Executive Chef

We are looking for an Executive Chef to join our team at The Hoxton, Southwark.

The Hoxton, Southwark, the third Hoxton in our hometown of London. This London borough is known for its colourful history. Right here is where famous London pub The Prince Albert once stood. Patrons would bet on sport from their barstool, handing fistfuls of cash to the pub’s very own licensed bookie!
We have 192 bedrooms, two restaurants – Albie & Seabird – our first Working From_ location not just in London but Europe, and a thriving Meetings & Events business.

Albie is our all-day neighbourhood restaurant, serving up familiar classics with a twist, inspired by the diverse international food scene of the surrounding neighbourhood. Seabird is our rooftop restaurant on the 14th floor, boasting an impressive raw bar, London's longest oyster list and panoramic views of the city. Our Apartments provide flexible event spaces hosting everything from intimate dinners and celebrations to large-scale corporate events.

Job Description

What you'll do...

• Reporting to our Director of Food & Beverage, you'll lead the culinary vision and overall kitchen operation across The Hoxton Southwark, overseeing Albie, Seabird and our Meetings & Events operation.
• Provide strategic leadership across all kitchen operations, ensuring consistency of quality, execution and standards whilst allowing each venue to retain its own identity.
• Lead, inspire and develop the kitchen teams, creating a high-performance culture built around coaching, accountability and continuous development.
• Be responsible for menu development across all outlets, creating commercially successful, seasonally driven concepts that reflect each brand while continually evolving the offer.
• Work closely with the Director of Food & Beverage and operational leaders to develop revenue-driving initiatives, activations and guest experiences that strengthen the commercial performance of each venue.
• Take ownership of food cost, labour, payroll, purchasing and kitchen productivity, ensuring budgets are achieved whilst maintaining exceptional quality and consistency.
• Build strong supplier relationships, sourcing the highest quality ingredients and continually reviewing purchasing opportunities to maximise value.
• Ensure the highest standards of food safety, health & safety, cleanliness and legislative compliance across every kitchen operation.
• Support the planning and delivery of Meetings & Events, exclusive hires and bespoke dining experiences, ensuring flawless execution regardless of scale.
• Develop talent across the kitchen teams, identifying high performers and creating clear development opportunities that build capability across the business.
• Work collaboratively with Restaurant General Managers, front of house teams, bars, sales, events and hotel departments to deliver one seamless guest experience.
• Be visible across the operation, supporting services where required, mentoring the team and maintaining consistently high culinary standards.
• Continuously challenge the status quo, identifying smarter ways of working that improve quality, efficiency and profitability without compromising creativity or guest experience.

Qualifications

What we're looking for...

• Previous experience as an Executive Chef, Executive Sous Chef or in a similar senior culinary leadership role within a premium, high-volume hospitality environment.
• Experience overseeing multiple food concepts simultaneously, balancing operational excellence with creative menu development.
• A proven leader with the ability to inspire, coach and develop large kitchen teams whilst building a positive, accountable and high-performing culture.
• An exceptional understanding of food cost management, labour planning, payroll, purchasing and kitchen financial performance.
• Commercially astute with a strong understanding of menu engineering, gross profit, labour productivity and operational performance. You know how to balance exceptional food with delivering strong business results.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to prioritise multiple outlets, competing demands and high-profile events without compromising standards.
• A genuine passion for menu innovation, seasonality and creating memorable dining experiences that reflect the individuality of each concept.
• Excellent knowledge of food safety legislation, allergen management and kitchen compliance.
• A collaborative leader who builds strong relationships across departments and enjoys working closely with operational teams to deliver shared success.
• Calm under pressure with the ability to make confident decisions, solve problems quickly and support your teams during busy service periods.
• Passionate about developing people and creating opportunities for others to grow their careers.
• A true passion for hospitality and delivering experiences that reflect the integrity of our brands.
• Individuals. You're looking for a place where you can be yourself; no clones in suits here.
• You're all about having a positive impact on the people you interact with, leaving both guests and your team with memorable experiences.
• You're not precious. We leave our egos at the door and help get shit done.
• You're up for doing things differently and trying (almost) everything once.
• If we got stuck in a lift together, we'd have a good time and share a few laughs.
• You want to be part of a team that works hard, supports each other and has fun along the way.

Additional Information

What's in it for you...

• Competitive salary + discretionary bonus dependant on company KPI's.
• 28 days holiday (inclusive of bank holidays), pension and life insurance.
• A health cash plan to claim money back and get access to lots of ways to support your physical & mental wellbeing.
• It's ok not to be Ok, we have a confidential hotline for any support you require about anything and a network of Mental Health First Aiders.
• Treat yourself once in a while with lots of retail & hospitality perks through our partners.
• Enjoy a free night at The Hoxton and a meal for two when you first start with us.
• Goes without saying, but we'll feed you during your shift.
• Excellent discounts across the Ennismore family for you and your nearest and dearest (even if you decide to leave us!).
• Free night at The Hoxton every year and something a little extra £££ when you hit the big milestones!
• Lots of opportunity to progress and switch it up as part of a global family of brands.
• Training to get you settled into your role, learning academies to broaden your skillset and development that helps you think, make and thrive at work.
• Extra time off to volunteer with one of our partner charities.
• Regular team get togethers, from our team drinks to our (pretty special!) bi-annual parties – we know how to have a good time!
• Enhanced family leave for when you're expanding your family.
• An annual diversity and inclusion calendar of events creating opportunities for you to learn, celebrate and make a positive impact.