Head Chef

§  Overseeing Operations: Run and coordinate the day-to-day operations of the kitchen working with the other chefs and bakers to ensure a consistently high quality of customer service and food is delivered to every visitor, every day, ensuring that all food goes out in a timely fashion.

§  Innovation: Prepare seasonal menu choices which are driven from locally sourced ingredients, this will include seasonal daily specials, which must be financially viable

§  Purchasing: The head chef is responsible for ordering ingredients and maintaining necessary inventory

§  Training and Education: It is expected that the head chef is to build his/her knowledge, and to train and educate new chefs/apprentices.

§  Safety Regulations: All safety regulations must be adhered to by the head chef to ensure employee safety and cafe cleanliness. You must follow environmental health and health and safety regulations and ensure the kitchens are ready for inspection at any time.

§  Customer Satisfaction: The head chef is to ensure customer satisfaction and seek feedback on menu items.

§  Maintaining Quality: To be successful, the head chef must continually check the quality of the culinary product.

Other duties:

§  Work with the Catering/Visitor Services Manager to ensure the correct management of budgets.

§  Carry out daily cleaning and prepare schedules for cleaning kitchens, organizing deep cleans and annual maintenance of large pieces of equipment.

§  Report any unsafe practices or broken equipment so that remedial action can be taken immediately.

§  Promote customer loyalty and return visitors.

§  Assist to achieve Lowther Castle’s objectives in sales, service, quality, appearance and cleanliness through training and encouraging your colleagues in creating a positive, productive working environment.

§  Ensure you are fully compliant with health and safety, fire, GDPR and other relevant legislation at all times.

§  Contribute towards the delivery of hospitality and occasional events around site including the set-up, service and clear down as required.

§  Deal with customer queries or requests in a polite and efficient manner.

§  Present a smart, professional appearance and good personal hygiene.

§  Attend meetings and training sessions as required. `

§  Report any incidents of accident, fire, theft, loss or damage and act as appropriately.

§  Carry out any reasonable request from any member of the Management team within the general scope and purpose of the job.

• Extensive experience of working in a similar role
• Ability to deliver consistently high customer service with a desire for continuous improvement
• Ability to demonstrate a clear understanding of the hospitality sector. Well-rounded experience including experience of cooking in all the main sections/areas of a kitchen.

• Previous experience of compliance with health and safety, COSHH and PPE requirements
• Demonstrates good local knowledge

• Ability to cook high quality dishes consistently, demonstrating good practice in working with food hygienically.
• Excellent cooking skills.
• Experience of running and leading in a busy kitchen environment under significant pressure.
• Experience of inputting into budgets, maintaining costs and profit margins.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to communicate effectively with people of all levels.
• Excellent organisational skills and time management skills.
• Good working knowledge of basic software packages and computer literacy
• Organised and self-motivated, with a proven record for meeting targets and deadlines
• Able to perform well and remain professional whilst under pressure
• Dedicated team-player, who strives for excellence and leads by example
• Displays a smart and professional appearance, representing the visitor attraction in a positive manner
• Well-developed problem-solving skills
• Enthusiastic, with an eagerness to learn new skills and a commitment to personal continuous professional development
• High level of accuracy and attention to detail
• Self-motivated and able to work alone without direction
• Adaptable and flexible with working patterns when required
• Reasonable physical fitness and genuine passion for working in a visitor attraction

• Strong inter-personal and communication skills
• Excellent attention to detail and strong focus on standards
• Good level of organisation to ensure high levels of efficiency are achieved
• Confident, focused and resilient
• Willingness to develop through further training
• Ability to prioritise tasks during time-critical periods
• Honest, trustworthy and reliable
• Security conscious at all times

·       Able to lead a team by example.

·       Highly professional at all times.

·       Able to show sound judgment and decision making when undertaking tasks.

·       Able to quickly adapt and learn new techniques/situations.

·       Able to operate effectively on their own or as part of a team.

·       High professional and ethical standards.

·       Must be well presented and confident in speaking to customers and be customer service focussed.

·       Passionate about food with a good knowledge of current trends.

·       Calm under pressure, patient and measured.

·       Aware of their responsibilities for Health & Safety of themselves and others.

·       Exceptional team player with the ability to collaborate effectively with people at all levels

·       Ability to gain the trust and confidence of colleagues and sustain positive relationships.

• Professional Chef’s qualification or equivalent experience.
• Current level 3 Food Hygiene certificate and H&S certificate including COSHH
• GCSE (A-C) or equivalent in English and Maths, and a good general education

• Health and safety, risk assessment and COSHH awareness