Sous Chef
Perrywood Sudbury
44.5 hours per week (September Start)
£14.30 per hour / £33,000 p/a
We are excited to be looking for a Sous chef as we gear up to opening our brand-new garden centre later in 2025. You will be passionate and have enthusiasm to grow with the business. Our food is freshly prepared on site using the highest quality ingredients from local suppliers wherever possible. As a company we have a keen interest in free from and special dietary menus. Perrywood is an independent, family-owned garden centre and nursery group run by the Bourne Family. Our Tiptree, Buckhatch and Sudbury centres are all surrounded by beautiful countryside and our mission is to offer a memorable garden centre experience, delivering wow customer service and giving our employees and customers, a reason to smile.
Rewards and Benefits
In addition to the hourly wage, you will receive the following benefits:
Discount - From the start of your employment you will receive 10% discount on specific items. Following a successful probation period, the discount increases up to 20% discount on specific items and after one year's service up to 40% discount on specific items. (some exceptions apply)
Paid holiday - holiday entitlement is 22 days per year, plus bank holidays. Restrictions apply (part-time pro rata)
Annual Christmas bonus
Part-uniform provided
Employee Assistant Programme - a confidential personal and professional support service available to all employees and their immediate families 24/7, 365 days a year.
Training & development, as required. We have an e-learning scheme called GROW, and also take part in other training with product suppliers and external trainers
Company sick pay - following a successful probation period employees are entitled to 10 days paid sickness (part-time pro rata)
Access to our Retail Discount Scheme - savings on retailers including Tesco, Pizza Express, M&S, Waitrose, Argos, Apple, Currys PC World, Thomas Cook and 100's more
Workplace pension
Free parking
Key duties
Support and stand shoulder to shoulder with the Head Chef whilst also mentoring and developing the wider kitchen brigade.
Supply food in adequate quantities for the day's business, whilst controlling and minimising waste.
Able to prioritise workload, understanding and delivering to a time schedule
Play your part in contributing to menu and recipe development alongside the Head Chef, with excellent knowledge of seasonal ingredients, allergens and special dietary requirements in order sustain and improve our high-quality food offering.
Undertake weekly and daily ordering from suppliers, fully understanding the implications of over or under ordering and have ongoing knowledge of supplier prices.
Manage a busy open kitchen, with a calm and confident manner in the absence of the Head Chef, directing staff in other areas whilst doing this.
Being at the forefront of quality control from the delivery of produce to tasting and identifying if dishes are always up to the highest standard.
To participate in daily and weekly cleaning rotas and maintain your areas of work to a high standard, along with completing statutory documents with regards food hygiene and health and safety requirements.
Your capabilities
Confident across all sections of the kitchen, with pastry skills preferred.
Excellent allergen and special dietary knowledge with an interest to bring new ideas to our business
Effective multi-tasker - must be able to fit daily preparation duties around busy breakfast and lunch service
Strong team player and role model with good coaching skills with the ability to pick up and apply new skills and methods quickly.
Excellent communication skills - listening as well as talking
Problem solver with the ability to solve problems as they arise or seek appropriate advice
Positive and enthusiastic approach to work from the start to the end of each day
Requirements
Proven experience of working in a team, along with the ability to organise daily and weekly workload, adapting to changing priorities.
Ability to work across all areas of the kitchen as required.
You must be able to bend, lift and carry items as required and sustain long periods on your feet.
Ability to follow instructions, retain information and effectively pass onto others
Smart appearance
Working with
Reporting directly to the Head chef.
Work alongside Front of House team
If this Sous Chef position sounds like the ideal opportunity for you, please apply directly to us. We'd love to hear from you!
For further information and a full job description, please visit the Perrywood website
Perrywood is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to ensuring our recruitment processes are as inclusive as possible. If you require any reasonable adjustments, please inform us as soon as you are able so that we can make the appropriate adjustments.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: Up to £33,000.00 per year
Benefits:
Employee discount
Free parking
Health & wellbeing programme
On-site parking
Sick pay
Application question(s):
Due to our rural location and limited access to public transport your own transport is preferred
Please tell us about your allergen experience and how you keep up to date with changes
Experience:
cooking: 2 years (required)
Kitchen management: 1 year (preferred)
Chef: 2 years (required)
Work Location: In person