Sous Chef (Monday-Friday)

Vacherin; Greater London; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 43,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Personal Development and Training

Life assurance scheme

Pension scheme

Holiday allowance

Wellbeing strategy and Employee App

Healthcare Support App access

Family friendly support

Holiday purchase scheme

Regular social events

Volunteering days

Recognition schemes

Long service awards

Discount vouchers

Job summary

Vacherin is seeking a dedicated Sous Chef to join their award-winning hospitality team in London. You will support the Head Chef in delivering high-volume catering for busy services and help oversee a kitchen that serves 500+ customers daily.

The role requires previous kitchen experience, teamwork, and a proactive approach to food quality, presentation and safety, with a structured operation and a calm, hands-on attitude during peak periods.

Qualifications

• Experience in a busy kitchen or high-volume catering environment.
• Confident supporting a food operation serving 500+ customers per day.
• Strong understanding of food hygiene, health and safety, and kitchen standards.

Responsibilities

• Support the Head Chef with the smooth day-to-day running of a busy catering operation.
• Help lead, motivate and support a kitchen team of 2 Chef de Parties and 1 Commis Chef.
• Prepare and deliver a quality daily breakfast offer, including hot breakfast items, pastries, continental options, porridge and yoghurt.
• Manage the safe reheating, preparation and presentation of lunch dishes delivered from the central production kitchen.
• Ensure the buffet, deli bar and grab-and-go offer is well presented, fully stocked and ready for service.
• Support a varied food offer, including hot sandwiches, Chinese-inspired dishes and Friday specials such as pasta, ramen and peri-pi.
• Maintain high standards of food quality, presentation, hygiene and food safety throughout the kitchen.
• Support ordering, stock control, waste management and effective use of ingredients.
• Work closely with the Head Chef and wider team to deliver a consistently smooth and efficient service.

Skills

Busy kitchen experience

Team player

Food hygiene knowledge

Organised

Communication skills

Calm under pressure

Reliability

Structured operation

Customer service minded

Job description

At Vacherin, our values are at the heart of everything we do. We are Precise in delivering exceptional food and service, Personal in the way we build genuine relationships and care for others, and Bold in embracing new ideas, creativity and innovation. Together, we create memorable experiences for our clients while supporting each other to grow and succeed.

Are you passionate about food, drink and exceptional service? Would you like to join an award-winning hospitality team and still make it home for dinner? We're looking for a Sous Chef to join our team.

Working Hours

40 per week (Monday to Friday)

Salary

£39,000 per annum

Location

London, EC1A 9HP

Key Responsibilities

• Support the Head Chef with the smooth day-to-day running of a busy catering operation serving 500-700 customers daily.
• Help lead, motivate and support a kitchen team of 2 Chef de Parties and 1 Commis Chef.
• Prepare and deliver a quality daily breakfast offer, including hot breakfast items, pastries, continental options, porridge and yoghurt.
• Manage the safe reheating, preparation and presentation of lunch dishes delivered from the central production kitchen.
• Ensure the buffet, deli bar and grab-and-go offer is well presented, fully stocked and ready for service.
• Support a varied food offer, including hot sandwiches, Chinese-inspired dishes and Friday specials such as pasta, ramen and peri-pi.
• Maintain high standards of food quality, presentation, hygiene and food safety throughout the kitchen.
• Support ordering, stock control, waste management and effective use of ingredients.
• Work closely with the Head Chef and wider team to deliver a consistently smooth and efficient service.

Our Ideal Candidate

• Previous experience working in a busy kitchen or high-volume catering environment, ideally within workplace dining, contract catering or hospitality.
• Confident supporting a food operation serving 500+ customers per day.
• A strong team player who is comfortable supporting and developing junior chefs.
• Organised and able to manage several food offers and service periods throughout the day.
• Passionate about good-quality food, presentation and customer experience.
• Strong understanding of food hygiene, health and safety, and kitchen standards.
• Comfortable working within a structured operation where some food is prepared centrally and finished or reheated onsite.
• Reliable, hands-on and happy to get involved wherever needed.
• Brings a positive attitude, good communication skills and a calm approach during busy services.

What's in it for you?

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.

• 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

About Us

As part of Compass you'll help to feed people, fuel progress and forge connections in around 6,000 venues. Join us to grow your career with the industry leader, and get competitive pay, great perks and unrivalled opportunities for learning and development, at one of the UK's biggest businesses.

Job Reference: com/0911/48491001/52845166/SU #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!