Smiths of Smithfield
Head Chef Designate
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Head Chef Designate Smiths of Smithfield
Full Time
1 Year Experience
£43,500 / Year
Skills
- Menu Development
- Food Safety
- Food Preparation
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Description
About Us
Smiths of Smithfield is a unique four-floor hospitality venue combining restaurants, bars, private dining, and events under one roof. Located in the heart of Farringdon, directly opposite the historic Smithfield Market, each floor has its own identity and kitchen, from the premium The Grill and seafood-led No.3 Rooftop to the lively Ground Floor Bar.
With multiple kitchens and a wide variety of service styles, Smiths offers chefs the opportunity to work within a large, diverse, and fast-paced Central London operation.
The Head Chef Designate Opportunity
We are looking for an ambitious and driven Head Chef Designate to join the Smiths of Smithfield kitchen team as part of a structured development opportunity within the wider Young's estate. The successful candidate will spend their first three months working and training at Smiths of Smithfield, gaining experience within a large, multi-faceted Central London kitchen operation before taking on their own pub as Head Chef.
The three-month placement is designed to provide a strong foundation in the key skills required to successfully lead a Young's kitchen. Working alongside experienced senior chefs, you will develop your knowledge and confidence across kitchen leadership, menu delivery, team development, food safety, stock management, GP control, ordering, labour management, and commercial performance.
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You will be expected to be hands-on throughout the programme, becoming fully immersed in the day-to-day operation while developing the leadership and organisational skills required to run your own kitchen.
Your Next Step
At the end of the three-month development period, you will take on your own kitchen within the Young's estate, with responsibility for leading your team, delivering consistently high food standards, and managing the overall kitchen operation. This is an opportunity for a chef who is ready to make the transition into their first Head Chef role but wants the support, training, and experience of a larger operation before taking that next step.
We are looking for someone who is passionate about food, commercially aware, organised, and confident leading a team, with the ambition to build a successful career within Young's.
What We Offer Our Head Chefs
- Full autonomy to create your own menus and specials
- Access to our Apprenticeship Scheme and Development Programmes
- Access to regular culinary masterclasses covering topics such as Game, Butchery, and Shellfish
- Access to inspirational food trips with our top quality suppliers
- Regular Chef Forums with other Head Chefs to inspire and develop
- Free meals
- 20% discount in all Young's Pubs and 30% discount on overnight stays in our Pubs with Rooms
- Share save Scheme
- Enhanced Company Pension Scheme
- 28 Days Holiday per year
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What We Look for in a Head Chef
- This role requires someone that can inspire a team, bring out the potential, and lead by example while being able to develop, cost, and produce fresh seasonal menus for the variety of revenue streams within the business.
- Experience championing excellent service through quality food either as a Head Chef or in the position of Sous Chef.
- A passion for leading and developing a team.
- Be an active hands-on team player with excellent communication skills.
- Responsible and able to manage the kitchen staff rota, training, and all health and safety effectively at all times.
- Demonstrate creativity and ability to design and deliver new dishes for our menus and daily specials.
- Great planning and organisational skills, necessary to maintain effective controls with regard to both GP and labour.
- A proactive approach to driving sales and delivering growth through engagement with both kitchen and front of house teams.
Open - a month left ( Exp. on Thu, 05 Nov 2026 )
67-77 Charterhouse St, London EC1M 6HJ, UK
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