Head Chef / Kjøkkensjef

Michael Lunga; Asker; On-site; NOK 900,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Professional development opportunities

Historic surroundings

Collaborative team environment

Job summary

Holtsmark Restaurant & Mathus in Øvre Sem Gård, Asker, invites an experienced Head Chef to lead the kitchen, drive concept development, and oversee daily operations across restaurant, events and catering.

You will manage a talented team, balance creativity with cost control, work closely with the Restaurant Manager and suppliers, and uphold our philosophy of seasonality, sustainability and craft.

Qualifications

• Certificate as a chef or equivalent professional experience.
• Experience as Head Chef or senior kitchen role.
• Strong Nordic culinary knowledge and techniques.
• Experience with menu planning and menu development.
• Fluent in English or a Scandinavian language.

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily kitchen operations and menu development.
• Lead, motivate and develop the kitchen team.
• Recruitment, onboarding and training of kitchen staff.
• Plan staffing and kitchen schedules.
• Costing, purchasing, stock management and waste reduction.
• Ensure food safety and hygiene standards (IK‑Mat, HSE).
• Collaborate with Restaurant Manager and management.
• Contribute to concept development and events.

Skills

Leadership

Menu planning

Food costing

Kitchen profitability

English/Scandinavian

Education

Certificate as a chef or equivalent

Job description

Holtsmark Restaurant & Mathus -- Øvre Sem Gård, Asker

Join the team at Holtsmark Restaurant & Mathus

Holtsmark Restaurant & Mathus is looking for an experienced, ambitious and hands‑on Head Chef to lead our kitchen team and take an active role in the continued development of our restaurant and food concepts at Øvre Sem Gård.

Our 450-square-meter restaurant is located in the historic barn at Øvre Sem Gård and is a vibrant and versatile food and beverage destination including:

• Full-service restaurant
• Beer and cocktail bar
• Chambre Separé and Wine cellar for private dinners and tastings
• Outdoor seating in our own garden
• Café and general store (landhandleri)
• Several event and banquet facilities on the farm with capacity from 30 and up to 400 guests, including a dedicated kitchens and bars

Øvre Sem Gård is much more than a hotel. Holtsmark Drift AS provides all food and beverage services at this estate and operates its own pastry department, production kitchen, restaurant, catering services and events.

Throughout the year, we host everything from restaurant service and conferences to weddings, private celebrations, corporate events and large‑scale functions. The property also includes several historic dining rooms and event venues, giving our kitchen team a highly varied working environment.

Our food philosophy

At Holtsmark Restaurant & Mathus, we are committed to developing a food concept based on seasonality, sustainability, local produce and strong craftsmanship.

We work closely with local farmers, producers and suppliers and aim to make the best possible use of high‑quality ingredients throughout the seasons.

As Head Chef, you will play a central role in developing this concept further while balancing creativity, quality, efficient operations and sound financial management.

The position

As our Head Chef, you will have overall responsibility for the daily operation and development of the kitchen.

This is a hands‑on leadership position. We are looking for someone who enjoys leading and developing a team, but who is equally comfortable working actively in production and service alongside the kitchen staff.

You will work closely with the Restaurant Manager, beverage team and company management to ensure that food quality, guest experience, staffing and financial performance develop together.

Key responsibilities

• Overall responsibility for the daily operation of the kitchen
• Lead, motivate and develop the kitchen team
• Recruitment, onboarding and training of kitchen employees
• Planning staffing levels and kitchen schedules according to business needs
• Menu development in line with our concept, seasons, available produce and budgets
• Ensure consistently high standards of food quality, taste and presentation
• Take an active role in daily mise en place, production and service
• Responsibility for food safety procedures, IK‑Mat, hygiene and HSE
• Recipe costing and continuous monitoring of food costs
• Purchasing, ordering and stock management
• Maintain appropriate stock levels and ensure good product rotation
• Monitor and reduce food waste
• Follow up suppliers, deliveries and raw material quality
• Ensure efficient use of ingredients across restaurant, events, catering and production
• Plan kitchen operations for restaurant service, conferences, weddings and larger events
• Maintain structure, routines and efficient workflow throughout the kitchen
• Work closely with the Restaurant Manager, beverage responsible and management
• Contribute actively to the further development of Holtsmark Restaurant & Mathus

Who we are looking for

We are looking for a structured and motivated chef who combines strong culinary skills with good leadership and commercial understanding.

You enjoy taking responsibility and understand that running a successful kitchen requires a balance between creativity, people management, quality and cost control.

Qualifications and experience

• Certificate as a chef or equivalent relevant professional experience
• Previous experience as Head Chef, Sous Chef or in another senior kitchen position
• Strong culinary knowledge for modern and nordic culinary foods and understanding of cooking techniques and raw materials
• Experience with menu planning and menu development
• Good understanding of food costing, purchasing and stock management
• Experience with staffing, training and kitchen organisation
• Good knowledge of food safety (IK‑Mat), hygiene and HSE requirements
• Ability to maintain structure and quality in a busy working environment
• Good communication and leadership skills
• Commercial understanding and awareness of kitchen profitability
• Ability to communicate in English or a Scandinavian language

Experience from restaurants combined with events, catering, conferences or banquet operations is considered an advantage.

Personal qualities

We believe our Head Chef should be:

• A visible and supportive leader
• Orginazed, structured and solution-oriented
• Passionate about food, ingredients and craftsmanship
• Quality‑conscious and detail‑oriented
• Financially aware and comfortable working with budgets and targets
• Able to motivate and develop others
• Calm and organized during busy services
• Positive and collaborative
• Willing to take responsibility and lead by example

What we offer

At Holtsmark Restaurant & Mathus, you will have the opportunity to play an important role in the continued development of a growing restaurant and hospitality company.

We offer:

• A key leadership position with significant influence over the kitchen and food concept
• The opportunity to develop menus and concepts together with management
• A varied operation combining restaurant, café, events, conferences, catering and large functions
• Close cooperation with local farmers, producers and suppliers
• A professional and ambitious working environment
• Varied workdays in unique historic surroundings
• Strong focus on quality, sustainability and guest experience
• Opportunities for personal and professional development
• The opportunity to grow together with Holtsmark Drift AS as the company continues to develop

Position: Head Chef / Kjøkkensjef
Employment: Full‑time

Holtsmark Drift AS is the operating company behind the food, beverage and hospitality concepts at Øvre Sem Gård. With Holtsmark Restaurant & Mathus, we are building a destination where restaurant operations, local food, hospitality, events and craftsmanship come together.