Sous Chef - New Site Opening

Loungers plc; Sunderland; Hybrid; GBP 26,000 - 35,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus

Overtime pay

Free meal on every shift

Discount on food & drinks from day one

Career development programmes

Job summary

Loungers plc is hiring a full-time Sous Chef for Varo Lounge, a brand-new site within a growing UK restaurant group. You’ll lead kitchen shifts, support the Head Chef, and ensure every plate leaves the pass with pride, while joining a team with progression opportunities.

We offer a competitive base salary with bonus and paid overtime, 48-hour contract (40-hour option), and strong staff benefits including meals and discounts from day one.

Qualifications

• Experience leading kitchen shifts and teams.
• Strong food hygiene and safety practices.
• Ability to maintain high standards and speed across busy services.

Responsibilities

• Lead kitchen shifts with confidence from prep to final plate.
• Support Head Chef and step in during absences.
• Set tone for pass hygiene, quality and pace.
• Own key kitchen routines: prep, stock, waste, orders, handovers.
• Coach and develop team to deliver great food every shift.

Skills

Leadership

Team coordination

Food hygiene

Cooking skills

High standards

Job description

We're hiring a full-time Sous Chef to be part of the kitchen team atVaro Lounge, a local café bar. Part of Loungers, proudly named Casual Dining Group of the Year 2026. With competitive salary, plus bonus, paid overtime and real progression opportunities, this is a great next step for an experienced hospitality sous chef, second chef or junior sous chef.

This is an exciting opportunity to join the opening team at Varo Lounge, our brand-new site, and become part of one of the UK’s most successful restaurant groups.

About the Sous Chef Role

Lounges are pretty special places, and what makes them so special is the brilliant people who work in them.

As Sous Chef you'll be right at the heart of the Varo Lounge kitchen; supporting your Head Chef, leading the team through each service, and making sure every dish that leaves the pass is something to be proud of. If you love real cooking, care about the people around you, and take pride in doing the small things brilliantly, you'll fit right in.

We're a growing hospitality brand across England and Wales with over 300 sites and plenty of opportunity to grow with us. This could be the start of something really good.

What’s in it For You?

• Competitive base salary + bonus + overtime
• Permanent full-time role; 48-hour contract (40-hour contract option available)
• Overtime pay for every hour worked
• Achievable bonus scheme, paid twice a year
• Tips shared equally across the team, based on hours worked
• Free meal on every shift no matter the length
• Christmas and Boxing Day off
• Genuine career development with our in-house training courses and ‘Step-Up’ to GM/HC development programmes
• 50% discount on food and drinks from day one. Including alcohol across all our brands (Lounge, Cosy Club, & Brightside) from day one
• The most talked-about staff party in hospitality — Loungefest!
• Long service awards – Vouchers/Extra money
• Early access to your pay with Stream
• Emotional and practical support via the Licensed Trade Charity

What you’ll Do

• Lead kitchen shifts with confidence, keeping service smooth, organised and on spec from prep through to the final plate
• Be the Head Chef’s right hand — supporting day-to-day operations, stepping up in their absence, and helping the kitchen deliver consistently strong results
• Set the tone for high standards on the pass, with a sharp eye for food quality, pace, cleanliness, hygiene and safety
• Take ownership of key kitchen routines including prep and par, stock control, waste, orders and effective shift handovers
• Coach and support the team around you, helping new and existing chefs build confidence, grow their skills and deliver great food every shift

What You’ll Bring

• A passionate cook who takes real pride in fresh ingredients, clean specs, and food that goes out right every single time
• Someone the team can count on — you show up, you're on time, and you give it everything when you're there
• Someone who leads by example in the kitchen — setting the standard on the pass, supporting the team, and never cutting corners
• Confident taking ownership of a shift in the Head Chef's absence, from prep and par to stock management and shift handovers
• A team player who helps coach and develop the chefs around them and genuinely wants to see them improve
• Experience as a Sous Chef, Junior Sous Chef, or a talented Chef de Partie ready to take their next step

We want to work with kind people so if you want to work hard, have fun and be part of the Loungers ride, we'd love to have you.