The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), the UK's leading gardening charity, is on the search for an experienced Head Chef to take the reins at the iconic RHS Garden Rosemoor, nestled in the beautiful Devon Valley.
A unique opportunity for an ambitious, experienced and confident Chef to lead our kitchen team through a creative and supportive approach, guiding and developing them to deliver consistently every day.
You'll be responsible for the management of the kitchen, from maintaining high standards in food preparation, hygiene, and safety, to fostering a positive and efficient working environment, while maintaining food and payroll costs.
Working collaboratively with the Food and Beverage Operations Manager, you'll also help shape the direction of our food offering and contribute to the ongoing growth of the charity.
The F&B offer at RHS Garden Rosemoor includes:
· A bright and busy Garden Restaurant, offering relaxed dining.
· The Otter Café offering grab-and-go options.
· The Shepherd's Rest mobile unit in the heart of the garden.
· The Wisteria Tea Room, sweet treats on vintage china
The best part? No two days are the same As our Head Chef, you'll:
· Lead, mentor, and support the kitchen team to ensure smooth, successful service.
· Plan creative, cost-effective menus that cater to a variety of dietary needs.
· Ensure every dish meets high standards of flavour, presentation, and consistency.
· Uphold excellent hygiene, safety, and compliance throughout the kitchen.
· Manage rotas, delegate tasks, and ensure the team is well-organised and prepared.
· Work within budget by sourcing quality ingredients and reducing waste.
· Collaborate with front-of-house for a seamless, memorable guest experience.
· Share feedback and ideas with the wider team to continuously improve and grow.
We're looking for someone who:
· Has led busy, high-volume kitchens, ideally in seasonal, visitor-focused, or events-driven settings.
· Builds, trains, and motivates diverse kitchen teams with a focus on growth and retention.
· Creates seasonal menus that balance creativity, quality, and cost control.
· Manages rotas, delegates confidently, and keeps service running smoothly under pressure.
· Negotiates with suppliers, sources quality ingredients, and controls food costs effectively.
· Holds relevant food safety certifications and is well-versed in HACCP and allergen management.
· Works closely with front-of-house to deliver a seamless customer experience.
· Champions sustainability, waste reduction, and local or homegrown produce.
· Brings fresh ideas and a creative eye to menus, events, and guest experiences.
There are some real benefits to joining the F&B Team at the RHS
The food and beverage team at the RHS spans across five gardens, with four being catered for in-house. We are a dedicated team maximising income generation, with a high ambition to grow it more This means there is real freedom to develop and evolve the offer. All the gardens are different but benefit from a collaborative working structure.
Our usual trading hours will be during the daytime, but there will be a need for some evening hours to cover hospitality and garden events such as weddings and Glow. Weekends are a critical part of our operation, and therefore there will be regular weekend work, but this will be on a rota basis. 25 days holiday (plus Bank Holidays), and of course you will also be based in one of the most beautiful landscapes in the UK. The F&B team are a vital part of the commercial team raising funds for our charitable purpose.
To work for the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) is to join a thriving charity, whose mission is to be there for everyone on their lifelong adventure with gardening. Everything we do is built on the transformational power of gardening – and the benefits it brings to people, places and our planet.
And we couldn't do this without our people. We're proud of the knowledge, enthusiasm and ideas that each one of our team members brings. From working across our social media channels, to volunteering in the RHS Gardens, from serving customers in our garden centres to running national marketing campaigns, we believe that every member of the RHS team should have the opportunity to make a difference.
Key information
Known globally for our inspirational Shows and five spectacular Gardens, our work extends to leading ground-breaking climate research, running community outreach programmes, and setting the standards in horticultural education. With the recent opening of RHS Garden Bridgewater and Hilltop, the world's first dedicated Centre for Gardening Science, at RHS Garden Wisley, there has never been a more exciting time to be part of our journey to make the UK a greener, and more beautiful place.
And we couldn't do this without our people. We're proud of the knowledge, enthusiasm and ideas that each one of our team members brings. From working across our social media channels, to volunteering in the RHS Gardens, from serving customers in our garden centres to running national marketing campaigns, we believe that every member of the RHS team should have the opportunity to make a difference.
Safeguarding and Inclusion
The RHS is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk and expects all personnel to share in this commitment. We are an inclusive employer and welcome applicants from all backgrounds.
Please note: We may review applications as soon as we receive them so if you see a vacancy that you are interested in, please apply straight away as the vacancy will be closed as soon as we hire the right candidate.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: £35,000.00 per year
Benefits:
* Additional leave
* Bereavement leave
* Company pension
* Cycle to work scheme
* Discounted or free food
* Employee discount
* Free flu jabs
* Health & wellbeing programme
* Life insurance
* On-site parking
* Referral programme
* Sick pay
Experience:
* Senior Sous / Head Chef: 2 years (required)
Work Location: In person