Head Chef

Esus-Consulting; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 700 000 - 900 000; Full time

Job summary

A luxury culinary brand in Cape Town is seeking a visionary Savoury Head Chef to lead the culinary direction of their French luxury restaurant and champagne bar. The ideal candidate must have a passion for refined savoury offerings, with at least 8 years of culinary experience and at least 3 years in a leadership role in high-volume environments. This role offers a competitive salary and opportunities for career advancement within a dynamic working environment.

Benefits

Competitive salary and performance-based incentives

Opportunities for career advancement

Dynamic and design-led working environment

Access to world-class culinary training

Qualifications

• Minimum 8 years of culinary experience with at least 3 years in a Sous Head Chef or Head Chef role.
• Proven experience managing high-volume kitchens and multiple outlets.
• Background in French savoury cuisine with a modern twist.

Responsibilities

• Lead the creation and seasonal evolution of savoury menus across branches.
• Oversee kitchen operations, ensuring quality control and consistent standards.
• Recruit, train, and lead a team of chefs, sous chefs, and line cooks.

Skills

Inspirational leadership and team development

Menu innovation and cost engineering

Multi-outlet operations management

High attention to detail and plating aesthetics

Proficiency in kitchen systems

Fluent in English

French language skills

Education

Culinary degree or equivalent professional training

Job description

Location : Cape Town, South Africa Reports To : Executive Chef / Operation Head Send your application to - Subject : HEAD CHEF Only strong experiences in Luxury Hospitality will be considered. Position : We are seeking a visionary and experienced Savoury Head Chef to lead the culinary direction of our French luxury restaurant, and champagne bar concept.

The ideal candidate is passionate about refined, elegant savoury offerings, thrives in high-volume environments, and has proven experience managing multiple outlets or branches.

Responsabilities:

• Lead the creation and seasonal evolution of savoury menus across all branches, in alignment with the concept's culinary vision.
• Develop recipes and SOPs that maintain consistency, high quality, and cost control across multiple locations.
• Drive innovation in savoury offerings, ensuring a balance of modernity, elegance, and guest appeal.
• Oversee kitchen operations across all locations, ensuring streamlined service, quality control, and consistent standards.
• Support new openings with menu training, kitchen setup, and operational readiness.
• Conduct regular site visits to monitor standards, resolve operational challenges, and mentor onsite teams.Team Management :
• Recruit, train, and lead a team of chefs, sous chefs, and line cooks.
• Conduct regular performance reviews and foster a high-performance, collaborative kitchen culture.
• Design and implement training programs to ensure culinary teams uphold brand standards.
• Maintain the highest levels of food safety, hygiene, and sanitation in all kitchens, in line with local and international standards.
• Ensure accurate implementation of HACCP systems and kitchen audits.Financial Management :
• Monitor food costs, portion control, and waste reduction across locations.
• Collaborate with procurement and finance teams to ensure supplier alignment and optimize food margins.Experience :
• Minimum 8 years of culinary experience with at least 3 years in a Sous Head Chef or Head Chef role in luxury casual / fine dining environments.
• Proven experience managing high-volume kitchens and multiple outlets or branches.
• Background in French savoury cuisine with a modern twist is a must.
• Experience working in bakery / restaurant hybrid concepts is a plus.
• Culinary degree or equivalent professional training.Key skills :
• Inspirational leadership and team development
• Menu innovation and cost engineering
• Multi-outlet operations management
• High attention to detail and plating aesthetics
• Proficiency in kitchen systems (inventory, recipe costing, scheduling)
• Fluent in English; French is a plusWhat we offer :
• Competitive salary and performance-based incentives
• Opportunities for career advancement across a growing international brand
• A dynamic and design-led working environment
• Access to world-class culinary training and innovation platformsPlease send your application, CV, references, pictures of you and your creations to -Only strong experiences in Luxury Hospitality will be considered.