Mettricks is looking for a new Head Chef to join our ranks and to be part of our small but passionate team.

Mettricks specialises in speciality coffee and fresh brunch through lunch and weekend evenings.

Build and guide a team of chefs and build consistency and quality. As an independent company, we are guided by quality values. For any chef looking to progress and advance in their career, we may be a great next move.

TITLE: Head Chef

REPORTING TO: General Manager, Head of Food

DIRECT REPORTS: Sous Chef, Kitchen Team

WORKING HOURS: As needed to fulfil role responsibilities, but normally no more than 45hr per week.

ROLE OVERVIEW:

As Head Chef you will be responsible for the overall management of the kitchen team, daily operations and delivery of KPI’s, leading a team to deliver fresh, tasty food to our customers in a timely and safe way, whilst balancing control over labour budgets and cost of goods/ wastage.

Your contagious enthusiasm for producing great quality food, using quality ingredients, along with your passion and ability to bring out the best in others will create a team that delivers time after time.

As a small business, there are lots of opportunities to contribute, get stuck in and learn skills – and feel like you have made a real difference at the end of the day

The role would be best suited to an individual who is able to demonstrate:

A relentless drive to improve the way we do business with clear prioritization skills – able to deal with complexity and ambiguity and cut through to make good decisions and recommendations

Strong and inspiring people leadership - can get the best out of others whilst maintaining focus

A passion for customer service and quality food and drink, with a keen eye for detail

A record of building strong, meaningful teams with good communication skills. Able to develop the talents of your team, from new starter to assistant kitchen manager

An engaging personality and positive and willing attitude to complete a varied work load

High levels of self motivation with a hunger for learning

Challenge and engage in appropriate, robust discussions to the benefit of the business

A good understanding of the importance of health and safety and hygiene

Key Performance Indicators:

• Kitchen revenue, Cost of Goods, Staffing Costs (%) and kitchen Gross Profit (%)
• Service and Quality Spot Checks/ audits
• Customer Feedback
• Staff Development and Discipline

OPERATIONAL/ DAY TO DAY MANAGEMENT

As Head Chef, you are responsible for all day to day aspects of the kitchen. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Be responsible for Food Safety, Health & Safety and Fire regulations within the Kitchen - ensure complete cleanliness and order of the kitchen
• Maintain food service, dish specification and quality (together with Head of Food and GM)
• Managing kitchen maintenance, to cover equipment and cleaning schedules - with support of operations manager
• Responsibility for key decisions over stock control to balance reduced wastage with availability. Responsible for all orders, PAR levels, menu availability and wastage
• Lead the kitchen team on a day-to-day basis and set and uphold expectations on kitchen staff
• Ensure minimal wastage of all products by effective supervision and accurate recording of wastage on shift
• Ensure weekly and daily tasks are completed, including opening/closing procedures
• Contribute to Mettricks menus with Head of Food and bring ideas and potential changes to their attention for review

PEOPLE MANAGEMENT

Lead and inspire through your own actions, words and behaviour. Act and present yourself professionally at all times, representing Mettricks values and leading by example.

• Managing and motivating a team to deliver fresh, tasty food in a safe, high quality way
• Ensuring team members conduct themselves in accordance with our policies, values and principles – role model these behaviours
• Taking a key role in the short, medium and long term management of our talent – recruitment, development, feedback and discipline/ grievance
• Coordinating weekly rota, holidays and ensuring hours are submitted for pay - within budget
• Recruit, develop & train a kitchen team that consistently delivers to the agreed band standards.

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

• Responsible for the financial performance of the kitchen = profit and loss. Together with GM
• Responsible for kitchen reporting, including weekly and monthly budgets for sales, wages and outgoings and kitchen maintenance budget

COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT

• Proactively communicating and developing a comms plan to ensure your team and site management get clear, timely information
• Clearly communicate in a timely and appropriate manner with front of house teams e.g. wait times, availability. Support your wider kitchen team to prioritise this
• Develop regular updates on key projects and work streams
• Create a culture of open communication with the team, updating colleagues on business performance, new initiatives and other pertinent issues

Skills and qualities required:

• Takes responsibility for self-initiated learning, training and development
• Is enthusiastic, proactive, service orientated, well presented and punctual
• Undertakes and completes the designated and appropriate training modules
• Has a love and passion for coffee, food and high standards of service
• Able to recognise staff successes as well as challenge poor performance or inappropriate behaviour
• Wants to progress with Mettricks and advance the company and brunch culture in SouthamptonMETTRICKS VALUES AND PRINCIPLES:

CULTURE EATS STRATEGY FOR BREAKFAST

Speak up courageously - HONEST & OPEN

- We openly and constructively share and talk about our concerns, ideas & Mettricks values.

- We don’t gossip – we talk upfront with goodwill and honest intentions.

• We commit to working with the best of intentions, aim to communicate with clarity and support each other avoid ambiguity
• We think before we speak. What is our intention? How do we best help ensure the right thing happens

Listen & Learn - CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

• Our business is built on “doing better”, through continuous learning & improvement.
• We are at our best when we’re constantly searching for ways to do better.
• Listen to each other with respect and an eagerness to understand; we share openly, listen without prejudice and learn from our mistakes.

See something, do something - don’t just stand by - ENGAGED & PROACTIVE

• Be accountable & take ownership of your actions & for our environment
• We treat others & our space with care, integrity – just as you want to be treated.
• We win together & lose together, as a team.

- But, Fast is better than slow - we get stuff done

- Perfect is the enemy of good

Do things right, even when nobody is looking - QUALITY & PRIDE

• We take pride in a quality job – even when nobody is looking.
• We work smart, but we don’t cut corners. Efficient but not lazy
• We always and reliably try to do the right thing

Make their day - HOSPITALITY & OPTIMISM

• We are in the business of small moments that make others’ day – whether that’s our customers or colleagues.
• It’s our power to create small moments every day, from the warmest welcomes, always being present, the biggest smiles in Southampton and going the extra mile to make everybody feel welcome &appreciated.
• We act with compassion when life happens – but try to be our best selves at work always.

Be Yourself, But Be Your Best Self - AUTHENTIC

• We like personality at Mettricks. But, we are also united in our mission to create memorable hospitality moments and tasty food and drink. That means putting on a show for our customers, even on the days we have to choose to.

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Pay: From £28,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Discounted or free food
• Employee discount

Schedule:

• Day shift
• Monday to Friday
• Night shift
• Weekend availability

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Lyndhurst (Hampshire): reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (preferred)

Experience:

• Cooking: 3 years (preferred)

Work Location: In person

Reference ID: Head Chef Lyndhurst