Sous Chef - London

Equipment Sales & Service Limited.; City of Westminster; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 46,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Personal Development and Training

Life assurance

Pension scheme

Holiday allowance

Employee Assistance Programme

Healthcare Support App

Family friendly support

Holiday purchase scheme

Social events

Volunteering days

Recognition schemes

Long service awards

High street discounts

Job summary

Vacherin Compass Group UK & I is seeking a skilled Sous Chef to support the Head Chef in delivering breakfast, lunch, and hospitality services for a premium dining environment. You will prepare high-quality, globally inspired menus for 120-160 covers and help maintain outstanding food safety standards.

Ideally experienced in premium catering or hotels, with strong cooking skills, presentation and the ability to work under pressure.

Qualifications

• Show passion for high-quality ingredients and authentic culinary traditions
• Proven experience as a Sous Chef or similar, working in a high-quality, fast-paced culinary environment
• Ideally from premium contract catering, hotels, high-end/high-volume restaurants, commercial catering or hospitality
• Excellent cooking skills with a strong focus on food quality, presentation and attention to detail
• Experience delivering premium buffet or event catering would be highly desirable
• Confident working with high-quality ingredients and producing consistently high standards
• Strong knowledge of food safety and hygiene standards
• Able to work efficiently under pressure and manage multiple priorities
• Good communication skills and a positive, collaborative approach
• Relevant culinary qualification or certification would be an advantage

Responsibilities

• Support the Head Chef in the day-to-day running of the kitchen
• Deliver high-quality breakfast, lunch and hospitality service, with occasional evening buffet events
• Cater for approximately 120-160 covers per day, adapting to busier and quieter service periods
• Prepare and deliver large-volume, globally inspired menus
• Report directly to the Head Chef
• No direct team management responsibilities, but take responsibility for the agency chef and Kitchen Porter when the Head Chef is absent
• Identify opportunities to improve food quality and service
• Create a positive and supportive kitchen environment
• Maintain excellent food safety, hygiene and sanitation standards
• Demonstrate strong cooking skills with excellent attention to detail and presentation
• Work efficiently under pressure and manage multiple priorities
• Communicate effectively with the Head Chef and wider team

Skills

Sous Chef experience

High-quality ingredients

Fast-paced environment

Food presentation

Team communication

Pressure management

Culinary standards

Buffet/event catering

Food safety knowledge

Education

Culinary qualification/certification

Job description

Are you passionate about food ,drink and service ,want to be part of an award-winning hospitality team- and still make it home for dinner? We are looking for a Sous Chef to join our team.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the Head Chef in the day-to-day running of the kitchen
• Deliver high-quality breakfast, lunch and hospitality service, with occasional evening buffet events
• Cater for approximately 120-160 covers per day, adapting to busier and quieter service periods
• Prepare and deliver large-volume, globally inspired menus
• Report directly to the Head Chef
• No direct team management responsibilities, but take responsibility for the agency chef and Kitchen Porter when the Head Chef is absent
• Identify opportunities to improve food quality and service
• Create a positive and supportive kitchen environment
• Maintain excellent food safety, hygiene and sanitation standards
• Demonstrate strong cooking skills with excellent attention to detail and presentation
• Work efficiently under pressure and manage multiple priorities
• Communicate effectively with the Head Chef and wider team

Requirements

• Show passion for high-quality ingredients and authentic culinary traditions
• Proven experience as a Sous Chef or similar, working in a high-quality, fast-paced culinary environment
• Ideally from premium contract catering, hotels, high-end/high-volume restaurants, commercial catering or hospitality
• A background in elevated or premium food is important, rather than traditional canteen-style catering alone
• Excellent cooking skills with a strong focus on food quality, presentation and attention to detail
• Experience delivering premium buffet or event catering would be highly desirable
• Confident working with high-quality ingredients and producing consistently high standards
• Strong knowledge of food safety and hygiene standards
• Able to work efficiently under pressure and manage multiple priorities
• Good communication skills and a positive, collaborative approach
• Relevant culinary qualification or certification would be an advantage

At Vacherin we celebrate diversity and embrace individuality. We genuinely like the people we work with, and love coming together to reset , refresh and have fun. We empower our people through togetherness , we give them the chance to shine and unlock their potential, and they fuel our strength and growth.

Salary: 42,000 per annum plus 1.5X Over time

Working pattern: 40 hours per week (Monday to Friday). Some flexibility is required for occasional very early evening events, depending on business needs.

Working with Vacherin has its perks! People are at the heart of everything we do, so we've developed a range of benefits to keep you happy.

Benefits

• Personal Development and Training opportunities
• Life assurance scheme
• Pension scheme
• Holiday allowance
• A great wellbeing strategy - including access to our Employee Assistance Programme, salary finance
• Access to Healthcare Support App which includes Annual health check, Digital GP, Mental Health Consultations, Nutritional Consultations, Second Medical Opinion
• Family friendly support
• A holiday purchase scheme
• Regular social events and communication with our leaders
• Volunteering days
• Recognition schemes and people award
• Long service awards
• Access to some great high street discount vouchers

Vacherin Compass Group UK & I is committed to fostering an environment where every individual can truly be themselves at work and has equal opportunities to advance in their careers. We strive to build a culture that respects and celebrates the unique talents, beliefs, backgrounds, and abilities of all our team members. We want our colleagues to feel valued, empowered to reach their full potential, and to thrive - because diversity is our strength!