Location: Near Biggar, South Lanarkshire
Hours: Full-time, predominantly daytime hours, including weekends
Salary: Competitive, dependent on experience
Errington’s Barn is an independent farm shop, café and visitor destination situated on our family farm near Biggar.
Food is at the heart of what we do. Our kitchen has direct access to award-winning farmhouse cheeses made using milk from our own sheep and goats, alongside meat produced on the farm and high-quality seasonal ingredients from trusted local suppliers.
We want to create food that is generous, distinctive and firmly connected to the farm: excellent breakfasts and brunches, seasonal lunches, baking, cheese-led dishes and memorable visitor experiences.
We are now looking for an experienced Head Chef who can help us develop the kitchen into a consistently excellent, well-organised and commercially successful operation.
This is an opportunity for a skilled and creative chef to work with ingredients that are genuinely unusual and special.
Our cheeses include Lanark Blue, Corra Linn, Elrick Log and Blackmount, giving the successful candidate the chance to develop dishes around ingredients produced only a short distance from the kitchen.
You will also work with meat from the farm, seasonal vegetables and carefully selected Scottish produce.
We are looking for someone who combines creativity with discipline. The right person will enjoy developing new ideas but will also understand that a successful kitchen depends on consistency, preparation, accurate costing, strong systems and a team that knows exactly what is expected.
The role will suit a chef who wants to make a meaningful contribution to a growing independent food business rather than simply maintain an existing menu.
Develop and deliver a distinctive seasonal menu that reflects the farm, our cheeses and our own meat.
Create attractive breakfast, brunch and lunch dishes with broad customer appeal.
Make intelligent use of seasonal ingredients while controlling waste and protecting gross profit.
Develop signature dishes that strengthen the identity and reputation of Errington’s Barn.
Contribute ideas for future evening events, supper clubs, tastings and visitor experiences.
Support the development of takeaway, retail and prepared-food products where commercially appropriate.
Maintain consistently high standards of flavour, presentation and portioning.
Introduce new dishes through structured trials, full costing, written recipes and team training.
Lead the kitchen team calmly, professionally and positively.
Set clear standards and ensure they are followed consistently.
Plan prep and service so that the kitchen can operate efficiently during both busy and quieter periods.
Produce rotas that reflect forecast sales and agreed staffing budgets.
Train and develop kitchen team members, including less-experienced chefs and kitchen assistants.
Communicate effectively with the General Manager, front-of-house team and business owners.
Create a culture of accountability, teamwork, respect and continuous improvement.
Cost all dishes accurately and work to agreed gross-profit targets.
Control purchasing, stock levels, portion sizes and food waste.
Order from agreed suppliers and make the best possible use of ingredients produced on the farm.
Maintain accurate stock records and participate in regular stocktakes.
Review menu performance using sales, margin and customer-feedback information.
Understand that creativity must be supported by financial awareness and operational practicality.
Identify opportunities to increase covers, average spend, repeat visits and food-related retail sales.
Take full responsibility for food safety, kitchen hygiene and allergen management.
Maintain accurate HACCP, temperature, cleaning, traceability and date-labelling records.
Ensure food is stored, prepared, cooled, frozen and disposed of correctly.
Maintain excellent standards of cleanliness and organisation throughout the kitchen and storage areas.
Ensure the kitchen is ready for service, inspection and handover at all times.
Protect the reputation of the business through honest, transparent and professional working practices.
You will be an experienced chef with strong practical ability and the confidence to lead a small kitchen.
You will understand that an independent rural hospitality business requires flexibility, resourcefulness and a willingness to be involved in every part of the kitchen operation.
You should have:
Significant professional kitchen experience, ideally at Head Chef, Sous Chef or Kitchen Manager level.
A strong understanding of seasonal British or modern European cooking.
Experience developing and costing menus.
Excellent food-safety, hygiene and allergen knowledge.
The ability to organise prep, ordering, service and staffing effectively.
Strong commercial awareness, including gross profit, waste and labour control.
The ability to write clear recipes, prep lists and kitchen procedures.
A calm and constructive approach to leading a team.
Pride in consistency and attention to detail.
A genuine interest in cheese, farming, provenance and Scottish food.
We are particularly interested in candidates with a growth mindset.
This means someone who:
Welcomes feedback and is willing to review and improve their work.
Looks for solutions rather than reasons something cannot be done.
Understands the importance of agreed systems and follows them consistently.
Can balance personal creativity with the wider needs of the business.
Takes ownership of problems and follows actions through to completion.
Communicates early when support or a decision is required.
Is ambitious for the business, the team and their own professional development.
Recognises that reliability, organisation and discipline are as important as culinary creativity.
Experience in baking would be a significant advantage.
This could include:
Bread and breakfast rolls.
Cakes, traybakes and pastries.
Pies, tarts, quiches and savoury bakes.
Products suitable for takeaway or sale through the farm shop.
However, we would also welcome a chef who is keen to strengthen their baking skills as the role develops.
The role is predominantly daytime-based, reflecting the main opening hours of the farm shop and café.
Weekend work will be required.
As the business develops, there may also be occasional evening work for supper clubs, private events, seasonal dinners or special experiences. These will normally be planned in advance rather than forming part of a regular late-night restaurant schedule.
The opportunity to work with exceptional cheese and meat produced on our own farm.
Genuine creative input into the future direction of the food offering.
Predominantly daytime working hours.
The chance to build a recognisable farm-to-table menu and kitchen identity.
A supportive working relationship with the owners and management team.
Staff discount at Errington’s Barn.
Opportunities to contribute to events, tours, tastings and new product development.
Professional development and relevant training.
A role with the potential to grow as the business expands.
During the first year, the successful candidate will have:
Established a clear and distinctive seasonal food offering.
Improved consistency across preparation, presentation and service.
Introduced fully costed recipes and reliable kitchen systems.
Developed a positive, accountable and well-trained kitchen team.
Improved stock control and reduced avoidable food waste.
Built strong working relationships across the wider business.
Helped increase customer satisfaction, repeat visits and food sales.
Created several recognisable dishes that celebrate Errington’s cheese, meat and farm identity.
Please apply with your CV and a covering letter explaining:
The type of food you most enjoy creating.
Your experience of leading and developing a kitchen team.
An example of how you have improved the organisation or commercial performance of a kitchen.
What interests you about working with ingredients produced on our own farm.
