Tunbridge Wells
THE ROLE La Casa Vecchia is an independent Mediterranean restaurant and live-music venue on The Pantiles in Tunbridge Wells. We're looking for a Head Chef to run our kitchen day to day a step up for a strong second/sous chef ready to lead their own team, not a veteran looking to coast. This is a working head chef role: you'll cook on the line every service alongside your brigade, and you'll own the kitchen's ordering, stock, rota and hygiene standards. You'll work directly with the owners, with real authority from day one. WHAT YOU'LL BE COOKING Spanish and Italian: tapas (padron peppers, patatas bravas, chorizo al vino, garlic prawns, deep-fried squid), sharing paellas (meat, seafood, mixta), pasta, pizza, a grill section (rib-eye, sirloin, lamb shank, calves' liver, sea bass, swordfish), and desserts (tiramisu, crema catalana, chocolate fondant, panna cotta) plus seasonal set menus, Christmas, and event catering for The Grey Lady, our live-music room upstairs. WHAT YOU'LL BE DOING • Cooking every service and leading the kitchen team through it, • Owning food quality, consistency and presentation, • All ordering, stock control, supplier relationships, • Building the kitchen rota, • Food safety and hygiene (HACCP, allergens, EHO-ready), • Training and developing your brigade, • Menu development with the owners WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR, • Current second/sous chef (or junior head chef) ready to run their own kitchen, • Confident with Spanish/Italian cooking, or keen to learn it fast, • Calm under pressure; a leader people want to work for, • On top of costs, ordering and compliance, not just the food, • Level 2 Food Hygiene minimum HOURS The kitchen runs split shifts lunch 12-3pm and dinner 6-10pm. We're closed Mondays, so the rota runs Tuesday-Sunday: 10 shifts (~40 hours) a week, most days a double. Weekends are our busiest trade and you'll be expected to work them, with one Sunday off per month. PAY & BENEFITS • c. £35,000-£40,000 total including service charge, • Live in position available, • ~40 hours per week and every Monday off, • 25 days' holiday per year, • NEST workplace pension, • Meals on duty and staff discount, • Independent, owner-run no head office, no corporate spec sheets HOW TO APPLY Send your CV and a few lines about your current role, your Spanish/Italian experience, and confirmation you're happy with the split-shift pattern above, using the contact details on this advert. Shortlisted candidates will be invited in for a paid trial shift. TPBN1_UKCT