Hospitality Head Chef

Brighton College | Brighton
Full Time

Join an Award-Winning Team

Brighton College is one of the UK's most prestigious and forward-thinking independent schools, recognised nationally as School of the Decade. Founded in 1845, the College has built an outstanding reputation for academic excellence, exceptional pastoral care, innovation, and an ambitious approach to education.

Educating pupils aged 3 to 18, Brighton College is a vibrant day and boarding community where excellence is expected in every area—including hospitality. This is an exciting opportunity to lead hospitality catering within a truly exceptional environment, delivering memorable dining experiences for students, staff, parents and VIP guests.

What's in it for you?

We recognise that our people are our greatest asset, so we offer a comprehensive benefits package including:

• Competitive salary
• Free meals on duty
• Highly accessible via public transport
• Secure bike and scooter parking
• Closed over Christmas and Easter
• Paid social events and summer celebrations
• Active social committee
• Outstanding working environment and facilities
• Opportunity to work alongside celebrity chefs at exclusive events
• Contributory pension scheme
• Career development through Career Pathways and MyLearning programmes
• Digital GP and healthcare benefits for you and your immediate family
• Exclusive travel discounts with TUI, Expedia, Booking.com and more
• Supermarket discounts with Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons and many others
• Up to 44% off cinema tickets
• Cash rewards programme across a wide range of retailers
• Free wellbeing, mindfulness and exercise classes
• Friends and family discount scheme
• Predominantly Monday to Friday daytime shifts (1 weekend in 3)

The Role

We have an exciting opportunity for a passionate and ambitious Hospitality Head Chef to lead the hospitality kitchen operation at Brighton College.

This is a fantastic role for an experienced chef who thrives in a high-quality hospitality environment and enjoys creating exceptional food experiences using the finest seasonal ingredients. You'll lead from the front, inspire your team, and deliver outstanding food across a wide range of prestigious hospitality events.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and inspire the hospitality kitchen team to consistently deliver exceptional food and service.
• Plan, organise and oversee the preparation and delivery of food for hospitality events across multiple venues within the College.
• Create innovative, seasonal menus and cost recipes to deliver both quality and commercial performance.
• Drive food innovation by keeping up to date with current culinary trends and presenting dishes to the highest standard.
• Take full responsibility for food production using a hands-on leadership approach.
• Manage purchasing, stock control, food costs and labour budgets to achieve financial targets.
• Ensure compliance with all Food Safety, Health & Safety and COSHH legislation.
• Implement food monitoring procedures and maintain accurate records.
• Minimise waste through effective planning, ordering and production management.
• Develop, coach and motivate your team to achieve high standards and continuous improvement.
• Build strong working relationships with colleagues and stakeholders across the College.

About You

We're looking for an experienced hospitality chef who combines creativity with strong commercial awareness.

You'll have:

• Previous experience as a Head Chef or Senior Sous Chef within premium hospitality, events or contract catering.
• Experience delivering high-end hospitality across multiple events or venues.
• Proven experience writing, costing and delivering seasonal menus.
• Excellent knowledge of current food trends and modern presentation techniques.
• Outstanding culinary skills with exceptional attention to detail.
• Strong leadership experience with the ability to motivate and develop teams.
• Excellent organisational and communication skills.
• A proactive, positive and calm approach under pressure.
• Strong financial awareness, including budgeting, purchasing and food costing.
• Good IT skills and confidence using catering management systems.
• A genuine passion for outstanding food and customer service.
• Level 3 Food Safety qualification (or willingness to obtain).
• Knowledge of HACCP and food compliance standards.

Why Join Us?

This is an opportunity to become part of one of the UK's leading independent schools, working within exceptional facilities and alongside a passionate catering team committed to excellence.

If you're an ambitious Hospitality Head Chef looking to take the next step in your career within a prestigious environment, we'd love to hear from you.

About Us

As part of Compass you'll help to feed people, fuel progress and forge connections in around 6,000 venues. Join us to grow your career with the industry leader, and get competitive pay, great perks and unrivalled opportunities for learning and development, at one of the UK's biggest businesses.

Job Reference: com/2307/C05801/52807665/R/SU #Lodestone House

Compass Group UK&I is committed to fostering an environment where every individual can truly be themselves at work and has equal opportunities to advance in their careers. We strive to build a culture that respects and celebrates the unique talents, beliefs, backgrounds, and abilities of all our team members. We want our colleagues to feel valued, empowered to reach their full potential, and to thrive - because diversity is our strength!