Head Chef

Head Chef / Kitchen ManagerJob Summary We are seeking an experienced, hands-on, and highly driven Head Chef / Kitchen Manager to lead one of our kitchens at Todo Tacos or Patty Shack at The Mad Giant Food Hall , located in the newly opened Animate Building in Preston Town Centre .

This is a senior kitchen leadership role for someone who can run service, lead people, protect standards, and build a fast, disciplined, high-performing kitchen. The successful candidate will take full ownership of day-to-day kitchen operations, food quality, prep standards, food safety, staffing, stock control, and service execution in a busy hospitality environment.

You will play a major role in shaping kitchen culture, maintaining consistency under pressure, and helping drive the continued growth of the brand.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the kitchen team on a daily basis, including shift organisation, delegation, coaching, and performance management.
• Oversee all food preparation, cooking, and presentation to ensure consistency, quality, and speed of service.
• Maintain excellent food safety, hygiene, allergen awareness, labelling, storage, temperature control, and cleaning standards at all times.
• Take responsibility for prep systems, service flow, close-down standards, and overall kitchen readiness.
• Train and develop team members in food preparation, cooking methods, station setup, equipment use, food safety, and service expectations.
• Manage stock levels, ordering, deliveries, wastage, portion control, and kitchen organisation to protect margin and reduce avoidable loss.
• Work closely with ownership and management on menu development, recipe consistency, seasonal changes, specials, and operational improvements.
• Monitor service closely, resolve problems quickly, and keep the kitchen calm, organised, and productive during busy trading periods.
• Collaborate effectively with front-of-house teams to ensure a strong customer experience and smooth service execution.
• Create a positive but accountable kitchen culture built on urgency, teamwork, discipline, communication, and standards. Experience and Skills Required
• Proven experience in a senior kitchen leadership role such as Head Chef, Kitchen Manager, or Senior Sous Chef .
• Strong background in high-volume hospitality, restaurant, street food, fast-casual, or food hall environments.
• Excellent knowledge of food preparation, cooking methods, kitchen organisation, and service management.
• Strong people management skills with the ability to lead, motivate, and develop a team.
• Good commercial awareness, including stock control, portion control, ordering, wastage reduction, and labour discipline.
• Able to perform under pressure while maintaining consistency, pace, and food quality.
• Strong communication skills and a professional, solutions-focused attitude. Essential Requirements
• Level 3 Food Hygiene certificate required
• Allergy awareness training required
• Strong knowledge of HACCP, cross-contamination prevention, safe food handling, temperature control, storage, and labelling
• Reliable, punctual, organised, and able to lead by example Desirable
• Experience with menu development and launch support
• Experience in kitchen systems, prep management, and service improvement
• Previous experience opening or stabilising kitchens in a fast-paced trading environment What Success Looks Like
• Services run smoothly, quickly, and consistently
• Food quality and presentation remain strong at all times
• Food safety and allergen controls are maintained properly and documented accurately
• The team is trained, accountable, and working at the right pace
• Stock is controlled, waste is reduced, and margins are protected
• The kitchen is organised, disciplined, and capable of handling peak periods confidently Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
• Pay: £26,236.81-£46,412.73 per year

Benefits:

• Company pension
• Discounted or free food
• Employee discount
• On-site parking Work authorisation:
• United Kingdom (preferred) Work Location: In person