Sous Chef at The Farmers Arms, North Devon - True Farm to Table, Tasting Menu, British Flavour Profile

MXB Devon Operations Limited; Brighton; On-site; GBP 41,000 - 50,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Staff housing available

Shared tips across front and back of

Job summary

The Farmers Arms, part of The Collective at Woolsery, North Devon, is seeking a Sous Chef to lead service alongside Head Chef Toby Neal. The role involves working with Birch Farm and a 60-cover operation, with responsibilities across stock, menu development and kitchen leadership.

We offer a 48-hour week, The Five Course Birch Farm Tasting Menu, reliance on local and seasonal ingredients, and staff housing options in a supportive farm-to-table environment.

Qualifications

• Minimum 2 years in a similar level restaurant kitchen with verifiable references.
• Minimum 2 years in a Senior CDP or above role.
• Excellent communication skills; comfortable with computer tasks (typing, email, calendar).

Responsibilities

• Run lunch and dinner service for a 60-cover restaurant.
• Daily orders to vendors and Birch Farm.
• Whole animal butchery.
• Manage a brigade of 5–7 kitchen staff per shift.
• Cover for Sous/Head Chef and all stations as needed.
• Maintain high standards of food production and hygiene.

Skills

Staff management

Communication skills

Team leadership

Mise en place

Job description

Sous Chef at The Farmers Arms, North Devon - True Farm to Table, Tasting Menu, British Flavour Profile New Top Job

Love true farm to table cooking? Join our team in the beautiful countryside in North Devon where ingredients come straight from our own 150 acre farm that is a 2 minute walk away.

The Farmers Arms, 2025 Visit England Awards Best Pub, is seeking a Sous Chef to help support the team. We are part of The Collective at Woolsery in North Devon, England. In a small rural village we own the pub, a One MICHELIN Key rated hotel, Woolsery Fish and Chips, J Andrew Shop and our very own 150 acre Birch Farm, where we raise heritage breed sheep, pigs, chicken and ducks and have a renowned 16 acre garden farm with orchards and vegetables being grown based on natural farming and agroforestry principles.

This role will work directly with Head Chef, Toby Neal, on running service, working with vendors, managing staff, coordinating with the Birch Farm team and dish development.

Check out our website and view sample menus at www.woolsery.com

Our food ethos is local, foraged, fresh and sustainable. Everything made in house or supplied by quality vendors who help to support our community.

The menu will change regularly, depending on what is in season and fresh locally. The style of service is casual and welcoming and the food centres around a British flavour profile and pub classics done to a high, and creative, standard. We also run a five course Birch Farm Tasting Menu, alongside our Pub Menu, which is our signature menu and changes seasonally, focusingon the farm and its bounty.

Job Duties:

• Running of lunch and dinner service, and mise en place for the pass, for our 60 cover restaurant
• Daily orders to vendors and Birch Farm
• Whole animal butchery
• Running private dining events at Birch Farm
• Recipe input, costings, production and wastage management (must be basic computer literate and willing to learn our programs)
• Staff management over a brigade of 5 - 7 kitchen members per shift
• Cover during the absence of the other Sous Chef and/or Head Chef, as well as cover of all stations as needed
• Maintaining the very highest standards of food production, hygiene, cleanliness and following Health & Safety procedures.
• Work well in a team environment, with no front of house/back of house divide, and with the customers experience always being paramount
• Have a good attitude, be open minded to new techniques, a different perspective and a willingness to learn in order to create something special
• Cross training to all stations
• Ability to work full time, flexible hours. We offer a 48 hour per week contract, working 4 days on and 3 days off.
• Passionate cook with a desire to produce the best quality food possible
• Ambitious and driven to help create an exceptional culinary destination

Skill Requirements:

• Excellent communication skills; verbal and written. Must be comfortable with computer, with basic typing, email and calendar management skills required. You will be trained on the specific stock management, recipe costing and ordering programs we use.
• Experience with staff management and comfortable leading a team, training and developing the junior staff, as well as taking direction and feedback from management team
• Must be able to follow checklists, wastage sheets and training documents
• Must have a minimum 2 years in a similar level restaurant kitchen with verifiable references
• Must have a minimum of 2 years in a Senior CDP or above job role

Employment Package:

• up to £45,000 salary for 48 hour contract.
• Weekly rotas are 4 days on, 3 days off.
• Shared tips across front and back of house
• Staff housing available