Executive Chef / Head Chef
House of Bruar is looking for an exceptional talent to take our restaurant proposition to the next level in terms of innovation, service and standards.
About us
We are a five-star visitor attraction in the Highlands, welcoming nearly 2 million visitors per year. The restaurant is already one of the busiest in Scotland. We would now like it to be one of the best.
That does not mean becoming a different business. The sandwiches and the steak pie are part of why people come and they are not going anywhere. What we want is for someone to take them, and everything around them, and make them properly exceptional. Food that people plan a route around and come back for. The very Best of Scotland, in Scotland.
The job
This is for a chef who wants to develop a food offer rather than maintain one.
We currently operate a daytime service only, so there is a genuine work life balance that may not be found in a similar role elsewhere. We will, under our new Executive Chef, be looking to do events over the course of the year, so occasional evening working may come to be a small part of your role.
You own the food: what it is, where it comes from, what it says about us. Day to day service is part of your role also, with a great team with you. Your job is to set the standard they work to, build the systems that make it survive a busy August, and lift the ceiling on what this kitchen is capable of.
Put simply, we want to become a food destination without breaking the thing that already works.
What you will be doing
The food. Setting the direction and turning it into menus, specs and standards. Improving the bestsellers through better sourcing and better technique rather than replacing them. Bringing in new dishes that are distinctive and that can genuinely be delivered at our volume from our kitchen. Building a supplier story with Scottish producers that is real and shows up on the plate. Fronting the food publicly, in press, marketing and awards submissions.
The operation. Leading the brigade. Writing the specs and training that keep standards intact when the kitchen is at full stretch and a third of the team started in April. Compliance and food safety across the site. Advising us on layout, kit and capital spend as the offer develops.
The numbers. Full P&L for food, including GP, labour, waste, stock and supplier negotiation. Making the commercial case for changes: what it costs, what it returns, over what period. Forecasting against visitor patterns. Input into pricing.
The team. Building a kitchen, and a reputation as a place to work, that can pull good chefs this far north. Developing the seniors so the operation does not depend on you being in the building.
Who we are looking for
Executive Chef, Head Chef or Culinary Director level, at a standard that fits a five-star operation. You will have repositioned or elevated a food offer before and be able to show what came of it, whether that is awards, press, covers, spend per head or reputation. A credible quality background sits behind that: Rosettes, Michelin, luxury hotel or similar.
You will also have real high-volume experience. We are firm on this. Creative ability without operational realism does not work in this kitchen.
We are looking for commercial literacy, in the sense that you can build and defend a business case rather than only a menu, and for leadership experience developing senior chefs rather than running a section. Level 3 Food Safety, or willingness to take it immediately.
Helpful additions: attractions or destination restaurant experience, Scottish supplier relationships, comfort working with marketing and PR, and some experience of awards processes.
One thing more, and it matters more than any of the above. The person who succeeds here will find the problem of making a perfect sandwich for a thousand people more interesting than a tasting menu for twenty. The volume classics are not something to be tolerated on the way to somewhere better. They are the thing we want made outstanding. If that reads as a constraint rather than an opportunity, this is not the job for you.
What we can offer you
Great work/ life balance - we close at 5.30pm daily.
Healthcare after 1 year service
A company that is small enough to listen to your ideas and big enough to be able to put them into practice
A loyalty program that encourages colleagues to stay with us long term and improves with service.
Job Types: Permanent, Full-time
Work Location: In person
