Kitchen Lead / Experienced Café Chef

We are looking for a strong, reliable and experienced Kitchen Lead / Experienced Café Chef to join a busy café in Hemel Hempstead.

This is an important role for someone who takes pride in food quality, hygiene, organisation and consistency. We are improving and strengthening our kitchen operation, and we are looking for someone who can lead by example, maintain high standards and help build a more professional kitchen team.

The ideal candidate will have solid experience in a café, restaurant, breakfast/brunch kitchen or similar fast paced food environment. You must be confident working under pressure, preparing food quickly and consistently, and ensuring that every dish leaves the kitchen hot, correct, well presented and safe to serve.

Main Responsibilities

• Lead daily kitchen service during breakfast, brunch and lunch periods.
• Prepare, cook and present food to a consistently high standard.
• Make sure orders are served hot, complete, correct and on time.
• Maintain excellent hygiene, cleanliness and food safety standards at all times.
• Organise prep properly before busy service periods.
• Follow and improve systems for labelling, date marking, stock rotation and kitchen records.
• Control portion sizes to maintain consistency and protect business costs.
• Monitor waste and help reduce unnecessary loss.
• Support fridge, freezer and dry store organisation.
• Help with stock checks and communicate shortages clearly.
• Train and support other kitchen team members to follow the correct standards.
• Work professionally with front of house staff to improve customer service.
• Stay calm, focused and solutions driven during busy periods.
• Take responsibility for kitchen standards and help create a positive, accountable team culture.

Requirements

• Minimum 3 4 years' experience in a café, restaurant, brunch kitchen or similar food business.
• Strong cooking skills and confidence running a busy kitchen service.
• Experience with breakfast, brunch, grill, deli, lunch or café style food is highly desirable.
• Strong understanding of food hygiene, allergens, cleaning standards and safe food handling.
• Level 2 Food Safety required.
• Level 3 Food Safety / Supervising Food Safety strongly preferred.
• Experience with portion control, waste control, prep planning and stock rotation.
• Reliable, punctual and able to work to a high standard without constant supervision.
• Able to lead by example and communicate clearly with the team.
• Positive attitude, strong work ethic and willingness to help improve the business.
• Must have the right to work in the UK.

What We Are Looking For

• Clean, organised and consistent.
• Fast but careful during service.
• Serious about hygiene and food safety.
• Confident enough to lead, but humble enough to work as part of a team.
• Able to take responsibility and solve problems.
• Focused on serving food that customers want to come back for.
• Comfortable working in a business where standards are taken seriously.

What We Offer

• A key role in a busy café in Hemel Hempstead.
• Daytime café working hours.
• Opportunity to help shape and improve the kitchen team.
• Clear standards, structure and support from ownership.
• Long term opportunity for the right person.
• Competitive pay based on experience, reliability, attitude and performance.
• A workplace where strong performers are valued and recognised.
• Company pension.
• Discounted or free food.
• Employee discount.
• Flexible schedule.
• On site parking.