Sous Chef / Kitchen Lead
LOCKES Bar & Restaurant
Covent Garden (primary) · Clapham Junction (occasional)
£ 18 per hour guaranteed base + service charge (typical earnings £20–22ph)
Full-time · Permanent · Early starts from 6:30am
4.8 ★ Google · 4.9 ★ TagVenue · Independent & owner-operated
Salary
£18ph guaranteed + service charge (typically £20–22ph total)
Contract
Full-time, Permanent
Primary site
32 Great Queen Street, Covent Garden, London WC2B 5AA
Second site
11–13 Battersea Rise, Clapham Junction, SW11 1HG
Start time
6:30–7:00am for 8am breakfast service
Reporting to
Owner / General Manager
Required
Food Safety / Hygiene Level 3 (essential)
Apply to
[email protected]
Who We Are
LOCKES is an independent, family-owned cocktail bar and pizza restaurant in the heart of London’s West End. Rated 4.8 stars on Google across 800+ reviews and 4.9 on TagVenue, we’ve built one of Covent Garden’s most welcoming venues — two floors, two bars, a proper kitchen, and a team that genuinely cares about every guest.
We’ve recently opened a second site on Battersea Rise in Clapham Junction, and both are growing. Behind LOCKES is a founder with 30 years of hospitality experience and 40 successful site openings. This isn’t a faceless group — it’s owner-operated, decisions are made fast, and the right person will have real influence over what comes out of the kitchen.
The Opportunity
This is a kitchen leadership role with genuine creative input. You’ll be based primarily at Covent Garden with occasional shifts in Clapham, running a small kitchen team across breakfast, lunch and evening service.
Right now we serve a brilliant breakfast from 8am and an Italian-inspired menu of Neapolitan sourdough pizzas, sharing boards and small plates. We’re ready to go further. We want to develop a lunch and evening food offer alongside our existing menu — and we want the right person to help build it.
If you’ve got solid kitchen leadership experience, a genuine love of food and the kind of attitude that makes a team better just by being in it, we want to hear from you.
What You’ll Be Doing
– Leading a small kitchen team across breakfast, lunch and evening service
– Helping develop and introduce a new lunch and dinner menu alongside our existing pizza offer
– Maintaining consistently high food quality, presentation and hygiene standards at all times
– Managing prep, ordering and stock control — keeping the kitchen running cleanly and efficiently
– Covering key shifts across Covent Garden (primary) and Clapham Junction (occasional)
– Jumping in wherever the team needs you — we’re a small, tight operation and everyone plays their part
What We’re Looking For
– Solid experience leading a small kitchen team — comfortable holding the pass and developing the people around you
– Food Safety / Hygiene Level 3 — essential, non-negotiable
– Experience with breakfast service — we open at 8am, early starts are part of the role
– Ideally some experience with Italian, pizza-focused or Mediterranean menus — though not essential
– A genuine team-player — no egos, no drama, happy to do whatever the shift needs
– Someone excited by the idea of building something, not just maintaining it
Why Join Us
– Work directly alongside a founder with 30 years’ experience and 40 site openings — you’ll develop fast
– Real creative input into a new food offer from day one — this is your menu to help shape
– £18ph guaranteed base + service charge — typical total earnings £20–22ph, competitive with much larger operations
– Two strong central London locations with loyal regulars and great teams
– A proper independent — no corporate layers, decisions made quickly, your voice heard
– 4.8 Google / 4.9 TagVenue — we’re proud of what we’ve built and we’re not done yet
The Detail
Salary: £18 per hour guaranteed base + service charge. Typical total earnings £20–22 per hour.
Contract: Full-time, Permanent. Probation period applies.
Hours: Early starts required. Kitchen opens at 6:30–7:00am for 8am breakfast service. Shifts across both sites.
Holiday: 28 days per year including bank holidays.
Right to work: You must have the right to work in the UK. Checks will be carried out before employment commences.
Travel: Covent Garden is your primary base. Clapham Junction shifts are occasional. Travel between sites is by public transport (approx. 35–40 minutes).
How to Apply
Send your CV and a few lines about yourself to:
[email protected]
We read every application and aim to respond within 5 working days.
LOCKES is an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from all backgrounds.
Pay: From £18.00 per hour
Experience:
- Kitchen management: 2 years (preferred)
Licence/Certification:
- Level 3 Food Hygiene Certificate (required)
Work authorisation:
- United Kingdom (required)
Work Location: In person
