Kitchen ManagerThe Cafe at Kirkleatham Museum
Salary: Negotiable (dependent on experience)
Hours: 40 hours per week, worked over 5 days on a rota basis, including regular weekend working.
Location: The Cafe at Kirkleatham Museum, Redcar
About Us
The Cafe at Kirkleatham Museum is a popular and thriving destination café, serving freshly prepared food and refreshments to visitors throughout the year. Alongside our busy daytime trade, we deliver private functions, seasonal events, community activities and bespoke catering opportunities.
We are seeking an experienced and motivated Kitchen Manager to lead our kitchen operation. This is an exciting opportunity for someone who is passionate about food quality, enjoys leading a team, and can help drive the continued growth and success of the café.
The Role
As Kitchen Manager, you will take overall responsibility for the day-to-day running of the kitchen, ensuring exceptional food quality, efficient service, excellent hygiene standards and strong operational performance.
You will lead and support the kitchen team, oversee stock management and ordering, maintain compliance with food safety regulations, and work closely with the wider management team to deliver an outstanding customer experience.
This is a hands-on role requiring strong leadership, organisation and the ability to perform under pressure in a busy hospitality environment.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead, motivate and develop the kitchen team
- Oversee the day-to-day operation of the kitchen
- Prepare, cook and present food to a consistently high standard
- Support menu development, seasonal specials and food innovation
- Manage stock control, ordering and supplier relationships
- Monitor food costs, waste and kitchen profitability
- Ensure compliance with all food hygiene, allergen and health & safety legislation
- Maintain exceptional standards of cleanliness, organisation and food safety
- Plan staffing requirements and support rota management where required
- Work closely with front-of-house teams to deliver an exceptional customer experience
- Support the delivery of catering for private events, functions and seasonal activities
- Drive continuous improvements across kitchen operations and service standards
Essential Requirements
- Previous experience in a Kitchen Manager, Head Chef or Senior Kitchen Supervisor role
- Strong leadership and team management skills
- Excellent food preparation and cooking abilities
- Thorough understanding of food hygiene, allergen management and kitchen safety procedures
- Experience managing stock control, ordering and supplier relationships
- Ability to work effectively under pressure in a fast-paced environment
- Strong organisational and communication skills
- Commercial awareness with an understanding of food costs and waste management
- Ability to work independently and take ownership of kitchen performance
- Availability to work weekends as part of a rota
- Flexible approach to supporting events and seasonal activities
Desirable
- Level 3 Food Hygiene Qualification
- Experience within cafés, hospitality venues or event catering operations
- Experience developing menus and food offers
- Knowledge of gross profit management and kitchen budgeting
Benefits
- Competitive salary dependent on experience
- Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
- Staff food discount
- Company pension scheme
- Opportunities for professional development and progression
- Supportive and friendly working environment
- Opportunity to play a key role in a growing and ambitious business
- Holiday over Christmas period
Apply Now
If you are an experienced kitchen professional looking to take ownership of a busy and successful café kitchen, we'd love to hear from you.
Please submit your CV together with a covering letter outlining your relevant experience and suitability for the role to [email protected]
Job Type: Part-time
Pay: From £16.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Discounted or free food
- Free parking
Experience:
- Chef: 1 year (preferred)
- Catering: 1 year (preferred)
- Cooking: 1 year (preferred)
- Kitchen experience: 1 year (required)
Work Location: In person
