Job Ref: COL1028
Branch: Colicci Headquarters
Location: Colicci Headquarters, Mitcham
Salary/Benefits: £60,000+ plus bonus
Contract type: Permanent
Hours: Full Time
Hours per week: 48 hours per week
Posted date: 09/09/2025
Closing date: 11/10/2025
Lead, inspire drive the food direction and kitchen teams across all Colicci's iconic locations Colicci is a family-run hospitality brand, proudly serving London's iconic green spaces. Our cafés are bustling community hubs, offering exceptional coffee, fresh food, and warm hospitality.
We are looking for an innovative and commercially mindedHead of Food to take charge of our food vision, leading menu creation, supplier partnerships, food standards, and the development of our culinary teams. As a key member of the Senior Leadership Team, you'll shape Colicci's food identity, bringing creativity, consistency, and operational excellence across all our kitchens and events.
This is a role for a passionate culinary leader with the ability to balance creativity with commerciality, inspiring chefs and ensuring every dish that leaves our kitchens delivers the exceptional standards our customers expect.
What You'll Be Doing:
* Menu Development Innovation - Lead the design and development of all menus, from seasonal dishes to grab-and-go ranges, events, and tenders.
* Supplier Commercial Management - Manage supplier relationships, negotiate contracts, and ensure the best value and quality across all food products.
* Chef Recruitment Development - Sign off on Head Chef and Sous Chef hires, provide onboarding and training, and mentor chefs to grow future leaders.
* Events Special Projects - Design and oversee menus for Colicci's events, activations, and private hires, ensuring consistency, creativity, and operational success.
* Quality Assurance Compliance - Audit food quality, champion HACCP, allergen management, and food safety standards across all sites.
* Sustainability Leadership - Embed responsible practices across menus and kitchens, minimising waste, reducing single-use plastics, and promoting sustainable sourcing.
* Marketing Brand Growth - Collaborate with the Creative Team to tell our food story through photography, campaigns, and community engagement.
* Culinary Leadership - Be the culinary face of Colicci, bringing energy, innovation, and professionalism to everything we do.
What We're Looking For:
* An experienced culinary leader – with a proven track record in menu development, supplier management, and food innovation within multi-site hospitality.
* A creative and commercial thinker – able to design menus that excite customers while being operationally and financially deliverable.
* A mentor and team developer – passionate about training and supporting chefs to achieve their potential.
* A quality and safety champion – confident in food safety, HACCP, allergens, and compliance.
* A collaborator and communicator – able to work closely with Operations, and the Senior LEadership Team to deliver Colicci's food strategy.
* A flexible and hands-on leader – ready to support kitchens and events during peak times, including weekends and holidays.
Why Join Colicci?
* Competitive salary + performance bonus - your success is rewarded.
* Exciting career growth - be part of a thriving, growing business.
* Staff discounts - enjoy 40% off across all our sites.
* Autonomy Impact - the opportunity to drive real change and improvements across multiple sites.
* A supportive team culture - where passion thrives.
You can find a Colicci restaurant, café or kiosk at over 40 locations across the Capital. We champion local producers to deliver exceptional freshness across our menus, locations and events. Our in-house bakery and kitchens deliver nourishing menus that provide variety throughout the seasons.