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Mercure Haydock Hotel Location: Penny Lane, Haydock, WA11 9SG Job Type: Full-Time | Permanent Join Our Kitchen Team Mercure Haydock Hotel is a welcoming hotel ideally located in Haydock, offering comfortable accommodation, dining, leisure facilities, weddings, conferences, celebrations and memorable guest experiences. We pride ourselves on delivering warm hospitality, quality food and excellent service, whether our guests are joining us for a relaxing stay, a business event, a wedding or simply enjoying a meal with us. We are looking for an experienced, passionate and ambitious Sous Chef to join our kitchen team. This is an exciting opportunity for a chef who thrives in a busy hotel environment, enjoys developing others and is ready to take the next step in their culinary career. If you're passionate about great food, quality ingredients and creating memorable dining experiences, we'd love to hear from you. The Role As Sous Chef, you will be second-in-command in the kitchen, working closely with the Head Chef to support the successful day-to-day operation of our food offering. You will play an important leadership role, helping to ensure consistently high standards across our restaurant, lounge, breakfast service, events, weddings, conferences and banqueting. This is a hands-on position where you will lead by example, support and develop the kitchen team and help maintain excellent standards of food quality, presentation, hygiene and efficiency. In the Head Chef's absence, you will confidently take responsibility for the kitchen operation, ensuring smooth service and maintaining our standards. What You'll Be Doing Support the Head Chef with the day-to-day management of the kitchen. Lead kitchen operations in the Head Chef's absence. Prepare and present high-quality dishes in line with company and brand standards. Supervise, coach and develop junior chefs and kitchen assistants. Ensure consistency in food preparation, presentation and portion control. Support menu development and seasonal food offerings. Maintain excellent food hygiene, allergen management and HACCP standards. Ensure compliance with Food Safety and Health & Safety requirements. Monitor food quality, wastage and kitchen efficiency. Assist with stock ordering, rotation and inventory management. Support the achievement of food GP targets and kitchen budgets. Maintain accurate food safety records and temperature logs. Work closely with the Front of House team to deliver excellent guest experiences. Support weddings, conferences, banqueting and special events. Maintain excellent standards of kitchen cleanliness and organisation. Assist with the recruitment, onboarding and training of kitchen team members. Promote a positive, respectful and collaborative working environment. What We're Looking For We're looking for someone who enjoys leading people as much as creating great food. You will be organised, resilient and passionate about hospitality, with the ability to remain calm under pressure while maintaining excellent culinary standards. You will be comfortable working in a varied hotel kitchen where no two days are quite the same. Essential Skills & Experience Previous experience as a Sous Chef, Junior Sous Chef or experienced Senior Chef de Partie. Experience within hotels, restaurants or other busy hospitality environments. Strong knowledge of fresh food preparation and service. Strong leadership and team management skills. Experience supervising and developing kitchen teams. Good understanding of food safety, HACCP and allergen requirements. Strong organisational and time-management skills. Ability to perform well under pressure in a fast-paced kitchen. Flexible approach to working evenings, weekends and public holidays. Excellent communication and teamwork skills. Right to work in the UK. Desirable Skills Previous experience within a hotel kitchen. NVQ Level 2 or Level 3 in Professional Cookery, or equivalent. Level 3 Food Safety qualification. Experience with banqueting, weddings and conference catering. Menu planning and seasonal menu development experience. Stock control and food cost management experience. Knowledge of kitchen labour scheduling. Experience mentoring apprentices or junior chefs. COSHH and Health & Safety knowledge. Understanding of sustainability and food waste reduction initiatives. What We Offer At Mercure Haydock Hotel, we believe great hospitality starts with great people. We are committed to creating a supportive working environment where our team can develop, progress and build rewarding careers in hospitality. Competitive salary Complimentary meals whilst on duty Discounted hotel stays for you, your family and friends Career progression opportunities across Providence Hotels Ongoing training and professional development Employee Assistance Programme with confidential wellbeing support Company pension scheme 28 days' annual leave, including bank holidays Recognition and reward programmes Uniform provided Employee discounts across participating hotels A supportive, inclusive and collaborative working environment If you are an enthusiastic chef looking for your next opportunity and would like to play an important role in the kitchen team at Mercure Haydock Hotel, we would love to hear from you. TPBN1_UKCT