Job Description

Head Chef (Ruthven Ln, West End)

Salary: Highly competitive package based on experience, plus performance-linked KPI bonus

Lead the Kitchen. Shape the Brand. Build the Legacy.

This is a rare opportunity to take the lead in one of Scotland's most anticipated independent restaurant launches.

Kochchi, Scotland's award-winning Sri Lankan brand, is expanding from its acclaimed Bonnie & Wild kitchen in Edinburgh to a full-scale restaurant and bar in Glasgow's West End. We're now looking for a Head Chef with the leadership, creativity, and commercial instinct to define the next chapter.

We're after a culinary leader who can think strategically, lead with calm authority, and express creativity through complex, spice-driven flavours. Someone who understands balance, depth, and the artistry of layering ingredients to create food that tells a story.

The Role

You'll take full ownership of a new, high-performance kitchen, leading everything from pre-opening development to menu innovation and team culture.

You will:

- Build, train, and inspire a skilled team built on respect, precision, and pride

- Lead with consistency and composure, ensuring every service runs with purpose

- Develop bold, flavour-forward menus that celebrate spice, balance, and creativity

- Manage kitchen performance from GP and stock to training and structure

- Collaborate closely with the founders to shape systems, brand standards, and long-term growth

- Take a hands-on role in the pre-opening phase, influencing layout, equipment, and plating design

This is a leadership role for a chef who thrives on both creativity and control -- someone who can balance artistry with operational excellence.

What We're Looking For

We're not just hiring a chef; we're seeking a leader with taste, discipline, and ambition.

You'll likely have:

- Proven experience as a Head Chef or Senior Sous Chef in a premium-casual or concept-led restaurant

- A deep understanding of complex spice and flavour profiles, and how to use them creatively and cohesively

- A calm, fair, and structured leadership style that motivates teams to perform at their best

- Strong commercial awareness, balancing creativity with cost control and consistency

- The ambition to grow with a brand that's expanding nationally

What You'll Gain

- The chance to lead one of Scotland's most exciting new restaurant launches

- Creative autonomy and direct collaboration with Kochchi's founders

- KPI-linked performance bonuses,

- Long-term growth opportunities, including progression to Group or Executive Chef

- A culture built on respect, precision, and pride, where great leadership is celebrated

About Kochchi

Kochchi celebrates the art of flavour, where spice meets precision and street soul meets modern craft. What began as a food truck to a small kitchen at Bonnie & Wild has grown into one of Scotland's most celebrated independent food brands.

Our mission is simple: to share honest, bold, unforgettable food, and build kitchens where creativity and discipline work hand in hand.

This isn't just a restaurant role. It's a leadership opportunity to shape a kitchen, a team, and a brand that's redefining how the UK experiences modern flavour.

Job Type: Permanent

Pay: From 40,000.00 per year

Benefits:

Discounted or free food Employee discount Free fitness classes Relocation assistance UK visa sponsorship
Work Location: In person