Head Chef – Retreat East, Suffolk
Up to £55,000 + bonus + tips | OTE up to £61,000 per annum
Lead the next chapter of food at Retreat East.
Set in the heart of the Suffolk countryside, Retreat East is a beautifully restored rural retreat bringing together exceptional stays, dining, spa experiences, weddings and events.
We are looking for an experienced and ambitious Head Chef to take ownership of our kitchen and help shape the next chapter of food at Retreat East.
This is not simply a role maintaining an existing operation. There is a genuine opportunity to make your mark; developing our food identity, evolving our menus, building a strong kitchen team and creating an offering that gives guests another reason to visit Retreat East – and return.
Our food operation is varied. From dining in The Great Barn to weddings, private events and seasonal experiences, no two weeks necessarily look the same. We are looking for a Head Chef with the experience, creativity and commercial understanding to bring those different elements together, while delivering consistently high standards throughout.
The opportunity
We want Retreat East to be known as much for its food as it is for its setting.
Our approach should celebrate great ingredients, seasonality and provenance, with confident, beautifully executed dishes that feel at home in the Suffolk countryside.
As Head Chef, you will have the opportunity to influence that direction.
You will take responsibility for the entire kitchen operation, from menu development and supplier relationships to recruitment, training, food GP and labour management. You will work closely with the wider leadership team to develop the food offering while ensuring the kitchen operates efficiently, commercially and consistently.
This is very much a hands-on leadership position. We are looking for someone who wants to be in the kitchen, leading their brigade and setting the standard.
What you'll be responsible for
- Leading, motivating and developing the kitchen team
- Creating and evolving seasonal menus across our food offering
- Delivering consistently high standards across restaurant service, weddings, events and private dining
- Championing quality, seasonal and locally sourced produce wherever possible
- Building strong relationships with suppliers and producers
- Taking ownership of food GP, labour and overall kitchen performance
- Managing ordering, stock control, wastage and kitchen budgets
- Recruiting, training and developing a talented and engaged brigade
- Maintaining excellent food hygiene, allergen management and kitchen standards
- Working collaboratively with the wider Retreat East team on events, experiences and new commercial opportunities
- Creating a positive kitchen culture built around professionalism, creativity, consistency and pride
About you
We are looking for someone with proven senior-level experience within a high-quality food operation.
You will already be working as a Head Chef or Senior Sous Chef, with a strong track record within a quality hotel, destination restaurant, luxury hospitality venue or established food-led operation.
This is not a first senior kitchen management position. Retreat East is a diverse operation and our Head Chef should arrive with the experience, confidence and credibility to lead the kitchen from day one.
You will be able to demonstrate:
- Current or recent experience as a Head Chef or Senior Sous Chef
- Experience within a high-quality, recognised hospitality or food-led operation
- Strong kitchen leadership and experience developing a successful brigade
- A genuine understanding of seasonality, provenance and excellent produce
- Experience delivering consistently high standards across busy services
- Strong commercial awareness, including food GP, labour, stock control and wastage
- The ability to manage different styles of service and varying levels of volume
- Excellent organisation and attention to detail
- Creativity combined with the commercial discipline required to run a successful kitchen
Experience within a multi-faceted operation incorporating restaurant dining, weddings, events or luxury hospitality would be particularly valuable.
Above all, we are looking for a chef with ambition; someone who has already established themselves within a quality operation and is ready to take ownership of something with real potential.
Why Retreat East?
Retreat East is more than a restaurant and more than a traditional hotel.
Our Suffolk estate brings together individually designed barns and accommodation, The Great Barn, spa experiences, weddings, celebrations and events – all surrounded by the countryside that inspires what we do.
For the right Head Chef, that creates an exciting opportunity.
You won't be joining us simply to follow someone else's formula. We are looking for someone who can bring experience, ideas and personality to the kitchen and help us create a distinctive food offering with its own identity.
There is plenty to build on, but also plenty of room to evolve.
Our ambition is to create something that our guests talk about, our team is proud of and that establishes Retreat East as a genuine food destination in Suffolk.
The package
Up to £55,000 per annum, depending on experience
48 hours per week
Performance-related bonus
Tips
OTE up to £61,000 per annum
If you are an experienced Head Chef or Senior Sous Chef with a background in quality hospitality and the ambition to lead the next chapter of food at Retreat East, we would love to hear from you.
Please apply with your CV and a short introduction outlining your current role, the style of operation you currently work within and what interests you about the opportunity at Retreat East.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: Up to £55,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company events
- Company pension
- Discounted or free food
- Employee discount
- Free parking
- On-site gym
- On-site parking
Application question(s):
- Do you have your own transport to reach the site?
- Do you have previous experience working in a Hotel Kitchen?
Experience:
- Kitchen management: 4 years (preferred)
Work Location: In person
