicated to maintaining a high standard of food and service, leading your team to ensure operational excellence and customer satisfaction.

About Us:

Restaurant Associates is a leading premium hospitality provider with an ethos drawn from our history of fine and high-quality dining in London and New York.

Within our venues team, we provide catering and hospitality services to some of the most iconic visitor attractions and destinations in the UK including the Imperial War Museum London, Glyndebourne Opera House, Knebworth House, Whipsnade Zoo and many more. Within these amazing venues we operate a host of bespoke cafés and restaurants, as well as delivering private events ranging from small meetings to large-scale ground events of up to 1000 people. You can find a full list of our venues on our website.

We pride ourselves on being an inclusive, diverse, fun, and dynamic place to work with opportunities to collaborate with a wide range of teams plus a commitment to putting our people first. Restaurant Associates is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from candidates of all backgrounds. As a business, we are committed to sustainability led practices and are proud to have achieved 3 stars with the Sustainable Restaurant Association’s Food Made Good Programme.

Compass Group UK&I is committed to fostering an environment where every individual can truly be themselves at work and has equal opportunities to advance in their careers. We strive to build a culture that respects and celebrates the unique talents, beliefs, backgrounds, and abilities of all our team members. We want our colleagues to feel valued, empowered to reach their full potential, and to thrive - because diversity is our strength!