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Sous Chef – Kitchen Supervisor

French Cuisine & Pâtisserie

MARIAGE FRÈRES | Covent Garden, London | Full-Time

An exciting opportunity to join a prestigious French Maison in a hands-on kitchen leadership role, combining French cuisine, pâtisserie, team management and the discovery of tea gastronomy with predominantly daytime working hours.

Founded in Paris in 1854, MARIAGE FRÈRES is an internationally renowned luxury tea house, celebrated for its French heritage, exceptional collection of over 1,000 teas and pioneering approach to tea gastronomy.

Our landmark Covent Garden flagship brings together our Tea Boutique, Tea Room & Restaurant, Terrace and Private Dining, offering a distinctive experience combining fine teas and tea-inspired French cuisine.

We are looking for a talented, versatile and hands-on Sous Chef – Kitchen Supervisor to take responsibility for the daily operation of our London kitchen, lead a small culinary team and ensure the consistent delivery of the Maison's established culinary standards.

The Opportunity

This is not a conventional Sous Chef position within a large kitchen brigade. It is a fully hands-on kitchen management role within a small culinary team, combining cooking, production, team leadership and daily operational responsibility.

As the most senior chef based in London, you will be responsible for the daily organisation, management and smooth running of our kitchen, working actively alongside your team throughout preparation, production and service.

You will be accountable for the organisation, training, development and performance of your kitchen team, including staff scheduling, holiday planning and involvement in recruitment.

This opportunity will particularly appeal to an ambitious Junior Sous Chef or experienced Senior Chef de Partie ready to progress, as well as an established Sous Chef seeking greater responsibility within a smaller kitchen operation.

We are especially interested in chefs with a strong background in savoury cuisine, complemented by practical skills in pâtisserie and desserts, who can confidently contribute across both areas of our culinary offering.

Our restaurant offers a distinctive approach to French cuisine, where tea is an integral part of the culinary experience, inspiring savoury dishes, fine pâtisserie, Afternoon Tea and creative food-and-tea pairings.

You will have the opportunity to develop specialist knowledge of tea gastronomy, cooking with tea and food-and-tea pairing, drawing on the Maison's exceptional expertise.

Working closely with our Operations Manager, UK Management and the F&B and culinary teams in Paris, you will implement the Maison's established recipes and culinary standards while contributing practical ideas for the continued development of our UK offering.

What You'll Do

Kitchen Operations & Team Leadership

• Lead and supervise daily kitchen operations while actively participating in preparation, cooking, production and service.
• Take responsibility for the organisation, management, development and performance of a small kitchen team.
• Contribute to recruitment, staff training, scheduling and holiday planning, ensuring effective kitchen coverage and operational continuity.
• Prepare and deliver our French-inspired savoury menu, lunch service and Afternoon Tea offering.
• Faithfully execute MARIAGE FRÈRES' established recipes, preparation methods, culinary techniques and presentation standards.
• Finish, assemble and present fine pâtisserie to the Maison's established specifications.
• Produce and oversee a complementary selection of cakes, desserts and petits gâteaux.
• Organise daily mise en place, production planning, stock requirements and service coordination.
• Maintain consistently high standards of food quality, flavour, presentation, portioning and operational efficiency.
• Manage ordering, deliveries, stock control, food costs and wastage.
• Ensure compliance with HACCP, food safety, allergen management, hygiene and Health & Safety requirements.
• Work closely with Front of House and support Private Dining, Afternoon Tea, events and seasonal activities.

Culinary Development & Tea Gastronomy

• Develop specialist knowledge of the Maison's teas, tea-inspired cuisine, culinary applications and food-and-tea pairing.
• Ensure the consistent execution of established menus, recipes and presentation standards.
• Identify opportunities to improve production efficiency, consistency and kitchen organisation.
• Contribute practical and creative ideas for savoury dishes, seasonal offerings and locally produced pâtisserie suited to the UK market.
• Collaborate with UK Management and the Paris F&B team on culinary initiatives, with all new dishes and menu developments subject to Paris Headquarters' approval.

