Head Chef- Kents Hill Park

Full-Time | Permanent | Up to £50,000 + Excellent Benefits

We’re looking for a Head Chef who wants to make their mark.

This is a brilliant opportunity to take the reins of the kitchen at Kents Hill Park Training and Conference Centre and put your own stamp on the food, the team and the overall guest experience.

We’re looking for an ambitious, creative and hands‑on Head Chef who loves great food, enjoys leading from the front and knows what it takes to deliver consistently brilliant service in a busy hospitality environment with breakfast lunch and dinner being served from our food hub along with private dinning and banquets.

You’ll have the opportunity to shape our culinary offer, develop a talented kitchen team and work closely with the General Manager and wider leadership team to take the food experience at Kents Hill Park to the next level.

And because we’re part of Levy UK & Ireland, you’ll have plenty of opportunity to develop your career, share ideas and make a real impact across a much bigger hospitality business.

Kents Hill Park is part of The Venues Collection, a group of five unique venues across the UK offering everything from meetings and conferences to celebrations and overnight stays.

With flexible spaces largest holding 600 delegates, a diverse range of events and guests, and plenty happening throughout the year, no two days in our kitchen are quite the same.

As Head Chef, you’ll be at the heart of the operation, leading the kitchen team and making sure every dish that leaves the pass delivers on quality, creativity and consistency.

• Lead, inspire and develop the kitchen brigade, creating a positive and high-performing team environment.
• Take ownership of the culinary offer, bringing your own creativity, personality and ideas to our menus.
• Create food that looks as good as it tastes, using fresh, quality ingredients and keeping ahead of food trends.
• Adapt your approach to suit a broad range of guests and occasions, from conferences and meetings to weddings and special events.
• Work closely with the General Manager and senior leadership team to continually
• improve the food and guest experience.
• Take a commercial approach to the kitchen, managing budgets, food costs, labour and waste without compromising on quality.
• Champion sustainability and play an important role in helping us achieve our wider environmental goals.
• Make sure the kitchen operates to the highest standards of food safety, hygiene and compliance.
• Embrace technology, including online food ordering, food waste management and menu planning systems.
• Be hands‑on during service and lead by example when things get busy.

We’re looking for someone who is confident, creative and calm under pressure — a chef who can take charge of a busy kitchen but still gets excited about what’s going on the plate.

• Proven experience as a Head Chef or senior Sous Chef ready to take the next step.
• A genuine passion for fresh ingredients, great cooking and creating memorable food experiences.
• A strong track record in a quality hospitality environment.
• A natural ability to lead, motivate and develop a kitchen team.
• Creativity and confidence to bring your own style and ideas to the menu.
• A guest‑first approach and the ability to adapt your offer across different types of events and occasions.
• Strong commercial awareness, including food costs, labour, waste and budgets.
• Excellent food safety and hygiene knowledge.
• A hands‑on approach and the resilience to thrive in a busy environment.
• The flexibility to work around the needs of the business, including weekends and key service periods.

This isn't a 9–5 kitchen role —…