Cafe jobs in Hemel Hempstead Town

ABOUT THE ROLE

We are looking for an experienced Head Chef and Kitchen Manager to lead the kitchen of a busy breakfast, brunch and lunch cafe in Hemel Hempstead.

This is a senior position combining high-quality cafe cooking with kitchen leadership, food-safety management, staff training and commercial control.

The successful candidate will be confident running a busy service while maintaining a clean, safe, organised and consistent kitchen. You will work closely with the owners and will have responsibility for kitchen standards, staff supervision, preparation planning, food quality, waste control, cleaning and compliance.

This position would suit an experienced Head Chef, Kitchen Manager or strong Sous Chef who is ready to take greater responsibility for the day-to-day performance of a cafe kitchen.

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

You will be responsible for ensuring that the kitchen:

Opens clean, organised and ready for service.

Operates safely and efficiently throughout the day.

Produces fresh, correctly cooked and consistently presented food.

Maintains accurate food-safety and operational records.

Controls preparation, stock, portions and waste.

Trains and supervises kitchen employees properly.

Completes daily, weekly and monthly cleaning requirements.

Reports problems promptly.

Provides clear handovers between shifts.

Continually improves its standards and performance.

As the kitchen leader, you will be expected to set the standard, allocate duties, check completed work, correct failures and report anything that remains unresolved.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

KITCHEN SERVICE AND FOOD QUALITY

Lead breakfast, brunch and lunch service.

Prepare, cook and present food to a consistently high standard.

Organise kitchen stations and control ticket flow during busy periods.

Ensure orders are complete, correctly portioned and properly presented.

Ensure hot food is served hot and cold food is stored and served safely.

Prevent mouldy, spoiled, unsafe, incorrect or poor-quality food from reaching customers.

Investigate customer returns and food-quality failures.

Work closely with front-of-house employees to maintain efficient service.

Maintain food-safety and quality standards during busy periods.

FOOD SAFETY AND COMPLIANCE

Maintain full compliance with food-hygiene, allergen and workplace-safety procedures.

Complete and verify required fridge, freezer, display and food-temperature records.

Record actual readings, times and corrective actions accurately.

Enforce the correct use of colour-coded chopping boards, knives and utensils.

Prevent cross-contamination between raw and ready-to-eat food.

Check opened and unopened food labels, preparation dates, use-by dates and storage conditions.

Ensure all required food-preparation records are completed.

Maintain high standards of personal hygiene and approved kitchen clothing.

Ensure aprons and protective clothing are used correctly.

Use the company health-and-safety app accurately.

Report serious food-safety, equipment or workplace risks immediately.

Never approve or sign a check that has not genuinely been completed.

PREPARATION AND DEMAND PLANNING

Plan daily food preparation according to actual customer demand.

Adjust preparation for busy and quiet days.

Adjust preparation for high and low seasons.

Consider the day of the week, school holidays, weather, local events, bookings and promotions.

Review previous sales, current stock, products approaching expiry and recent waste.

Increase or reduce preparation in controlled stages.

Maintain product availability without creating unnecessary waste.

Review what was prepared, sold, left over and wasted.

Use this information to improve future preparation levels.

Communicate likely shortages before they affect service.

WASTE, PORTION AND STOCK CONTROL

Ensure all food waste is recorded accurately.

Record the item, approximate quantity and reason for waste.

Encourage honest waste reporting without creating an unnecessary blame culture.

Use waste records to improve preparation, ordering and staff training.

Create and enforce consistent portion standards.

Correct excessive portions and repeated preparation errors.

Rotate stock so that the nearest safe use-by date is used first.

Move newer stock behind earlier-dated safe stock.

Identify products approaching expiry before they become waste.

Remove expired, unsafe, damaged or unidentifiable food.

Support accurate stock counts and ordering.

Report unusual, unexplained or repeated losses.

CLEANING AND KITCHEN ORGANISATION

Maintain a kitchen that is clean, safe and professionally organised.

Allocate daily, weekly and monthly cleaning duties to named employees.

Ensure each cleaning task has a clear standard and completion time.

Record who completed each scheduled task and when it was completed.

Inspect completed cleaning rather than relying only on signatures.

Require incomplete or inadequate cleaning to be corrected.

Maintain clean food-contact surfaces, equipment, refrigeration and storage areas.

Maintain clean floors, waste areas and handwashing facilities.

Ensure areas behind and underneath equipment are cleaned as scheduled.

Ensure cleaning chemicals and equipment are stored and used safely.

Maintain clear working areas and fire exits.

Ensure the kitchen is safe and suitable for employees, new starters and trial workers.

TEAM LEADERSHIP

Lead by example and personally follow every standard you enforce.

Allocate stations and duties clearly.

Apply the same standards fairly to all employees.

Correct poor performance and unsafe behaviour promptly and professionally.

Support employees while maintaining clear accountability.

Report repeated refusal, misconduct or performance concerns to the owners.

Prevent conflicting instructions being given to new employees.

Ensure established habits do not override approved company procedures.

Build a respectful culture in which standards are followed consistently.

Raise operational concerns directly with the owners.

Suggest practical solutions when a system or procedure requires improvement.

Remain calm and professional when dealing with difficult conversations.

STAFF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

Provide structured inductions for new starters and trial workers.

Explain and demonstrate tasks clearly.

Allow employees to practise under supervision.

Observe performance and correct mistakes.

