HEAD CHEF – PREMIUM FOOD PRODUCTION KITCHEN
Sydenham, South East London £50,000–£55,000 45 hours per week | Mostly Monday–Friday | Daytime hours
Lead a High Growth Premium Food Kitchen
An exciting opportunity has opened for an experienced Head Chef to lead operations in a fast-growing premium food production kitchen based in South East London .
This is not a traditional restaurant role.
You will be joining an ambitious food business creating high-quality products for restaurants and hospitality clients, including:
Premium sauces
Starters
Prepared vegetable products
Tailored menu components
Tailored food solutions
Working directly with an industry-leading founder and Michelin-star trained chef, you will play a key role in scaling a rapidly growing division with strong long-term progression opportunities.
The Role
As Head Chef, you will take ownership of the daily running of the kitchen and lead a team of 6.
You will be responsible for making sure all products are produced to an exceptional standard, delivered on time, and organised efficiently in a high-volume environment.
Key responsibilities include:
Leading day-to-day kitchen operations
Managing production schedules and workflow
Team leadership, rotas and training
Ordering, stock management and waste control
Maintaining premium food quality and consistency
Improving systems, organisation and kitchen processes
Supporting sampling and new product development
About you
You are a strong operational chef who combines high culinary standards with excellent organisation .
You enjoy building structure, leading teams, and taking real ownership.
You will likely have experience as a:
Head Chef
Production Head Chef
Sous Chef
Central Kitchen Manager
Development Chef
Catering Head Chef
Food Production Manager (fine dining)
You must have:
Strong chef background with restaurant experience
Exposure to fine dining or premium food standards
Experience in production, prep or catering kitchens
High-volume food operation experience
Leadership experience managing teams
Excellent organisation and forward planning
Hands-on, no-ego attitude
Ideal Personality We are looking for someone who is:
Highly organised
Detail-focused
Calm under pressure
Solutions-driven
Flexible and adaptable
Team-oriented
Proud of their work
This role suits someone who takes ownership, solves problems proactively, and wants to help build something special.
Why Join? Join an exciting high-growth food concept at an early stage
Work directly with a Michelin-level culinary leader
Real autonomy and influence over kitchen operations
Daytime hours
Predominantly Monday–Friday schedule
Strong progression opportunities as the business grows
Opportunity to shape systems, culture, and standards from the ground up
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