Five Bells is a beautiful country pub near Newbury with a loyal local following, our own on-site microbrewery, and rooms for guests to stay. The business is run by chef-owner Duncan, whose career has taken him from five-star ski chalets in Val d'Isère to Marco Pierre White's Yew Tree Inn and private dining for royalty, and today that pedigree goes into good, honest pub food made from scratch with locally sourced ingredients.
We're looking for a talented Senior Chef de Partie ready to step up, or a Junior Sous Chef looking for a kitchen where they'll genuinely develop. This is a chance to cook proper food from scratch, learn directly from an experienced chef-owner, and grow with a kitchen that takes its craft seriously.
What You'll Be Doing
- Running your own section with confidence and consistency across busy services
- Stepping up to support the Head Chef and lead the kitchen in their absence
- Cooking fresh, seasonal dishes from scratch to a high and consistent standard
- Helping to develop and mentor junior members of the kitchen team
- Keeping on top of prep, mise en place, and section organisation
- Maintaining strict food safety, allergen, and hygiene standards at all times
- Supporting stock control, ordering, and minimising waste in line with our sustainability commitment
- Working closely with Duncan and the team to keep raising the bar on what we serve
What We're Looking For
- Solid experience as a Chef de Partie, ideally in a food-led pub, restaurant, or quality kitchen, and ready for more responsibility
- A genuine passion for fresh, seasonal, scratch cooking
- Confidence running a section under pressure and helping to lead a service
- Strong understanding of food safety, allergens, and kitchen hygiene
- A hard-working, reliable attitude and a real willingness to learn and grow
- The ability to support and bring on more junior chefs
- Own transport recommended as we're in a village location
What You'll Get
- £14-£15 per hour dependent on experience
- Circa £3,000–£4,000 tronc
- Retention bonus paid after initial period of employment
- Private medical insurance with Bupa, rarely offered in hospitality and something we're proud to provide
- Freshly cooked team meals on shift
- 28 days holiday, rising with length of service
- Your birthday off
- Company pension
- Staff food and employee discounts, plus a friends and family discount
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Funded training to support your development and on the job learning directly from an experienced chef-owner
- Real opportunities to grow as the kitchen and business grow
To be right for this role you'll need solid experience as a Chef de Partie ready to step up, or existing Junior Sous experience, with a real passion for fresh, scratch cooking and the drive to develop.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: From £14.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Discounted or free food
- Employee discount
- Free parking
- On-site parking
Application question(s):
- Do you drive or have access to a vehicle?
Experience:
- Kitchen: 2 years (required)
Language:
Work authorisation:
- United Kingdom (preferred)
Work Location: In person
