Job Advert
We are looking for an experienced, passionate and talented Head Chef to lead the Kitchen team at Midlands Arts Centre (MAC). This is an exciting opportunity to oversee a varied food and hospitality operation in a unique arts venue, offering an excellent work-life balance with a 37.5-hour week and 33 days' annual leave.
Based in the beautiful surroundings of Cannon Hill Park, you'll lead the kitchen, delivering fresh, seasonal food for KILN café, our bar and a wide range of events.
Job Description
Job Purpose
Lead and manage Midlands Arts Centre's daily kitchen operations, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, fresh and seasonal food across all catering outlets and events. Deliver an excellent customer experience by maintaining a skilled and motivated kitchen team, planning and scheduling staffing to meet operational needs, implementing robust financial controls and ensuring full legal and regulatory compliance.
Operational
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Lead daily kitchen operations from the pass, ensuring consistent delivery of food to a high standard whilst maintaining excellent cleanliness and organisation across the kitchen and all back-of-house areas.
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Develop fully costed, menus aligned with MAC’s vision, values, and food strategy. Ensure they remain profitable and include clear allergen, dietary and preparation information for all dishes.
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Oversee timely and efficient ordering and management of all required stock, including non-kitchen items, ensuring full menu availability while minimising wastage.
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Manage staff scheduling to ensure the kitchen is always adequately staffed and costs remain in line with budget.
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Respond professionally and in a timely manner to any customer feedback received.
People
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Support the training and development of the back-of-house team by implementing structured onboarding processes, effective training materials and ongoing development opportunities.
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Manage back-of-house HR, covering recruitment, timesheets, leave, appraisals and performance. Ensuring fair, consistent and policy-compliant processes.
Financial & Administration
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Manage catering budgets and performance to meet financial targets, using management accounts and systems to monitor results, address variances and optimise margins. Analyse sales and negotiate supplier pricing to ensure a profitable food offer.
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Maintain and manage all operational kitchen systems e.g. Navitas Food Safety, Opus Compliance Cloud.
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Manage stock control administration by checking invoices to confirm deliveries, ensure products are correctly coded and prepare paperwork and stock for monthly stocktakes.
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Ensure accurate monthly stocktakes take place.
Compliance
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Implement and manage all responsibilities outlined in MAC’s Food Safety Management System, ensuring full compliance in the kitchen and back-of-house areas enabling MAC to maintain a 5* EHO food rating.
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Manage responsibility for Health & Safety in the kitchen and back-of-house areas. Ensure training and records are up to date, risk assessments and daily checklists are maintained and all maintenance issues, accidents and near misses are promptly logged and followed up.
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Ensure the back-of-house team are always ‘fit to work’ and have adequate uniform to carry out their duties.
Other Duties
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To incorporate MAC’s Green Group Action Plan into kitchen activities.
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Implement MAC’s Environmental Policy and consider how this role can contribute to MAC’s sustainability goals.
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To further, promote and ensure the implementation of the equal opportunities, diversity, safeguarding and health & safety policies of MAC.
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Any other duties which may reasonably be required to support cross-organisational needs
Person Specification
Core (You should meet most of these requirements)
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Proven experience managing a complex and high-volume kitchen operation over several years.
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Experience managing budgets and profit & loss (P&L), with the ability to monitor financial performance and implement cost controls.
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Skilled in negotiating supplier pricing to achieve cost efficiencies.
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Strong leadership and people management skills, including team development, performance management and staff scheduling.
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Experience in stocktaking and inventory control.
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Extensive product and ingredient knowledge, with a strong understanding of dietary and allergen considerations.
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Well-informed on current food trends and innovations.
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Strong knowledge of food safety principles e.g. HACCP
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Proficient verbal and written English.
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Can demonstrate excellent modern cooking techniques and presentation skills.
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Strong leadership and training capabilities.
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Outstanding communication skills, with the ability to remain calm and lead effectively under pressure.
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Ability to work in a fast-paced kitchen environment
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Excellent organisation and planning skills.
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Genuine passion for high-quality food and exceptional service.
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Proven ability to build trust, motivate and inspire teams.
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Commercially astute, with a solid understanding of business operations.
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Excellent personal hygiene standards.
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Highly focused on customer satisfaction and audience engagement.
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Proactive, solutions-oriented approach to problem-solving.
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Dedicated to promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion across the team and food offering.
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Passionate about sustainable and ethical produce.
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Availability to work flexibly to the needs of the business including evening and weekend work.
Desireable (You should meet some of these requirements)
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Level 3 – Managing Food Safety
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Level 3 – Managing H&S and/or IOSSH
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Professional Cookery qualifications such as City & Guilds diplomas, BTEC, HND or a Foundation degree in Culinary Arts
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Experience managing kitchens across a variety of settings, including cafés, coffee shops, bars and commercial event catering.
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Experienced in implementing and managing a Food Safety Management System (FSMS).
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Experience with fresh pizza preparation
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IT literate, with experience using sales data to evaluate and improve financial performance.
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Knowledge of H&S principles including COSHH.
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A creative mindset with an interest in a variety of art forms.
Equal Opportunities & Diversity
All staff are expected to further, promote, and ensure the implementation of, the equal opportunities and diversity policies of MAC.
We are committed to creating an inclusive environment where individuals of all backgrounds, identities, and abilities feel valued, respected, and empowered to contribute their best work. We are also committed to ensuring our people are a reflection of the communities we serve. We ensure that our recruitment and promotion processes are fair and open to all.
Note
This job description outlines the principal responsibilities and duties of the post holder. It is not meant to be, nor is it, an exhaustive list of specific responsibilities and duties. The post holder will be expected to undertake any other duties which could reasonably be expected as being within the remit of the post and which arise out of changes in legislation, regulations, orders, rules and working practices, methods and procedures and reviews, as directed from time to time.
Whilst we recognise the development of AI in the modern workplace, we would encourage you to take the time to complete your application without the use of AI; no generative AI tool can create the personal touch that you can inject into your own application.
How to Apply
To apply for this post please follow the link below to our Hireful application system and follow the application process, ensuring you answer all questions.
Deadline
Applications can be received at any time until midnight on 1 August 2026. Please be aware that applications will be assessed on a rolling basis and we may close this vacancy before the stated deadline. We strongly advise you to submit your application as early as possible.
Shortlisting
Shortlisted candidates will be notified of the outcome of their application between the time they submit their application and the application deadline.
Interviews
To be arranged with short-listed candidates. Please note this will be a two part interview process with an in person interview which if successful will lead to a practical assessment in the kitchen.
