Michelin Restaurant Star jobs in Hertfordshire

Head Chef — £44–47K inc. tronc + £5K bonus potential

We are looking for an accomplished Head Chef, or a Senior Sous Chef ready to step up, who has helped run a brigade to a high standard, understands all areas of kitchen management and service standards, and drives success through training, developing and supporting a highly engaged team. Either a Michelin-level chef looking to bring detail to an upmarket, casual, fun and forward-thinking brand; an experienced Head Chef from a larger group looking to move away from late nights and join a smaller team, be more hands-on and have more influence on the growth of the business; or a strong Senior Sous Chef who is ready for a kitchen of their own.

There is real scope for the role to grow across both sites, and potentially into a group-level Executive Chef position, as the business develops, and we would hope that you would find a career that will offer growth, new openings and the opportunity to have a sense of ownership.

We are accomplished restaurateurs now supporting forward-thinking, values-led, independent brands that we feel offer genuine career development opportunities in their growth plans.

The Opportunity:

You'd come in as Head Chef of the group's main site in South London — the bigger, busier and later-opening of two restaurants, with a private dining room, a large outdoor terrace and events coming in. Once the kitchen is running your way, the ambition is for the role to grow beyond Herne Hill, with the potential to step up to Executive Chef across both sites, including the group's established daytime restaurant in North London.

You work closely with one of the company directors, who leads menu concepts — you bring the execution: spec, cost, plate, and train the team to deliver it. Both menus are due a refresh, so there is real creative room here. You're on the pass when it's busy; around a quarter of your week is admin — rotas, ordering, costings — and the rest is training, being on site and looking after the team. You report to the Operations Director.

The hours are built for a life outside the kitchen. You get two days off together every week, and Sunday, Monday and Tuesday evenings are yours. The main kitchen closes at 21:45 Wednesday to Saturday, so in a normal week you'll only be finishing late twice — usually between 9 and 10pm. The daytime site closes at 16:00. For the right person, there is genuine long-term progression as the group grows.

The Business:

Two independent London restaurants, one founder-led group. Latin American influence, a great bar and cocktail list, DJ and music nights — a fun, lively place in a residential neighbourhood, away from the pressure of the West End. The food has to be genuinely good, fresh and cooked properly; it is never trying to chase stars. The systems are in place — MarketMan, Square, KDS and Tenzo — and your bonus targets for food GP, labour and customer are tracked live in Tenzo, week by week.

You must be:

* An experienced Head Chef, or a Senior Sous Chef ready for the next step, with a strong track record in quality independent or group kitchens

* Creative, or genuinely interested in creative work — and very good at plating

* A natural trainer who can lift a junior team's skills and standards

* Collaborative — someone with ideas who enjoys working them through with others, not a kitchen alpha * Comfortable with the numbers: labour, GP and stock

Be able to:

* Lead an established team of four (you make five) — two of them have been there since the site opened, and there are no gaps to fill — building their plating, consistency and confidence

* Take concepts from the product director and turn them into dishes — spec'd, costed and trained in

* Hit the three bonus targets: food GP, labour and customer — tracked live in Tenzo

* Run your own rotas, ordering and costings on MarketMan and Square

* Hold the standard on the pass in the busiest services, and support events and private dining

* Over time, oversee the daytime site too — including a menu refresh and making better use of its kitchen

About you:

* You have built your career thoughtfully, developing role to role and staying long enough to show real results

* You are an exceptional communicator and lead through training and mentorship

* You care about process and standards, and you know how to improve them without making a kitchen miserable

* Latin American cooking experience would be a real plus — but not essential

* You might be an older, wiser Head Chef looking for a settled, creative kitchen, a Senior Sous Chef ready to run your own pass, or someone ready for a challenge — perhaps your first London role, or moving on from fine dining pressure

* You have taken the time to apply to this opportunity and feel that this is the next natural step in your development

Look forward to supporting you.

Speak Soon

Adam

This role may also be known as: Area Chef, Group Head Chef, Head of Kitchens, Chef Manager, Multi-Site Head Chef, Senior Kitchen Manager, Kitchen Operations Manager, Working Head Chef, Hands-On Kitchen Manager, Food Operations Manager, Working Area Chef, Senior Chef, Senior Sous Chef (ready to step up), Executive Chef (small group), Kitchen and Ops Manager, or Multi-Site Kitchen Lead. If you have been searching under any of these titles, we want to hear from you.

INDMGT

Pay: £44,000.00-£52,000.00 per year

Application question(s):

• You have read through the opportunity and feel that your previous experience demonstrates your competency in what we are looking for?

Experience:

• head chef from a known high street brand: 3 years (required)

Work Location: In person