Working With Paris

The MARIAGE FRÈRES culinary identity, menus, recipes, preparation methods and presentation standards are established and approved by our Paris Headquarters.

Your primary responsibility will be to faithfully implement and maintain these standards while managing the daily operations, production and performance of our London kitchen.

Creativity and initiative are encouraged, and you will have the opportunity to contribute culinary ideas and practical recommendations in collaboration with UK Management and the Paris F&B team.

About You

We welcome applications from experienced Sous Chefs, ambitious Junior Sous Chefs and strong Senior Chefs de Partie ready to take the next step.

You will bring:

• A strong professional background in savoury cooking, ideally French cuisine, complemented by practical experience or training in pâtisserie and dessert preparation.
• The versatility and confidence to work across savoury cuisine, Afternoon Tea, pastry finishing and the production of cakes and desserts.
• Experience supervising, training and developing junior chefs.
• The confidence to manage daily kitchen operations and lead a small team without constant supervision.
• Excellent organisational skills, attention to detail and a disciplined approach to following established recipes and culinary standards.
• Commercial awareness, including food costs, stock control, portioning and waste management.
• Sound knowledge of HACCP, food safety, hygiene and allergen management.
• Creativity and initiative, with the ability to develop and present practical culinary ideas.
• A genuine interest in discovering tea gastronomy, cooking with tea and food-and-tea pairing.
• A positive, reliable, professional and genuinely hands-on attitude.
• Fluent professional English and the right to work in the UK.

French language skills are a strong advantage, given the Maison's French heritage and close collaboration with our Paris Headquarters and culinary teams. However, French is not essential for this position.

Previous specialist tea knowledge is not required. Training and guidance will be provided to develop your understanding of the Maison's teas, their culinary applications and food-and-tea pairing principles.

Working Hours & Lifestyle

Our London kitchen operates predominantly during the daytime, offering an attractive alternative to the regular late-night finishes often associated with traditional restaurant kitchens.

This is a full-time position of 40 paid working hours per week, normally spread across five days, with unpaid breaks.

While shifts are predominantly scheduled during the daytime, flexibility is required to work within our operational scheduling window of 6:30 am to 11:00 pm, including weekends, Bank Holidays, seasonal periods and Private Events. Working days and hours may vary according to business requirements.

What We Offer

• Predominantly daytime working hours.
• A key kitchen leadership position within an internationally recognised French luxury Maison.
• Genuine responsibility for managing our London kitchen and developing a small culinary team.
• Close collaboration with our culinary and F&B teams in Paris.
• The opportunity to develop specialist expertise in tea gastronomy, cooking with tea and food-and-tea pairing.
• The opportunity to contribute creative ideas to the development of our UK culinary offering.
• Competitive remuneration plus tronc.
• Private medical insurance following successful completion of the probationary period, subject to eligibility.
• Travel allowance.
• Meal allowance.
• Company pension scheme.
• Employee discount.
• Company uniform provided, with complimentary professional dry cleaning.
• 20 days' annual leave plus 8 Bank Holidays.
• Comprehensive tea, product and culinary training.
• Professional development and career progression opportunities.

Join MARIAGE FRÈRES

Whether you are ready to progress into your first Sous Chef position or are an experienced chef seeking a rewarding, hands-on kitchen leadership role with meaningful responsibility and predominantly daytime working hours, we would be delighted to hear from you.

Join us in delivering exceptional French cuisine, exploring the world of tea gastronomy and contributing to the continued development of MARIAGE FRÈRES in London.

Job Types: Full-time, Contract, Permanent

Benefits:

• Company pension
• Discounted or free food
• Employee discount
• Store discount

Experience:

• Kitchen management: 3 years (preferred)
• Kitchen: 5 years (preferred)

Language:

• French (preferred)
• English (required)

Work authorisation:

• United Kingdom (required)

Work Location: In person