PositionHead Chef
DepartmentFood and Beverage
Responsible toGeneral Manager
Responsible forKitchen Porters, Kitchen Assistants, Chefs
Salary£55,000 per annum, dependent on experience
Location St Martin-in-the-Fields, Trafalgar Square, WC2N 4HJ
Full-time/Part-timeFull-time, permanent
Role overviewTo lead kitchen operations, ensuring high-quality food production, effective team management, and adherence to health and safety standards.
Background
St Martin-in-the-Fields (St Martins) is an incredible place to work. Located in the heart of London on Trafalgar Square, we are a place for everyone, everywhere, every day to worship, reflect, relax, meet, eat and drink, enjoy music and the arts and much more. The church is a 300-year-old architectural jewel. We have iconic spaces that attract hundreds of thousands of people to our site each year.
Visitors to St Martins are delighted by the range, choice, and options available when they arrive to experience both our catering offering or when attending an event, private function, or conference. St Martins has hosted events & fashion shows for exclusive luxury brands, TV, Film and Theatre Wrap parties (with celebrity guests), and multinational corporation conferences, meaning youll always have new avenues to stretch your skills & capabilities.
The Café is open every day (other than Christmas & Boxing Day) and generally serves lunch from 10.00 to 18:00 for up to 200 seated covers. We have 6 different available event spaces, where our largest events can command to 500 people standing for canapes. On top of this, the Café is host to many evening functions and a weekly jazz night. With a strong Café team, we deliver a unique service throughout the day and into our evening offerings.
Nature and scope of the job
The Head Chef will play a pivotal role in our kitchen team, working closely with the General Manager to ensure the smooth operation of the kitchen and the delivery of high-quality food, both for our day-to-day food and beverage provision and private events. As a key member of our catering team, you will be responsible for leading in menu planning, food preparation, and kitchen management.
Your primary responsibilities will include leading and managing all kitchen staff and overseeing food production, ensuring that all dishes are prepared to our standards of excellence. You will take a leading role in recipe development, inventory management, and maintaining food safety and sanitation protocols.
Main duties and responsibilities
Operations
* Lead and manage all kitchen staff, including hiring, training, creation of rotas, and performance evaluation;
* Develop and execute a distinctive culinary vision for the Crypt Café, our special events and galas and our food and beverage provision across the site;
* Prepare and lead in all food preparation in accordance with kitchen standards, with minimum waste and budget impact;
* Take a leading role in the creation of menus that reflect seasonal ingredients, customer preferences, and current food trends;
* Work with the General Manager and Events team to take the lead on catering for a range of events;
* Gain a logistical knowledge of the day-to-day catering business and assist with the smooth running of all catering activities;
* Adhere to opening and closing procedures;
* Follow and ensure kitchen standards, procedures, health regulations, recipes, portion control and cleaning schedules are adhered to;
* Undertake food stock takes on a weekly/monthly basis;
* Ensure quality and rate of kitchen output is sufficient for trading requirements;
* Place orders on a daily basis, to maintain stock levels for the 7-day week operation; and
* Check delivered goods are to required standard and dealing with them appropriately.
Quality Control
* Ensure quality and rate of kitchen output, whilst monitoring appearance of foods on public display, and making necessary changes when needed; and
* Support, maintain and improve catering standards and offers.
Health and Safety
* Follow kitchen standards, procedures, health regulations, recipes, portion control and cleaning schedules are adhered to, training staff where necessary;
* Ensure all food areas and chef cleaning rotas are maintained on an am/pm system according to cleaning schedules;
* Practise HACCP with all food areas;
* Use a full understanding of HACCP and COSHH; and
* Use extensive knowledge of evacuation procedures and ability to lead evacuation of the kitchen in the event of an emergency.
Please note that this is not an exhaustive description of responsibilities; aspects of the role may reasonably change over time and the successful candidate is expected to contribute to the development and progression of this role.
Knowledge, skills and abilities
You will have:
Experience working in a similar environment as a Head Chef, Executive Chef, or Senior Sous Chef;
In-depth knowledge of kitchen operations, including menu planning, food costing, and supplier management;
Exemplary knowledge of basic food and hygiene procedures and the related certifications;
Thorough knowledge of food safety hygiene standards;
An enthusiasm about food and for working in the catering industry;
Excellent team working and communication skills;
Ability to display leadership and delegate where appropriate, with experience in managing, training, and developing kitchen teams;
High quality customer service skills and experience of working in a busy customer-orientated environment;
A flair for creative menu development and the ability to bring clients on along with you when creating culinary experiences for them.
Who we are looking for
St Martins welcomes applications from all sections of the community and is committed to maintaining an inclusive working environment, with a diverse workforce. We value individuality, equality and representation and appoint on merit.
How to apply
To apply for this post, please email the following topeopleandculture @ smitf.org by Friday 16thMay.
A supporting statement, explaining why you believe you will excel in this role;
An up-to-date CV detailing your relevant achievements.
Interviews will be held as suitable applications are received. St Martins reserves the right to close and appoint to this role within the stated advertising period, and so advises early applications are submitted.
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