Head Chef — Launch & lead a groundbreaking Café in South East London South East London | 🕒 Full-time | Competitive salary + profit share potential About Us We’re creating more than just a café — this is a space where the energy of original South London meets the tastes of the city’s new wave. Think: unapologetically local, creatively elevated, and community-driven. Our menu will blend modern British comfort, bold global flavours, and nostalgic nods to the streets that raised us — all with the quality and presentation expected from a city that loves to brunch, snack, and gather in style. We’re looking for a Head Chef who can bring this vision to life — someone who’s as passionate about the details as they are about the bigger picture. If you want to shape a kitchen that people travel across the city for, this is your chance. The Role This isn’t just a job. This is your kitchen. Your menu. Your moment! As our Head Chef, you’ll: Design and execute a unique, fresh, South London-inspired menu that speaks to both long-time locals and newer residents. Champion quality, sustainability, and seasonality in every dish. Build and lead a small but mighty kitchen team with high standards and creative flair. Ensure exceptional food hygiene, cost control, and consistency. Work closely with ownership to refine the vision, shape specials, and adapt to trends. Be the face of the kitchen — engaging with customers, collaborating on events, and becoming part of the community fabric. What We’re Looking For ✔ A chef with serious talent, creativity, and ambition — someone ready to leave their mark. ✔ Proven experience as a Head Chef or Senior Sous in a fast-paced, quality-focused kitchen (brunch, small plates, bakery, or fusion experience a bonus). ✔ Strong understanding of modern café culture + an appreciation for London’s diverse food scene. ✔ Ability to design and cost menus that balance flair, profit and accessibility. ✔ Confident, inspiring leadership style — you’ll recruit, train, and motivate a small team from the ground up. ✔ Passion for local suppliers, ethical sourcing, and seasonal ingredients. Perks • A genuine opportunity to build something from the start. • Profit-sharing options for the right candidate. • Creative freedom: your ideas will shape this café. • Potential for future expansion and career growth as we scale.
We are excited to be hiring for a Head Chef to join our small, friendly team from mid July. Ellary’s is a neighbourhood restaurant in the heart of Brockley with an established customer base in a vibrant community. We have been trading in the area for almost 16 years and pride ourselves on our close ties with the community. We have a seasonal menu that we regularly change and we work with exciting produce & fantastic suppliers. We are a small, skilled team working in an open plan kitchen that allows for a great working relationship with front of house. The hours are around 45-48 per week and we are open from Wednesday evening through to Sunday lunch. Experience of running a kitchen is a must as well as a genuine love for food & hospitality and a personable nature. This is a creative role with set days off, minimal admin and minimal take home. With 3 evening shifts per week and a team of 3 other staff to manage this is the perfect role for a chef looking to work at a slower pace or a Sous Chef looking to make the next step up the ladder. If you are interested in joining our team please get in touch!
WHO YOU ARE: - Someone passionate about cooking with a strong knowledge of Italian cuisine and an excellent eye for detail. - A respectful and thoughtful professional who is punctual and has a strong work ethic, driven by high standards and who consistently shows the best example of conduct. - A team player and leader with good communication skills, who is enthusiastic about teaching and passing on their knowledge, but also open to learning from others. - A competent and energetic cook who is comfortable with all sections of the kitchen, and is a fast learner if there are any areas which need improvement. - Someone creative and organised with good time management and multitasking skills, and the ability to work well under pressure. YOU MUST HAVE: - 3+ years’ experience as a sous chef or chef. 2+ years’ experience with Italian cuisine. Good level of oral proficiency in English and/ or Italian language. Familiarity with industry best practices. Any food specific education or certification an advantage. TASKS INCLUDE: - Prepare, cook, and present food in line with the required standards of Sapore Vero. - Supporting the company in developing new menus & weekly specials. - Monitor food production to ensure consistent quality of portion size. - Take ownership of the kitchen management in the absence of the Head Chef. - Follow relevant hygiene and health & safety guidelines. - Organise food, supplies, and utensils within the kitchen and in the fridges. - Stock control. - Following FIFO procedure to reduce waste of food stock. - Keep all designated areas in the kitchen clean and tidy before, during, and after the service accordingly with hygiene standards. - Check that appliance and fridges are at the required temperatures and properly closed before leaving. - Regularly clean and monitor kitchen appliances. - Work with the kitchen porter and pizza chefs to ensure the smooth running of service. - Coordinate take away orders with the pizza chef and floor staff to provide drivers with correct food. - Establish effective employee relations and maintain the highest level of professionalism, ethics, and attitude towards all guests, clients, and employees. - Any other duties as assigned related to this position.