Head Chef – Lead Kitchen Team

About the role

Midlands Art Centre (MAC) is seeking a dedicated Head Chef to lead its kitchen operations across the restaurant, bar and event catering services. You will be responsible for delivering high‑quality food, maintaining safety standards and supporting a talented back‑of‑house team.

Key responsibilities

• Plan, prepare and oversee daily kitchen output, ensuring consistency, quality and cleanliness.
• Develop fully costed menus that align with MAC’s vision, include allergen information and remain profitable.
• Manage stock control, ordering and supplier negotiations to minimise waste and maintain menu availability.
• Create and maintain staff rotas, ensuring adequate coverage while keeping labour costs within budget.
• Coach, train and onboard kitchen staff, handling recruitment, performance reviews and HR administration.
• Monitor financial performance, analyse sales data and adjust pricing to meet budget targets.
• Ensure compliance with food safety legislation and internal systems such as Navitas Food Safety and Opus Compliance Cloud.

Required profile

• Proven experience leading a kitchen team in a hospitality or catering environment.
• Strong knowledge of food safety regulations and best practice.
• Ability to develop cost‑effective menus and manage budgets.
• Excellent organisational and leadership skills.

Required skills

• Navitas Food Safety system
• Opus Compliance Cloud

What we offer

• 37.5‑hour work week spread over 5 days.
• 33 days of annual leave.
• Competitive salary of £35,894 per year.
• Supportive environment with opportunities for professional development.