Job Description

Job description

Job description

Overview

About us

A New Dining Concept SONA Restaurant & Terrace in Socialite Canterbury.

Season-by-Season, Morning-to-Moonlight.

The ideal candidate will possess strong leadership skills, a deep understanding of seasonal produce, production and preparation, and a commitment to maintaining high standards of food safety. As the Jr Sous Chef, you will play a pivotal role in supporting the senior kitchen team with menus, supervising kitchen operations, and ensuring that our standards are meet daily.

The Role

We are seeking an experienced and passionate Jr Sous Chef to support the kitchen team with this new opening

You will be responsible for working closely with the Chef Patron and team to develop the concept, menus, service style and event options. Bringing creative flair, exceptional team-building qualities and strong leadership skills, you will be at the helm of this of this kitchen space but should also be expected to work with your fellow Chefs across the business for private events, pop ups (home and away), and lots more besides. There will be plenty to get your teeth into.

Your main responsibilities will include:

Operations & Service

Overall responsibility for daily operations in the kitchen, working with other Chefs in the business to organise resources. Control and direct the food preparation process e.g. ensure sections are ready and all MEP is correct for service. Develop and produce innovative and appealing menus/recipes, concepts and new dishes (collaborating with Chef Patron as required) alongside accurate costings. Oversee and ensure menu consistency, delivering high quality products within set times frames. Quality control of all produce that is made within the kitchen and prep area meets the expected standards of our guests. Work closely with our Chef Patron to set and maintain impeccable food standards and service excellence across restaurant, lounges, and events offerings. Determine food inventory needs, stocking and ordering. Daily briefings with BOH & FOH Management and teams to discuss the daily business, upcoming events, special guests, dietary requirements, specials and operational challenges. Run pre-service briefings and tastings, training, supplier visits etc to develop your team and help the FOH team sell and showcase your dishes confidently to our guests. Work with the events teams to organise tastings, special menus etc. Build strong, positive relationships with your BOH and FOH colleagues.

People/Team

Identify and recruit talent to the team in line with Company policy and procedures and ensure all team members are inducted into the team with a good understanding of their role and of the Company Values. Lead, inspire and motivate the team to achieve stability, increased productivity and employee loyalty and engagement. Ensure that team members receive regular performance appraisals, dealing with performance issues promptly, training and development is in place and rewarding good performance. Ensure regular communication/briefing meetings are taking place with the wider team. Accurate scheduling of your team to reflect business levels and to ensure you are working within budget. With the Senior Chef(s) mentor, coach and develop the junior team fostering a culture of excellence. Delegate tasks and provide guidance to maintain a smooth and efficient kitchen operation/service. Foster a positive and collaborative environment encouraging teamwork and creativity Deputise for the Chef Patron in their absence as required.

Financial Management & Compliance

Ensure to deliver budget /GP as set by Chef Patron e.g.maintain the budgeted food cost and actively seek ways to improve profitability. Collaborate with Suppliers to source high quality ingredients and maintain strong relationships with suppliers. Oversee management of inventory /stock (including stock counts/takes and rotation) and food cost control, ensuring efficient use of resourcing and minimising wastage. Ensures high level of personal hygiene, grooming and uniform standards of the kitchen team. Compliance & Maintenance Actively participate in the regular kitchen walk through and address any concerns immediately. Ensures equipment and fixtures are maintained well and report any faults and damage. Ensure a consistent focus on allergens management. Ensure team members adhere to health and safety regulations, food hygiene standard sanitation practices, ensure clean and safe kitchens in line with statutory and Company standards. Ensure team members adhere to H&S, COSHH and HACCP policies and any other Company policy and procedure. Ensure full adherence to the licence operating requirements which always require compliance.
This job description reflects the present requirements of the post and should not be seen as an exhaustive list of responsibilities. Duties and responsibilities may develop and change in consultation with line management.

The skills and experience which will help you succeed in this role

Proven experience as a Jr Sous/Senior Sous in similar business-luxury /high end F&B environment Culinary qualifications and relevant certifications in food safety and hygiene.E,g NVQ Level 3 or Degree in Culinary Arts, Level 2 Food safety and Level 2 Health and Safety in the Workplace Award, Awareness of Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH) and chemical safety and manual handling techniques Excellent knowledge of all sections with experience of kitchen equipment Exceptional creativity and passion for culinary arts with ability to produce excellent high-quality food Strong leadership and team management skills with the ability to nurture talent within the team Competent level of English spoken and written with a good level of numeracy You will need to be an excellent communicator with great organisational skills Ability to work well under pressure and meet tight deadlines. An eye for detail, with the ability to look ahead and pre-empt issues or challenges Enthusiasm to develop your own skills and knowledge, plus those around you Adaptability to change and willingness to embrace new ideas and processes Ability to work unsupervised and deliver quality work Positive and approachable manner Ability to manage food production and food and team costs. Strong network within hospitality industry to support us in our recruitment needs Flexibility to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as required
Job Type: Full-time

Pay: Based on experience

Additional pay:

Bonus scheme Tips
Benefits:

Company events Company pension Discounted or free food Employee discount Paid volunteer time
Schedule:

Weekend availability
Experience:

Cooking: 5 years (preferred) Jr Sous Chef: 3 years (preferred)
Work Location: In person

Job Types: Full-time, Zero hours contract

Pay: 28,000.00-38,000.00 per year

Additional pay:

Performance bonus Tips
Benefits:

Company events Company pension Discounted or free food Employee discount Referral programme
Schedule:

Day shift Every weekend Monday to Friday Night shift Overtime Weekend availability
Experience:

Jr Sous/Sous: 3 years (preferred)
Work Location: In person

Application deadline: 30/06/2025

Reference ID: jr sous new opening

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent, Zero hours contract

Pay: 23,624.79-37,711.79 per year

Additional pay:

Tips Yearly bonus
Benefits:

Company events Company pension Discounted or free food Employee discount Referral programme
Schedule:

Day shift Every weekend Monday to Friday Weekend availability
Work Location: In person

Application deadline: 30/06/2025
Reference ID: srsous
Expected start date: 06/07/2025