Sous Chef

Loungers; New Milton; Remote; GBP 26,000 - 36,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus scheme

Overtime pay

Free meals on shift

Discount on food & drinks from day one

Staff events

Job summary

Espino Lounge, part of Loungers, is hiring a full-time Sous Chef to lead the kitchen team and support the Head Chef. You will oversee service, ensuring every dish leaving the pass is of high quality and prepared to spec. If you love real cooking, you’ll fit right in.

We offer a competitive salary with bonus, paid overtime and progression opportunities within our growing hospitality brand across England and Wales. Enjoy staff meals, discounts, and a lively, supportive team culture.

Qualifications

• Passionate cook with pride in fresh ingredients and consistent quality.
• Reliable, punctual and team-oriented.
• Experience in Sous Chef or senior kitchen roles and readiness to lead.

Responsibilities

• Lead kitchen shifts, ensuring service runs smoothly from prep to plate.
• Support Head Chef and cover in their absence to maintain consistency.
• Set high standards on the pass for quality, pace, cleanliness and safety.
• Own kitchen routines: prep, par, stock, waste, orders and handovers.
• Coach and develop the team to improve skills and deliver great food.

Skills

Kitchen leadership

Team coaching

Food safety

Quality control

Reliability

Job description

We're hiring a full-time Sous Chef to be part of the kitchen team atEspino Lounge, a local café bar. Part of Loungers, proudly named Casual Dining Group of the Year 2026. With competitive salary, plus bonus, paid overtime and real progression opportunities, this is a great next step for an experienced hospitality sous chef, second chef or junior sous chef.

About the Sous Chef Role

Lounges are pretty special places, and what makes them so special is the brilliant people who work in them.

As Sous Chef you'll be right at the heart of the Espino Lounge kitchen; supporting your Head Chef, leading the team through each service, and making sure every dish that leaves the pass is something to be proud of. If you love real cooking, care about the people around you, and take pride in doing the small things brilliantly, you'll fit right in.

We're a growing hospitality brand across England and Wales with over 300 sites and plenty of opportunity to grow with us. This could be the start of something really good.

What’s in it For You?

• Competitive base salary + bonus + overtime
• Permanent full-time role; 48-hour contract (40-hour contract option available)
• Overtime pay for every hour worked
• Achievable bonus scheme, paid twice a year
• Tips shared equally across the team, based on hours worked
• Free meal on every shift no matter the length
• Christmas and Boxing Day off
• Genuine career development with our in-house training courses and ‘Step-Up’ to GM/HC development programmes
• 50% discount on food and drinks from day one. Including alcohol across all our brands (Lounge, Cosy Club, & Brightside) from day one
• The most talked-about staff party in hospitality — Loungefest!
• Long service awards – Vouchers/Extra money
• Early access to your pay with Stream
• Emotional and practical support via the Licensed Trade Charity

What you’ll Do

• Lead kitchen shifts with confidence, keeping service smooth, organised and on spec from prep through to the final plate
• Be the Head Chef’s right hand — supporting day-to-day operations, stepping up in their absence, and helping the kitchen deliver consistently strong results
• Set the tone for high standards on the pass, with a sharp eye for food quality, pace, cleanliness, hygiene and safety
• Take ownership of key kitchen routines including prep and par, stock control, waste, orders and effective shift handovers
• Coach and support the team around you, helping new and existing chefs build confidence, grow their skills and deliver great food every shift

What You’ll Bring

• A passionate cook who takes real pride in fresh ingredients, clean specs, and food that goes out right every single time
• Someone the team can count on — you show up, you're on time, and you give it everything when you're there
• Someone who leads by example in the kitchen — setting the standard on the pass, supporting the team, and never cutting corners
• Confident taking ownership of a shift in the Head Chef's absence, from prep and par to stock management and shift handovers
• A team player who helps coach and develop the chefs around them and genuinely wants to see them improve
• Experience as a Sous Chef, Junior Sous Chef, or a talented Chef de Partie ready to take their next step