Sous Chef

Hand Picked Hotels Ltd; Merstham; On-site; GBP 41,000 - 50,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Service charge

Staff discounts

Pension

Wellbeing support

28 days holiday

Free onsite parking

Job summary

Hand Picked Hotels is seeking an enthusiastic Senior Sous Chef for Nutfield Priory Hotel & Spa, near Redhill, Surrey. The role involves supporting the Head Chef to deliver exceptional dining experiences in a luxury setting, with opportunities to lead in service, training, and menu execution.

This full‑time permanent position offers a salary up to £45,000 per annum plus service charge and a comprehensive benefits package, including 28 days holiday and career development in a rosette/Michelin

Qualifications

• Strong Sous Chef or Senior Sous Chef experience within a multi-outlet rosette/Michelin hotel environment.
• Exposure to weddings, bespoke events and private dining; focus on precision, organisation and attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Support delivery of an exceptional culinary experience for guests.
• Assist Head Chef in overseeing food preparation and service; ensure high standards of presentation and flavour.
• Lead and develop kitchen team during service; train and coach staff as required.
• Help manage kitchen operations, monitor stock and costs, and maintain supplier relationships.
• Assist with menu delivery across the hotel and for private dining and events.

Skills

Senior Sous Chef experience

Rosette/Michelin hotel experience

Wedding & events exposure

Leadership & attention to detail

Job description

Hand Picked Hotels

Senior Sous Chef – Nutfield Priory Hotel & Spa

Location: Redhill, Surrey, RH1 4EL

Salary: Up to £45,000 per annum + service charge + excellent colleague benefits

Job Type: Full-time | Permanent | 5 days out of 7

Come and join our Team...

We are currently seeking an enthusiastic Sous Chef at Nutfield Priory Hotel & Spa, part of Hand Picked Hotels.

Perched high above the Surrey Hills, Nutfield Priory Hotel & Spa offers an extraordinary setting to develop your hospitality career. This 19th-century Neo‑Gothic manor blends architectural drama with the calm sophistication of a modern spa retreat, creating a workplace that is both inspiring and deeply rewarding.

As part of our team, you’ll help shape the serene, luxurious experiences that define the hotel. Whether supporting the award‑winning spa, as guests unwind in thermal suites and tranquil pools, or helping deliver refined dining in the Cloisters Restaurant, where modern British cuisine is served with graceful precision, your contribution will be central to creating unforgettable moments.

At Nutfield Priory Hotel & Spa, every detail is curated for comfort, pleasure, and genuine connection and our team embodies those same values. If you’re passionate about thoughtful, high‑quality hospitality and want to grow in a setting rich with character, beauty, and calm, Nutfield Priory Hotel & Spa offers a truly exceptional place to thrive.

As a member of our team, you will help create unforgettable moments for guests as they explore our tranquil parkland, celebrate special events, and enjoy our personalised service, with an emphasis on service excellence & consistency.

If you’re passionate about hospitality, thrive in a supportive environment, and enjoy making a real difference to someone’s stay, Nutfield Priory Hotel & Spa offers an inspiring place to grow your career.

What will the role involve?

The role of a Sous Chef at Nutfield Priory Hotel & Spa involves supporting the delivery of an exceptional culinary experience for guests, ensuring that dishes consistently reflect creativity, quality, and seasonal diversity. Working closely with the Head Chef, the Sous Chef will help oversee food preparation and service, maintain outstanding standards of presentation and flavour, and play a key part in the smooth day‑to‑day running of the kitchen.

As Sous Chef, your role will focus on supporting and developing the culinary team through training, guidance, and leading by example during service. Responsibilities also include helping to manage kitchen operations, monitoring stock and costs, maintaining strong relationships with suppliers, and assisting with menu delivery across the hotel, special events in our private dining rooms and ensuring every dish enhances the guest experience and upholds the hotel’s reputation for excellence in luxury hospitality.

This is a full‑time role working 5 days out of 7 including weekends on a rota basis, 45 hours per week, which may vary depending on business.

What’s in it for you?

• A competitive salary of up to £45,000 per annum plus a share of service charge.
• A welcoming, inclusive culture where long-term friendships and diversity are celebrated.
• Ongoing career development with in‑house and external training, including apprenticeships and industry‑recognised courses.
• 28 days holiday per year including bank holidays, increasing to 33 days including bank holidays with length of service.
• Uniform and meals on shift provided.
• Free onsite parking (where applicable).
• Access to wellbeing support through our Employee Assistance Programme.
• Company pension, enhanced sick pay & Life assurance scheme.
• Online retail discount platform offering thousands of savings with high street retailers and restaurants as well as a health and well‑being platform.
• Discounted stays in our hotels and on food, drink, spa treatments & products.
• Annual loyalty awards (like afternoon teas and overnight stays).
• Introduction bonus for new colleague recommendations.
• Colleague of the Month awards, which leads to our annual awards ceremony.
• Regular team gatherings and appreciation events.

Are you Hand Picked?

• We are looking for active and enthusiastic candidates that have a willing attitude and a welcoming and friendly nature. We work as a team to ensure our hotel operates smoothly and our guests are receiving a high‑quality, personalised, and magical experience that they remember, recommend and return to time and time again.
• You will have strong Sous Chef or Senior Sous Chef experience within a multi‑outlet rosette/Michelin hotel environment, with exposure to weddings, bespoke events and private dining, and a consistent focus on precision, organisation and attention to detail.
• We want people that are passionate, showing the ability to go above and beyond naturally, that take pride in delivering consistently high standards and pay attention to all the details, with a focus on service, excellent and consistency as the everyday.

Who we are…

Hand Picked Hotels was founded in 2001 by owner and Chairman, Julia Hands MBE, and today still remains a family‑owned group which has 21 unique luxury country houses and coastal retreats, each hand picked for their individuality. Architecturally distinctive and quintessentially British, every hotel boasts an extraordinary location from Scotland to the Channel Islands, offering breathtaking views from vast countryside to expansive beaches, to lush woodlands.

Dedicated to creating unique and enchanting stays, curated personalised service runs through the heart of every hotel. Whilst each hotel is individual, each property fulfils the company values of family, individuality, community and care, with a team commitment to aiming higher and delight their guests with magical experiences that offer a true escape from the every day.

Hand Picked Hotels are committed to protecting the environment for a sustainable future, and all of our hotels have received the ‘Green Tourism’ accreditation. A Recognition of our progress in reducing energy use and waste, supporting biodiversity, and sourcing responsibly from local and ethical partners.

About the Role

Hand Picked Hotels is an Equal Opportunities employer. Candidates must be eligible to live and work in the UK.