Senior kitchen leadership across two London restaurants — £45,000 per year including + Service & Tronc (Bonus Structure TBC)
Hands-on, operational, built to grow.
The role needs someone who has led a kitchen team and can carry the operational weight from day one. If you're a Head Chef or Kitchen Manager who has been waiting for the chance to be accountable for something, step into a senior position, and build something that lasts — this is the conversation to have.
We are accomplished restaurateurs now supporting forward-thinking, values-led, independant brands that we feel offer genuine career development opportunities in their growth plans.
The Opportunity
This is a newly created role — which means you'd be shaping it, not inheriting someone else's version of it. A growing independent restaurant group is looking for a senior kitchen leader to take operational ownership across two well-established London restaurants. The title is Kitchen Manager rather than Head Chef and you would be on shift over the busy service periods with your time shared accross two kitchens. The role is hands‑on leading compliance, cost control, standards, team development. Roughly 70% of your time is hands‑on in service; the rest is the operational and strategic work that makes those services possible.
The Business
Two London restaurants, one group. Fresh, ingredient‑led cooking with international influence. Both sites have established followings, strong weekly covers, and full drinks programmes including cocktails. The group is founder‑led with a small, tight head office — decisions get made quickly, good ideas get heard, and the person in this role will have genuine influence on how the kitchens evolve. A third site and central production kitchen are in the plan for 2027, and the right person will be central to that build‑out.
You must be
* Operationally strong — not just a good chef, but someone who cares deeply about systems, compliance, and standards
* Experienced managing a kitchen brigade, including recruitment and training
* Comfortable holding your own across labour costs, stock management, and the numbers that drive a kitchen
* Adaptable — this is a small group, which means hands‑on autonomy rather than layers of central support.
* Ready for a genuine step up — ideally into your first multi‑site senior role, hungry to prove what you can do with real ownership
Be able to
* Run kitchen operations across two sites — audits, compliance, hygiene standards, consistency checks
* Lead brigade development: one‑to‑ones, performance management, training plans, and bringing good people in
* Manage labour and food costs to target, week in week out
* Work closely with the Sous Chefs who hold each site day‑to‑day, giving them clear direction and genuine support
* Contribute to menu development alongside the founders — this is a welcome part of the role, though not the primary brief
About you
* You have a thoughtful career and developed up from role to role
* You have proven accomplishments and reflect someone that develops year on year
* You are not someone that changes jobs every year and has developed up year on year within the same brands
* You are an exceptional communicator and demonstrate leadership and mentorship in teams
* You have a strong understanding of kitchen management, compliance and standards underpinned by your ability to implement and improve process and procedure
* You have taken the time to apply to this opportunity and feel that this is the next natural step for you in your development
Look forward to supporting you.
Speak Soon
Adam
This role may also be known as: Area Chef, Group Head Chef, Head of Kitchens, Chef Manager, Multi‑Site Head Chef, Senior Kitchen Manager, Kitchen Operations Manager, Working Head Chef, Hands‑On Kitchen Manager, Food Operations Manager, Working Area Chef, Senior Chef, Executive Chef (small group), Kitchen and Ops Manager, or Multi‑Site Kitchen Lead. If you have been searching under any of these titles, we want to hear from you.
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