Sous Chef

Recruit Genie; Manchester; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Meals on duty

Employee discounts

Annual leave increase

Uniforming provided

Job summary

Dakota Manchester Airport is seeking a creative Sous Chef with strong leadership to join our Kitchen Team. You will support Head Chef and Senior Sous Chef in running a busy service and lead others while maintaining high standards.

The role requires at least 5 years of cooking in a high-calibre restaurant and 3 years in a junior sous or above position, with HACCP and allergens training. You will train juniors, manage rotas, and ensure safety and quality across all menus.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years professional cooking experience in a high calibre restaurant.
• Minimum 3 years experience as Junior Sous or above.
• Demonstrate effective leadership and communication in a positive, inclusive environment.
• Trained in food hygiene level 2 plus HACCP and allergens, with full training provided.
• Passion for quality food and teamwork.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Kitchen in smooth, busy service under Head Chef guidance.
• Carry out interviews, trial shifts, appraisals and performance management.
• Write rotas, manage holidays and contribute to costed menus to meet GP targets.
• Prepare and cook dishes across all menus including breakfast, room service and events.
• Train junior Chefs and apprentices in a collaborative environment.
• Uphold Health & Safety, Food Hygiene and HACCP documentation.
• Communicate effectively with kitchen and front-of-house teams.

Skills

Leadership

Team training

Menu costing

Food hygiene

Communication

Education

Food hygiene level 2

Job description

We are seeking a creative Chef with strong leadership skills to join our Kitchen Team in the role of Sous Chef.

PRIMARY ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES

• Supporting the Head Chef and Senior Sous Chef in the running of the Kitchen including leading a smooth and busy service.
• Carry out managerial responsibilities including holding interviews and trial shifts, holding appraisals, and performance management.
• Support in driving the commercial performance of the kitchen by writing rotas and managing holidays, whelping to write costed menus in line with the desired GP, carrying out stock take, and places orders.
• Prepare and cook dishes according to the specification as set out by the Head Chef. This pertains to all menus including a la carte, room service, breakfast, bar food, bar snacks, events, and guest amenities.
• Be committed to working wholeheartedly as part of the team, effectively and positively communicating with all members of the kitchen and front of house team.
• Have a passion and display a willingness to train junior Chefs and apprentices in an open working environment of ongoing improvement.
• Strictly adhere to Health & Safety and Food Hygiene legislation following best practice at all times and leading the team to do so consistently. Where assigned, write HACCP’s and oversee the completion of due diligence documentation to maintain our high food audit scores.
• Display a willingness to continuously learn and improve your skills as a professional Chef.

APPLICANT REQUIREMENTS

The successful applicant will have/be:

• A minimum of 5 years professional cooking experience in restaurant of a high calibre.
• A minimum of 3 years experience as a Junior Sous or above.
• Demonstrate effective leadership and communication skills which are in line with our positive and inclusive working environment.
• Trained and knowledgeable in food hygiene to level 2 or above, HACCP and allergens, although full training will be provided.
• Demonstrate a passion for quality food and preparation.
• Be hardworking and a team-player.
• An enthusiastic individual who will promote our culture of positivity.
• Be task oriented with a great pride for the work they do and attention to detail.
• Flexible with shift patterns and available around the needs of our business.
• Successful candidates must demonstrate having researched our brand and a genuine desire to be part of our team.

HOW TO GET HERE

Dakota Manchester Airport is at 7 Enterprise Way, Manchester, M90 4AD

• Train: About a 10 minute walk from Manchester Airport station, with frequent direct services from Manchester Piccadilly and across the North West.
• Tram: Metrolink Blue Line runs from Victoria via Central Manchester to the airport main station (approximately 10 minute walk away)
• Bus: Bee Network routes (43, 103, 130, 199, 248, 288, 313, 368) serve the airport; some stop a few minutes from the hotel, others at the main station (approximately 10 minutes walk away)
• Car: For those whose journeys cannot reasonably be completed using public transport, a pre-registered team parking scheme is available at £5 per day, billed monthly by our Finance Team. The car park is located a short 5-10 minute walk from the hotel. Spaces are allocated on a first come, first served basis upon each entry, and parking is not guaranteed. The same parking process and payment arrangement applies to all team members, regardless of role.
• Cycling: Good local routes; secure bike storage available at the team entrance.

WHAT WE OFFER

In addition to being part of a culture infused with positivity and opportunity for ongoing development, tangible benefits you could enjoy when you join our team include:

FINANCIAL

• Special discounts on stays and dining at any Dakota
• Bonuses to recommend a friend to join our team and every time you are mentioned on Trip Advisor
• Additional holiday day on the first anniversary of your employment
• Meals on duty and uniforming

WELLBEING

• Access to our Employee Assistance Program which includes free private mental health support and counselling sessions, video GP consultations and private prescription services, as well as access to daily rewards to be cashed out for shopping vouchers
• Support from our inhouse Mental Health Champions
• Family-friendly flexible working options
• Participation in meaningful initiatives such as Macmillan Cancer Support Coffee Morning and the Walk for Wellbeing, Supporting causes that matter while connecting with colleagues

CAREER DEVELOPMENT

• Accredited, certified compliance training given on employment
• Access to a suite of external, certified resources via our Learning Management System
• Supportive continuous professional development culture with an annual appraisal and objectives, or a Personal Development Plan
• Opportunities to undertake both internal and external training courses, including potential for in-house Apprenticeships

Full terms on our benefits can be found in our Handbook.

ABOUT DAKOTA HOTELS

Dakota is a growing UK-based lifestyle brand, known for our stylish hotels, bustling brasserieGrillsand upscale cocktail Bars. Dakota’s story started with two boutique hotels on the outskirts of Edinburgh, in South Queensferry, and Glasgow, in Eurocentral. We have now expanded into prime city centre locations in Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, andNewcastlewith morein our pipeline.

Dakota is synonymous for delivering attentive and genuine guest service. We attract hard-working individuals who are passionate about working to the highest standards and have been voted within The Caterer’s Top 15 Best Employers in Hospitality for the last five years in a row. We were also featured within the Top 10 employers in the 2024 Sunday Times Best Places to Work in the UK, as well as being awarded the Spotlight Award for Best Places to Work for LGBTQIA+ employees.

As recent winners of The Cateys ‘People Team of the Year’,we have award-winning internal training programmes within Dakota Academy fostering continuous development and ongoing training. As a result, over 75% of our leaders have been promoted internally and, for four consecutive years, a member of our team has won a prestigious Acorn Award awarded byThe Caterer to the ‘Top 30 under 30’in the industry,demonstratingour success in developing talent.