Head Chef - Sunderland

We are looking for a passionate and knowledgeable Head Chef to join our team!

About us

Arena Racing Company does so much more than lead the UK's largest horse racing group. We have 21 racing venues showcasing horse racing, greyhound racing, golf courses, hotels and events. In short, leisure, entertainment, media production and global distribution are at the heart of what we do, making it an exciting and diverse place to work!

Our success is a team effort which is why we offer great opportunities for growth, development and career progression. After all, it's our employees that enable us to offer first class service and create an electric atmosphere, all within an industry we love.

What is ARC? We embrace diversity, We develop our people, We care for our visitors, We think about our impact, We are proud of our sport

Work Perks of being a Head Chef

• Annual passes to attend any of our 21 venues
• Discounted food & ARC days out
• Cycle to work scheme
• Holiday allowance increasing with length of service up to 28 days
• Company life assurance scheme
• Discretionary group annual bonus schemes to reward your hard work
• Support with study through our study assistance schemes

And so much more

About the role:

This is a multi-site role that oversees all back-of-house catering operations across both Sunderland and Newcastle Greyhound Stadium, including kitchens, snack bars, and event catering. You will manage chefs, trainees, and porters (full-time, casual & agency), ensuring high food quality, cost control, and full compliance with hygiene, health & safety, and HACCP standards. You will lead food preparation for race days and non-race day events, maintain strong staff relations, and travel regularly between sites. A flexible work pattern is required to support race days (on-site or remote), EVH functions, and other events.

Responsibilities of a Head Chef (please see attached Job Description for further details)

• Budgeting & Purchasing: Collaborate with the Catering & Operations Manager and Head Office (Purchasing, Food Safety, Nutrition, and Environmental teams) to meet revenue, GP, and cost targets. Monitor spend, explain variances, and ensure purchases stay within agreed parameters and nominated supplier agreements.
• Stock & System Management: Oversee and maintain the Indicater catering system, ensuring full use across finance reporting, stock control, menu planning, allergen tracking, and unit-level spend monitoring. Coordinate regular stock takes and ensure accurate reporting.
• Food Safety & Compliance: Implement and monitor the Company Food Safety Management System, ensuring compliance with all EHO, HACCP, and legal standards across all units. Oversee documentation, temperature checks, pest control, and hygiene procedures. Lead training in food safety and ensure allergen information is current and correctly displayed.
• Menu & Quality Control: Ensure all menu specs from Head Office are followed consistently. Maintain food quality and presentation from preparation to service, controlling portion sizes, reducing waste, and supporting GP targets. Assist in menu planning and accommodate special dietary or client requests where possible.
• Operations & Planning: Plan kitchen operations based on function sheets for race and non-race day events. Manage ordering and distribution of food, disposables, and chemicals across both sites. Supervise food preparation and cooking, and ensure smooth, timely service delivery.
• Team Management & Training: Lead and manage chefs, kitchen porters, and catering staff (permanent, casual, and agency) across both sites. Allocate daily workloads, manage absences, and maintain effective staffing levels. Prepare and deliver rotas aligned with budget targets. Support training, performance reviews, and skills development in collaboration with the Catering & Operations Manager.
• Health & Safety: Maintain a safe and compliant working environment across all kitchens. Ensure all staff follow company health & safety procedures, and hygiene standards. Support technical and operational training in food safety, hygiene, cleaning practices, and environmental controls.
• External Liaison & Regulatory Compliance: Act as point of contact for local authority inspections and enforcement officers. Support preparation for upcoming legislative changes in food and allergen regulations, ensuring company readiness and compliance.

Key Performance Indicators:

• Control labour costs and explain any deviations from budget.
• Improve staff recruitment and retention; reduce agency reliance.
• Manage site spend and drive food spend per head.
• Maintain target food margins.
• Ensure full HACCP compliance and meet all food safety standards.
• Maintain high service standards and customer satisfaction.
• Lead effective communication with Sales, Marketing, and on-site teams.

The person we are looking for as a Head Chef has

Qualifications:

Level 4 Food Management in food Safety preferred, Level 3 minimum.

Level 3 HACCP preferred

Allergens qualification

First Aid (Desirable)

Essential Skills & Experience

• Proven experience as a Head Chef or senior Sous Chef in a high-quality, fast-paced operation, with strong leadership and team management skills.
• In-depth knowledge of HACCP, nutrition, and allergen compliance, ensuring high food safety standards.
• Confident with purchasing systems, technical kitchen packages, and general IT tools.
• Excellent communication skills, highly organised, and thrives under pressure with a systematic, process-driven approach.
• Passionate about food, the kitchen environment, and delivering a high-quality product consistently.

At ARC, we believe that a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace makes us a more relevant, more competitive, and more resilient company. We welcome people from all backgrounds, ethnicities, cultures, and experiences. We are an equal opportunities employer and do not discriminate on the grounds of gender, sexual orientation, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity, gender reassignment, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, disability or age. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.

If you have a disability that requires reasonable adjustments, please let us know; we will ensure that individuals with additional needs are provided reasonable adjustments to participate in the job application or interview process and to perform essential job functions.

We understand the value that diversity brings to our business and we are striving to create a working environment that is inclusive, psychologically and physically safe and ensures everyone can be heard and valued for their contributions. We are committed to making a consistent, top-down effort to be role models on what diversity, inclusion and belonging means in society.

We are on a thrilling journey. So, to join us at our next destination, be part of a winning team and to learn more about our company and this exciting opportunity apply today.