Confirm when an employee is competent to work independently.

Record training and refresher sessions.

Train relevant employees to use the health-and-safety app.

Identify individual training needs.

Ensure new employees are assessed against clear standards.

Provide regular reminders and refresher training when procedures are not followed.

CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS AND INCIDENT REPORTING

Ensure customer complaints are handled calmly and professionally.

Remove and replace unacceptable food where authorised.

Record complaints, immediate action and the likely cause.

Investigate repeated food-quality or service problems.

Report immediately any complaint involving allergens, mould, suspected food poisoning, foreign objects, unsafe temperatures or injury.

Report accidents, equipment failures, pest concerns and serious safety issues promptly.

Report staff refusals, repeated non-compliance and serious conduct concerns.

Keep the owners informed about important incidents, even where the immediate problem has been resolved.

Complete a clear daily handover covering unresolved kitchen, stock, staffing, food-quality and maintenance matters.

WEEKLY MANAGEMENT REVIEW

Attend a short weekly operational meeting with the owners.

Review temperature records and food-safety controls.

Review cross-contamination and allergen procedures.

Review food labels, dates and preparation records.

Review preparation levels, seasonal demand and product availability.

Review waste, portions and stock rotation.

Review food quality and customer complaints.

Review daily, weekly and monthly cleaning.

Review staff performance and training.

Review equipment, maintenance and unresolved incidents.

Agree corrective actions and confirm who is responsible for completing them.

Follow up to ensure agreed actions have been completed.

ESSENTIAL EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

At least 8-10 years of professional cooking experience in a cafe, breakfast, brunch, restaurant or similarly fast-paced kitchen.

At least 2 years of genuine kitchen-supervision, team-leadership or management experience.

Strong breakfast, brunch, grill, deli or lunch-service experience.

Level 2 Food Safety qualification or equivalent.

Strong knowledge of food hygiene and allergen controls.

Strong knowledge of temperature control and cross-contamination prevention.

Experience managing food labels, use-by dates and stock rotation.

Experience planning preparation and controlling portions and waste.

Experience supervising and training kitchen employees.

Ability to complete clear written and digital records.

Ability to communicate instructions clearly and professionally.

Reliable attendance and punctuality.

Ability to work weekends and the required shift pattern.

Right to work in the United Kingdom.

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE

Level 3 Food Safety or Supervising Food Safety qualification.

Experience using SFBB, HACCP or a similar food-safety management system.

Experience managing an established team through operational change.

Experience using digital health-and-safety or compliance systems.

Experience investigating customer complaints and implementing corrective action.

Experience supervising opening and closing procedures.

Barista or wider cafe operational experience.

Candidates with a Level 2 Food Safety qualification may still be considered where they have strong leadership experience and are willing to complete Level 3 training within an agreed period.

PERSONAL QUALITIES

We are looking for someone who is:

Calm and organised during busy service.

Serious about food safety and food quality.

Observant and able to identify problems early.

Fair and respectful when managing employees.

Confident holding experienced staff accountable.

Commercially aware.

Able to control preparation, portions and waste.

Consistent and dependable.

Honest about mistakes, failures and operational risks.

Comfortable reporting problems promptly.

Able to suggest practical solutions.

Willing to demonstrate the required standard personally.

Motivated to build a stronger and more professional kitchen team.

WHAT SUCCESS WILL LOOK LIKE

During the initial employment period, the successful candidate will be expected to demonstrate:

A consistently clean and safe kitchen.

Accurate temperature and food-safety records.

Reliable food labelling and date control.

Effective cross-contamination and allergen controls.

Preparation levels matched to actual demand.

Improved portion and waste control.

Documented staff induction and training.

Completion of daily, weekly and monthly cleaning.

Consistent food quality.

Fewer avoidable customer complaints.

Prompt reporting of incidents and operational problems.

Clear daily handovers.

A kitchen team that follows procedures consistently.

Reduced need for repeated intervention from the owners.

WHAT WE OFFER

Mainly daytime hospitality hours.

A permanent position with regular weekly hours.

Clear responsibilities and measurable standards.

Direct communication and support from the owners.

Authority to improve kitchen operations and staff standards.

The opportunity to develop and strengthen an established team.

A workplace committed to improving standards and recognising strong performance.

Company pension.

Staff food or employee discount in accordance with company policy.

Further professional development where agreed.

Only include benefits that the business can provide consistently.

HOW TO APPLY

Please submit your CV together with short answers to the following questions:

What type of cafe or kitchen have you previously led?

How many employees were you responsible for?

Which food-safety qualification do you currently hold?

Give an example of how you improved kitchen cleanliness, food safety or staff compliance.

Give an example of how you reduced food waste or improved preparation planning.

Describe how you managed an experienced employee who repeatedly ignored an established procedure.

Are you available to work weekends and a mixture of opening and closing shifts?

What is your notice period and earliest available start date?

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to complete:

A structured interview.

Employment and reference checks.

A paid practical kitchen assessment.

The practical assessment will consider cooking ability, organisation, food safety, communication, leadership and approach to kitchen improvement.

Applicants must have the right to work in the United Kingdom.

Pay: £14.00-£18.00 per hour

Benefits:

• Discounted or free food
• Employee discount
• Free parking
• On-site parking

Experience:

• Chef: 6 years (required)
• Kitchen management: 2 years (required)

Work authorisation:

• United Kingdom (required)

Work Location: In person