Sous Chef - Live In

Hand Picked Hotels Ltd; Maidstone; On-site; GBP 27,000 - 45,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Share of service charge

28 days holiday (incl. bank holidays)

Uniform and meals on shift

Onsite parking

Wellbeing support

Company pension

Discounts and online retail platform

Introduction bonus for new colleagues

Job summary

Hand Picked Hotels’ Chilston Park Hotel in Maidstone is seeking a dedicated Sous Chef to support the kitchen team and elevate our culinary standards. You will work closely with the Head Chef, overseeing food prep, presentation, and service across a multi-outlet rosette/Michelin environment, with a strong focus on consistency and guest experience.

We offer a full-time, permanent role with 5 days out of 7, up to £45,000 plus service charge and a comprehensive benefits package including training,

Qualifications

• Strong Sous Chef or Senior Sous Chef experience in rosette/Michelin hotel environments.
• Experience supporting a multi-outlet kitchen and events such as weddings.

Responsibilities

• Support delivery of an exceptional culinary experience for guests, reflecting creativity and seasonal diversity.
• Assist with overseeing food preparation and service, ensuring high standards of presentation and flavour.
• Lead and train the culinary team during service and help manage kitchen operations, stock and costs.

Skills

Sous Chef experience

Job description

Hand Picked Hotels

Sous Chef – Chilston Park Hotel

Location: Maidstone, Kent, ME17 2BE

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

Full-time | Permanent | 5 days out of 7

Come and join our Team...

We are currently seeking an enthusiastic Sous Chef at Chilston Park Hotel, part of Hand Picked Hotels.Set within 77 acres of breathtaking parkland, Chilston Park Hotel is more than a captivating country house hotel - it’s a place where hospitality professionals thrive. Tucked away along tranquil, tree-lined avenues, our team delivers unforgettable weddings, stylish escapes, and exclusive events, all with an seamless blend of heritage, contemporary flair, and refined elegance.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, Chilston Park Hotel offers an inspiring place to grow your career.

What will the role involve?

The role of a Sous Chef at Chilston Park 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, 45hours per week, which may vary depending on business.

What’s in it for you?

• A competitive annual rate of up to £45,000 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.

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