Sous Chef
Victoria Square Hotel is looking for an experienced, passionate and motivated Sous Chef to join our growing kitchen team.
This is an exciting opportunity for a talented chef who takes pride in producing high-quality food, enjoys working with fresh seasonal ingredients, and is ready to take an important leadership role within an ambitious independent hospitality business.
Our restaurant, The Orangery at Victoria Square, is proud to hold an AA Rosette for Culinary Excellence and is currently the only AA Rosette-accredited restaurant in Stirling.
We are looking for someone who shares our passion for consistently high standards and who can work closely with our Head Chef to lead the kitchen team, develop our food offering and help us continue to raise standards as the business grows.
Role Details:
Position: Sous Chef
Location: Victoria Square Hotel, Stirling
Hours: 40 hours per week
Salary: Starting from £35,000 per year, dependent upon experience
Job type: Full-time, permanent
Schedule: Working across a rota including weekdays, evenings and weekends
About the Role:
As Sous Chef at Victoria Square Hotel, you will work closely with the Head Chef and play a key role in the day-to-day leadership and operation of our kitchen.
Working within an AA Rosette-accredited kitchen, you will help ensure consistently high standards of food preparation, cooking and presentation while supporting and developing the wider kitchen team.
You will be confident leading service, managing the kitchen in the Head Chef's absence and ensuring that the team remains organised, motivated and focused on delivering an excellent experience for every guest.
Alongside the operational responsibilities of the role, we want our Sous Chef to have a genuine input into the continued development of our menus and food offering. You will have the opportunity to contribute ideas, work with seasonal ingredients and help shape the future direction of The Orangery.
This is an important position within our kitchen team and an excellent opportunity for an ambitious chef who wants to develop their leadership skills and progress their career within a growing hospitality business.
Key Responsibilities:
- Support the Head Chef in the day-to-day running of the kitchen
- Lead the kitchen team and manage service confidently in the Head Chef's absence
- Prepare, cook and present dishes to a consistently high standard
- Maintain and help develop the standards expected of an AA Rosette-accredited kitchen
- Ensure consistency, quality and presentation across all dishes leaving the kitchen
- Help organise daily preparation and ensure the kitchen is fully prepared for service
- Lead by example during busy services, maintaining a calm, positive and professional kitchen environment
- Support, train and develop Chef de Parties and junior members of the kitchen team
- Assist with the development of seasonal menus, dishes and presentation
- Work closely with the Head Chef on portion control, food costs and gross profit
- Assist with ordering, stock control, stock rotation and effective management of ingredients
- Help minimise food waste while maintaining excellent quality standards
- Ensure food safety, hygiene, allergen management and kitchen cleanliness standards are maintained at all times
- Help ensure all kitchen procedures and food safety requirements are followed consistently
- Communicate effectively with the kitchen and front-of-house teams
- Help create a positive working environment where team members can develop and perform at their best
- Maintain consistently high standards across all areas of the kitchen
- Deliver an exceptional guest experience through excellent food and attention to detail
About You:
We are looking for someone who has:
- Previous experience as a Sous Chef, Junior Sous Chef or experienced Chef de Partie ready to take the next step
- Strong food preparation, cooking and presentation skills
- Experience working within a quality-focused professional kitchen
- Confidence leading a kitchen team and taking responsibility for service
- The ability to manage the kitchen confidently in the Head Chef's absence
- A genuine passion for producing high-quality food
- Strong attention to detail and pride in presentation
- A good understanding of food costs, stock management, portion control and waste reduction
- A strong understanding of food hygiene, allergens and kitchen safety
- Good organisation and time management skills
- The ability to remain calm, organised and positive during busy services
- Strong communication and leadership skills
- A positive, reliable and professional attitude
- An interest in training and developing junior members of the kitchen team
- Flexibility to work across a rota including evenings and weekends
- A desire to contribute ideas and help develop our menus and food offering
- Ambition to continue developing their skills and progressing within the business
Experience working within an AA Rosette, Michelin-listed or similar high-quality kitchen environment would be advantageous, but is not essential for the right candidate.
What We Offer:
- Starting salary of £35,000 per year, dependent upon experience
- 40-hour working week
- Full-time, permanent position
- Tips in addition to salary
- Annual bonus opportunity
- Workplace pension
- Access to salary sacrifice schemes
- Employee discounts across our wider property portfolio, Juniper Rentals
- The opportunity to work within Stirling's only AA Rosette-accredited restaurant
- The opportunity to play an important role in the development of our menus and food offering
- Genuine responsibility and the opportunity to help lead and develop the kitchen team
- Career growth and development opportunities
- The opportunity to develop your management and leadership experience
- A supportive and growing independent hospitality business
- The chance to join Victoria Square Hotel during an exciting period of development and growth
Schedule:
This is a full-time position working 40 hours per week across a rota.
The role will include a mixture of weekday, evening and weekend shifts depending on the needs of the business.
As Sous Chef, you will work closely with the Head Chef to ensure appropriate leadership and kitchen coverage across services.
We believe in maintaining a well-organised, professional and positive kitchen environment where our team can develop their skills while consistently delivering the high standards our guests expect.
Apply:
If you are an experienced Sous Chef, Junior Sous Chef or ambitious Chef de Partie looking for your next opportunity and would like to develop your career within an AA Rosette-accredited kitchen, we would love to hear from you.
Please apply with your CV and a brief introduction telling us about your experience, your approach to food and kitchen leadership, and why you would like to join the team at Victoria Square Hotel.
Pay: £35,000.00-£38,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Employee discount
Experience:
Work authorisation:
- United Kingdom (required)
Work Location: In person
