Chef Sous

ABOUT SADLER’S WELLS EAST

Sadler’s Wells East will open in 2024 in east London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Sadler’s Wells’ new space will be located on the Stratford Waterfront site, opposite the London Aquatics Centre, alongside UAL’s London College of Fashion and the V&A Museum. The site will form part of a new cultural and education district, which will also include a major new University College London (UCL) campus and have direct links to the creative communities already based in east London.

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Sous Chef will play a key role in the department. Their main responsibility is to assist the Head Chef in managing the kitchen team ensuring excellent food produce and service across the site. Passion for food and a good palate with a hands-on approach are essential.

Key responsibility areas:

• Manage a motivated kitchen team to ensure smooth and efficient running of culinary team at Sadler’s Wells East.
• Implement and maintain consistent and exceptional food standards and quality to drive sales and profit.
• Deliver organisation and department objectives by driving sales and motivating staff.
• Take a proactive, detailed approach to food safety and health and safety.
• Assist with development and implementation of new menu concepts to increase the food sales.
• Mobilisation of the new site at Stratford.
• Support catering operation across other sites when required.

Team Management

• Promote high standards of service, conduct and professionalism in the team.
• Recruit, induct, line manage and develop high-performing, commercially-minded teams.
• Assist with staff training to ensure compliance.
• Ensure consistency in quality utilising menu specification sheets.
• Produce weekly rotas for the kitchen ensuring appropriate staffing for the business level.
• Absence management to ensure staffing levels are sufficient.

Financial Management

• Contribute to achieving financial targets.
• Ensure all invoices and timesheets are submitted for processing in the absence of Head Chef.
• Ensure food production reflects the business levels.
• Managed food wastage to keep this at minimum and train teams on zero waste.
• Stock management – rotation and security of stock, periodical stock takes. Monitor stock control and wastage across all sites.

Operations

• Efficient day-to-day operations ensuring system compliance.
• Ensure consistency in quality and portion control utilising menu specification sheets.
• Regularly review processes and systems to ensure the most efficient and cost effective delivery.
• Support marketing activities and offers across the business to drive sales.

Health & Safety / Food Safety

• Consistently uphold and adhere to the Company Food Safety Policy.
• Always ensure compliance with Company Health & Safety Policy.
• Ensure that all catering equipment is maintained and serviced.

Communication

• Work closely with the Events Team to develop positive relationships with clients and design bespoke menus whilst maximising profitability.
• Monitor staff performance and provide regular feedback and performance reviews.

Creative

• Assist with creation and design of innovative seasonal menus to increase food sales across all outlets.
• Assist with production of menu specifications and costing sheets along with presentation technique and quality standards.

General

• Live, breathe and role model our organisational values of Excellence, Collaboration, Inclusion and Innovation, being aware of the influence and impact you can have as a leader at Sadler’s Wells.
• To carry out all administrative work generated by the above activities.
• Attend occasional staff meetings, training sessions and other events.
• Undertake other duties as may be reasonably required.
• At all times to carry out duties and responsibilities with regard to Sadler’s Wells’ Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and Health and Safety Policies. This may include providing assistance with evacuation procedures or building searches in the event of an emergency at any of Sadler’s Wells’ premise.

CANDIDATE REQUIREMENTS

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

Essential

• An innovative thinker able to share a vision; excellent communicator and solution focussed.
• Significant experience working within a multisite business at a Sous Chef level.
• Experience of managing a team successfully.
• Financial acumen.
• Strong manager with excellent people skills, able to drive and motivate a high performing team.
• Ability to juggle competing priorities with a successful outcome.
• Have a strong understanding of Food Safety and Health & Safety.
• Be able to work to high standards under pressure maintaining attention to detail.
• Level-headed, sensible, trustworthy and reliable.
• A passion for hospitality.
• Proactive in problem solving.
• Must hold the right to work in the UK.

Additional, but not essential

• Experience in working within a Theatre, Arts or Entertainment Venue.
• Experience of mobilisation of a new site.

To view the full job description, please click here – >Sadler’s Well East – Sous Chef – Job Description