Head Chef
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Job Summary
Head Chef Established Destination Restaurant
York Tronc (OTE 45k47k) Bonus Potential
An established high-volume destination restaurant in the heart of York is seeking a Head Chef to lead a full kitchen reset and help return the business to its former award-listed standard.
Operating for 18 years and seating 130 covers across two floors this is a large well-equipped kitchen with strong infrastructure and serious financial backing.
The restaurant has been listed in both the Good Food Guide and the Michelin Guide for five consecutive years (prior to the most recent season) and previously built a reputation strong enough to see guests regularly queuing outside the door.
The ambition now is simple: return to that level.
The Food
The foundations are rooted in elevated Polish cuisine but this is not traditional heavy cooking.
The chef patron has refined and modernised her recipes over the years creating a menu that blends heritage with contemporary technique and presentation. Everything is made in-house from pastry and bread to stocks and desserts.
The main identity will always retain its roots but there is complete creative freedom for the right Head Chef to refine elevate and shape the direction of the kitchen moving forward.
The Opportunity
This is a genuine leadership role.
You will:
Take full operational control of the kitchen
Rebuild and structure a new brigade
Drive standards consistency and quality across high-volume services
Maintain authenticity while refining presentation and execution
Manage GP rotas stock control and supplier relationships
Help restore the restaurant to recognised-guide standard
The chef patron remains involved and supportive but is ready to empower the right Head Chef with autonomy and trust.
About You
Proven Head Chef experience in a quality fresh-food environment
Comfortable running high-volume services (400 covers on peak days)
Strong leadership presence and brigade builder
Creative commercially aware and structured
Fluent English speaker with confident communication skills
Polish cuisine experience is not essential strong cooking foundations and leadership ability are.
The Package
base salary (depending on experience)
Tronc (OTE at top end)
Bonus structure available after probation
Full creative input and menu development autonomy
Strong financial backing and supportive ownership
This is not just a Head Chef role it is an opportunity to restore an established York restaurant back to recognised-guide standard with full creative trust and genuine backing.
If you are a leader who enjoys building teams elevating standards and making visible impact we would love to speak confidentially.
Key Skills
- Culinary Experience
- Food Handling
- Restaurant Experience
- Kitchen Management Experience
- Food Preparation Experience
- Kitchen Experience
- Food Industry
- Cooking
- Cost Control
- Baking
- Sanitation
- Leadership Experience
