£40000–£47000 yearly
Full-time
London
Head Chef Full-time – London Fields / Mare Street, East London About the role We are building a new kind of hospitality space in Hackney. A curated kitchen and bar programme where guest chefs, bartenders and collaborators take over the space for short residencies, events and experiences. The concept constantly evolves through pop ups, dinners, tastings and private events. We're looking for an experienced Head Chef to lead the kitchen at Rocola Studio. This is not a traditional Head Chef role. Alongside delivering Rocola's own food programme, you'll lead the kitchen during a rotating calendar of guest chef residencies and collaborations. Your role is to ensure every service runs smoothly, whether it's our own menu or a completely new concept. Working closely with our Restaurant Manager and Group Head Chef, you'll be responsible for maintaining exceptional standards while creating an environment where both our team and visiting chefs can thrive. About the space The venue is an intimate kitchen and bar on Mare Street, centred around a large open kitchen and counter seating. Designed as a platform for guest chefs, drinks collaborations and creative hospitality, the space is constantly evolving while maintaining a consistent level of quality, professionalism and guest experience. What you'll be responsible for Kitchen leadership • Lead the day-to-day operation of the kitchen., • Manage, support and develop the Sous Chef and wider kitchen team., • Lead services and ensure consistently high standards of execution., • Foster a positive, professional and collaborative kitchen culture. Guest chef collaborations • Work alongside visiting chefs during residencies and events., • Help translate guest chef concepts into smooth, operationally successful services., • Coordinate prep, ordering and kitchen logistics ahead of each collaboration., • Ensure guest chefs feel supported while maintaining Rocola's operational standards., • Adapt quickly to changing menus, ingredients and styles of service. Kitchen operations • Oversee prep, ordering, stock control and food cost., • Manage supplier relationships and deliveries., • Minimise waste and maintain efficient kitchen systems., • Ensure the kitchen, equipment and storage areas remain clean, organised and service ready., • Oversee daily and weekly cleaning schedules. Food safety & compliance • Maintain full compliance with food safety, HACCP and health & safety requirements., • Ensure all food is stored, labelled and handled correctly., • Maintain excellent hygiene standards throughout the kitchen., • Ensure all compliance records are completed accurately. What we're looking for • Experience as a Head Chef or an experienced Sous Chef ready to step up., • Experience leading a quality-led restaurant kitchen., • Strong leadership and organisational skills., • Excellent understanding of food safety, stock control and kitchen operations., • Calm under pressure with excellent communication skills., • Passionate about developing people and building positive kitchen culture., • Excited by working with different chefs, cuisines and evolving menus. Other details • Full-time role based on Mare Street, East London., • Evening and weekend availability required., • Salary: £40,000–£47,000 including service charge, depending on experience., • Opportunity to work alongside a rotating programme of some of London's most exciting guest chefs., • Excellent opportunities for progression as the business grows. About us We're the team behind Crudo and Tiny Wine, two independent hospitality concepts we've built in London over the past few years. Crudo opened in 2019 and has grown into a group of restaurants built around modern Latin American food, strong atmosphere and warm, energetic service. Tiny Wine came out of our love for smaller, more intimate drinking spaces, with a big focus on personality, curation and creating a place people genuinely want to spend time in. A big part of what we've learnt through both brands is that people come back for more than just the food or drinks. They come back for the feeling of the place, the team behind it, and the sense that something thoughtful is being built. Rocola Studio is the next step in that. It gives us the opportunity to create a more flexible space built around a changing programme of chefs, drinks, events and collaborations. A space that can evolve constantly while still being run with a clear point of view and strong operational standards. We're building a place that's creative, ambitious and collaborative. Somewhere guests want to return to regularly, and somewhere chefs are genuinely excited to cook.
Muswell Hill Road, Muswell Hill, N10 3HS, London
