Sous Chef - Epping

Lounge Café Bars; Ivy Chimneys; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A vibrant restaurant group in the UK is searching for an experienced Sous Chef to join their dynamic kitchen team. You will support the Head Chef by leading shifts, managing kitchen operations effectively, and maintaining high standards of food safety and hygiene. The ideal candidate has a passion for cooking with fresh ingredients, strong leadership skills, and a proven ability to foster a high-performing kitchen environment. The role offers numerous benefits, including competitive pay, staff discounts, and opportunities for professional development.

Benefits

Overtime pay

50% off food and drinks

28 days holiday

Enhanced maternity and paternity pay

Company pension scheme

Career progression opportunities

Qualifications

• Existing Sous Chef or Junior Sous Chef looking to advance in their career.
• Experience with fresh ingredients and good kitchen skills required.
• Ability to lead a kitchen team, delivering high food standards.

Responsibilities

• Support the Head Chef in leading the kitchen team.
• Ensure the kitchen operates safely and effectively.
• Manage stocks and uphold hygiene and safety standards.

Skills

Chef skills (food prep, hygiene)

Communication skills

Leadership

KPI familiarity

Team management

Job description

Sous Chef - Epping

You love real cooking.

We love real cooking.

Customers love real cooking.

It's a no-brainer so you wonder why so many other places don't do it.

We do it, and you'll be doing it with us - fresh, customer led, and with high-quality ingredients.

Responsibilities

As Sous Chef, you'll be the Head Chefs' go-to for support, leading and engaging the kitchen team to deliver 14 great shifts week in, week out.

You’ll be leading shifts, making sure the kitchen runs effectively and safely.

You’re as relentless as us about the detail, so you’ll be all over things like stocks, Health & Safety and Hygiene, manning the pass to ensure our food goes out on-spec and on-time, and always upholding 5 kitchen standards.

You’ll be on it.

Like a chef's bonnet

Benefits

• The Good Stuff
• Overtime pay for every hour worked over contracted hours!
• Staff food on every shift
• 50% off food and drinks (including alcohol) from day one at all three of our brands - Lounge, Cosy Club and Brightside
• Paid breaks
• 28 days holiday (inclusive of Bank Holidays) pro rata
• Enhanced maternity and paternity pay after 2 years service
• The most talked-about staff party in hospitality - Loungefest!
• Competitions and incentives (like jetting off on an all expenses paid trip with one of our suppliers)
• Company pension scheme
• Long service awards
• Power over your pay with Wagestream
• Emotional and practical support via the Licenced Trade Charity
• Great opportunity for personal development and career progression in a fast growing business
• Achievable bonuses
• Tips shared equally across the team, based on hours worked
• Christmas and Boxing Day off!

What you’ll bring

• You are probably an existing Sous Chef, or perhaps a Junior Sous Chef / Assistant Kitchen Manager that is looking to take the next step in their career.
• You will have experience of working with fresh ingredients and be able to demonstrate good chef / kitchen skills (food prep hot and cold, cleaning, knife skills, good hygiene practices)
• Your work ethic is rolling your sleeves up and getting stuck in and leading from the front; playing an active role in delivering excellent kitchen and food standards as part of a high performing team.
• Extremely driven and relentless at deconstructing the can't mentality.
• Familiar with KPIs and making decisions in the absence of the Head Chef considering labour; stock; food safety requirements plus others.
• Epic communication skills with the ability to manage stakeholders and build rapport and trust (that would be with our Ops Chefs and Ops Managers).
• Strong knowledge of best practice around rota scheduling, sales and labour forecasts, reporting, recruitment, HR etc.
• You will have demonstrated successful delivery of training and recruitment for kitchen teams including Apprentices, KPs, Chefs, Junior Sous Chefs and Sous Chefs.

If you want to find out more about us, follow us on LinkedIn or @life.at.loungers on TikTok and Instagram