KITCHEN LEADER (Full time)

Sprout & Co; Cork; Hybrid; EUR 34,000 - 40,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free daily lunch

50% off Sprout for you + 3 friends

Growth opportunities

Leadership development

Team socials & events

Culture & performance impact

Bike to Work scheme

Employee Assistance Programme

Job summary

Sprout & Co is seeking a Kitchen Leader in Ireland to head the kitchen team, ensuring high standards, efficient prep, and smooth shifts. You will own food quality, uphold safety guidelines and mentor staff while collaborating with the Restaurant Leader to deliver consistently great food.

The role requires around two years in a kitchen supervisory capacity, with strong HACCP and allergen knowledge. It offers a full-time, on-site position with a salary of €34,000–€40,000 depending on experience

Qualifications

• 2 years’ experience in a kitchen role.
• Experience supervising or leading others in a busy environment.
• Understanding of HACCP, allergens and food safety.

Responsibilities

• Lead the kitchen team and set the day’s plan, ensuring prep and duties are clear.
• Protect food quality by monitoring taste, freshness, portions and presentation.
• Own food safety by championing hygiene, allergens and health & safety standards.
• Plan prep and stock with prep sheets and FIFO to keep ingredients fresh.
• Manage waste and cost by watching portion control and COGS.
• Develop your team through training, coaching and regular feedback.
• Keep standards and SOPs followed daily, not just during checks.
• Work closely with the restaurant team to ensure kitchen-front of house alignment during peak times.

Skills

Kitchen leadership

Food safety

Team development

HACCP knowledge

Allergen awareness

Job description

Our kitchen is the engine of everything we do at Sprout, and as a Kitchen Leader, you’ll play a big part in bringing our fresh food to life every day.

You’ll lead the kitchen team, keep standards high, make sure prep is on track, and help every shift run smoothly. You’ll work closely with your Restaurant Leader, support and develop the people around you, and take real ownership of the quality and consistency of the food leaving the kitchen.

If you love food, care about the details and enjoy helping a team perform at their best, this could be a great fit.

Reporting to: Restaurant Leader
Contract: Full-time
Salary: €34,000-40,000, depending on experience and role

What you get

• Free lunch every day you work, and 50% off Sprout for you + 3 friends at other times (we want you to be healthy)

• Real opportunities to grow, we love promoting from within

• Leadership development through Sprout University

• Regular team socials, celebrations and leadership events

• The chance to help shape the culture and performance of your own restaurant

• A supportive leadership team that genuinely cares about doing things well

• Additional supports such as Bike to Work scheme, free virtual GP appointments and Employee Assistance Programme

What you’ll do

Lead the kitchen team

Set the team up for the day, organise prep and make sure everyone knows what they’re doing. When it gets busy, you’ll be right there with the team keeping things moving.

Protect food quality

Keep a close eye on taste, freshness, portioning and presentation. If something isn’t right, you’ll spot it and fix it before it leaves the kitchen.

Own food safety

Champion food safety, hygiene, allergens and health & safety standards. Make sure the kitchen is clean, organised and operating safely throughout the day.

Plan prep and stock

Manage prep sheets, stock levels and FIFO rotation so the kitchen has what it needs and ingredients stay fresh.

Manage waste and cost

Keep an eye on waste, portion control and COGS, helping the kitchen work efficiently without compromising on quality.

Develop your team

Train new starters, coach people on the job and give regular, useful feedback. Help the people around you build confidence and improve their skills.

Keep standards consistent

Know our recipes, SOPs and kitchen procedures and make sure they’re followed every day, not just when someone is checking.

Work closely with the restaurant team

Stay connected with your Restaurant Leader and the wider restaurant team so the kitchen and front of house are working together, especially during peak periods.

You’ll probably love being a Kitchen Leader at Sprout if...

• You genuinely care about food and notice when the small details aren’t right

• You like being hands-on and leading from the front

• You enjoy teaching people and helping them get better

• You can stay organised when there’s a lot happening at once

• You’re comfortable giving feedback and holding standards

• You take food safety and cleanliness seriously

• You’re curious and always looking for ways to improve

• You like being part of a team rather than working in your own bubble

If you’re looking for a kitchen role where you can stay in the background, avoid giving feedback or leave standards for somebody else to worry about, this probably isn’t the one.

A little about experience

We’d ideally like you to have around 2 years’ experience in a kitchen role, with experience supervising or leading others in a busy environment.

You’ll also need a good understanding of HACCP, allergens and food safety, solid kitchen and knife skills, and the confidence to organise prep, manage stock and communicate clearly with the team.

More than anything, we’re looking for someone who cares deeply about good food, good people and doing things properly.

If that sounds like you, we’d love to hear from you.