Sous Chef - National Theatre

Compass Group; London; On-site; GBP 42,000; Full time

Job summary

Join an innovative and dynamic culinary team as a Sous Chef at a prestigious venue in London. This role involves supporting the Head Chef in managing kitchen operations, overseeing food preparation, and ensuring high standards are met. You'll play a crucial part in menu planning, team leadership, and executing events that delight guests. With a focus on quality and safety, you'll help maintain an efficient kitchen environment while fostering a culture of excellence and collaboration. This is a fantastic opportunity for a passionate culinary professional looking to grow their career in a vibrant setting.

Benefits

Healthcare benefits

Pension scheme

Employee Assistance Programme

23 days holiday plus bank holidays

Meals on duty

Ongoing training & development

Financial wellbeing programme

Discounts on entertainment and travel

Professional subscriptions paid

Additional leave for maternity return

Qualifications

• Proven culinary experience with a focus on high standards.
• Strong leadership skills and ability to manage kitchen operations.

Responsibilities

• Assist with menu planning and ensure high standards during events.
• Lead the culinary team and manage daily kitchen operations.
• Ensure compliance with food safety and health standards.

Skills

Culinary Skills

Menu Planning

Inventory Management

Food Safety Standards

Team Leadership

Event Execution

Detail Orientation

Flexibility

Education

Culinary Degree or Equivalent

Job description

Sous Chef - Head of Pastry - National Theatre London

• £42,000 per annum
• 5 out of 7 days per week
• Medicash - Healthcare benefits, including dental, optical and therapy treatments (includes up to 4 dependent children)
• Aviva Digicare - Free annual healthcare check
• Exclusive Benefits & Wellbeing site (Perks at Work)
  • Entertainment discounts - up to 55% off cinema tickets
  • Health & Wellbeing discounts - Discounts for Nuffield Health (20%) and Pure Gym (10%)
  • Travel discounts - Discounts with holiday companies such as TUI and Expedia
  • Shopping discounts - Save up to 15% at high street and online stores
• Meals on duty
• Vodafone discounts
• Pension scheme and Life Assurance
• Employee Assistance Programme
• 23 days + BH's and an additional day off for your birthday
• 2 days additional leave, following return from Maternity leave during the first year back
• Competitive and supportive family benefits
• Day off for baby's 1st birthday
• Holiday purchase scheme
• On-going training & development and career pathways
• Professional subscriptions paid
• Financial wellbeing programme and preferred rates on salary finance products

Purpose

Reporting to the Head Chef, you will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the kitchen. The main purpose is to support the head chef in managing the kitchen team, overseeing food preparation, and ensuring dishes are executed to the highest standards. The sous chef plays a key role in inventory management, adhering to food safety and health and safety standards, record keeping, events execution, and training culinary & FOH team. The sous chef assists in running the kitchen efficiently and smoothly.

Responsibilities

• Assist with menu planning, preparation, and execution for events, ensuring adherence to specifications and high standards.
• Manage and oversee the culinary team during events, conducting briefings and ensuring smooth BOH & FOH collaboration.
• Prepare and execute menu items to specification, maintaining quality control and stock par levels across outlets.
• Lead the team in the absence of the Head Chef, handling senior responsibilities and daily task organization.
• Conduct staff training, including inductions, health & safety, allergen awareness, and event-specific briefings.
• Ensure compliance with food safety, HSE policies, and documentation, performing audits and completing reports.
• Manage kitchen equipment, stock levels, and logistics, liaising with the logistics team and maintaining kitchen linen.
• Support inventory management, including stock counts, transfers, and ordering to maintain operational efficiency.

Requirements

• Confident: Sound understanding of all menus, can deliver a wide range of events & operations. Able to oversee multiple areas of the business and deliver consistently exceptional food.
• Detail-focused: Highly organised individual. Follows process and procedures to ensure smooth delivery of daily operations, including planning, to ensure all team members have the right information to deliver a seamless operation.
• Flexible: Embraces the agility required to manage multiple events simultaneously, with guest numbers of 200+. Open to adjusting working patterns within reason, as relevant to business requirements from time to time.
• Safety Led: Leads by example on all HSE practices across the department and implements best practice.
• Financial Acumen: Manages stock, wastage, and staffing levels to the business needs.
• Curious: Has a passion to bring ideas to the table, as well as a desire to develop and grow their own skills, with a long-term objective to grow the project.