Head Chef
Salary: £40,000–£42,000 per year (depending on experience)
Job Type: Full-time, Permanent
Location: Bourne Valley Inn, St Mary Bourne, Hampshire SP11 6BT
Live-in Accommodation Available
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About Bourne Valley Inn
Bourne Valley Inn is an independent countryside pub with rooms, renowned for its warm hospitality, quality food and beautiful rural setting. Our business includes restaurant dining, weddings, private events and seasonal celebrations.
We are looking for an experienced, creative and passionate Head Chef to lead our kitchen and play a key role in shaping the future of our food offering.
This is an exciting opportunity for someone who enjoys creating exceptional food, leading a professional kitchen team and driving continuous improvement.
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Key Responsibilities
As Head Chef, you will take full responsibility for the overall management of the kitchen, ensuring consistently high food quality, excellent operational standards and an outstanding guest experience.
Your responsibilities will include:
* Leading, motivating and developing the kitchen team.
* Designing and developing seasonal menus.
* Creating high-quality traditional British dishes.
* Developing modern Asian and fusion-inspired dishes.
* Designing menus for weddings, private dining and special events.
* Maintaining exceptional food presentation, consistency and quality.
* Managing food cost, GP, stock control, purchasing and waste reduction.
* Recruiting, training and developing kitchen staff.
* Ensuring full compliance with HACCP, food safety legislation and company procedures.
* Preparing for and maintaining excellent Environmental Health Officer (EHO) standards.
* Driving continuous improvement to achieve and maintain the highest Food Hygiene Rating.
* Working closely with the management team to enhance guest satisfaction and support business growth.
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Essential Requirements
Applicants must have previous Head Chef experience.
The successful candidate will have:
* Proven experience as a Head Chef in a quality pub, restaurant or hotel.
* Extensive experience in traditional British cuisine.
* Proven experience in Asian cuisine and modern fusion menu development.
* Strong creativity with the ability to develop seasonal and innovative menus.
* Experience catering for weddings, private events and large functions.
* Excellent leadership, communication and people management skills.
* Strong knowledge of HACCP, food safety legislation and kitchen compliance.
* Experience preparing for Environmental Health Officer (EHO) inspections.
* Experience in improving or maintaining a 5-Star Food Hygiene Rating is highly desirable.
* Strong understanding of food cost control, GP, stock management and labour cost management.
* Commercial awareness with the ability to improve profitability through menu innovation.
* Ability to maintain exceptional standards in a fast-paced hospitality environment.
* A genuine commitment to long-term development and continuous improvement.
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What We Offer
* Competitive salary of £40,000–£42,000, depending on experience.
* Live-in accommodation available.
* Company pension.
* Staff meals whilst on duty.
* Staff discount.
* Free on-site parking.
* Supportive and professional working environment.
* Long-term career opportunity.
* Creative freedom to develop menus and introduce new ideas.
* Opportunity to build, lead and develop your own kitchen team.
* Immediate start available.
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Why Join Bourne Valley Inn?
At Bourne Valley Inn, we are committed to delivering exceptional food and memorable hospitality.
We are looking for a Head Chef who is not only passionate about cooking, but who can also lead a successful kitchen, inspire a team, develop innovative menus and continuously improve standards.
This role offers the opportunity to make a genuine impact by helping shape the future of our kitchen, enhancing our food offering, improving food hygiene standards and supporting the continued growth of our business.
If you are looking for a long-term opportunity where your experience, creativity and leadership can make a real difference, we would love to hear from you.
Pay: £40,000.00-£42,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Discounted or free food
- Employee discount
- Free parking
- On-site parking
Work Location: In person
