Why This Role Stands Out
Step into a leadership role as Head Chef at The Acorn, where you'll have the opportunity to shape a kitchen team and deliver exceptional dining experiences with a competitive salary and live-in accommodation. This position is ideal for an ambitious chef eager to grow their career with a reputable company and make a significant impact on the business. Apply now to lead a dynamic kitchen and advance your culinary journey.
Quick Overview
Job Description
Head Chef – The Acorn, Bicester
£31,000–£36,000 per year | Shared Live-In Accommodation Available
Ready to take the next step in your kitchen career?
Are you an experienced Head Chef looking for a new challenge, or a talented Kitchen Team Leader ready to step up and take ownership of your own kitchen?
At The Acorn in Bicester, we’re looking for someone with a passion for great food, the confidence to lead a team and the ambition to make a real difference. Whether you’re already leading a kitchen or looking for the opportunity to progress into your first Head Chef role, we want to hear from you.
With a salary of £31,000–£36,000 and shared live-in accommodation available, this could be the perfect opportunity to develop your career with Greene King.
What you’ll be doing
As Head Chef, you’ll take ownership of the kitchen, bringing your passion for food, leadership skills and commercial awareness together to deliver fantastic results.
Lead from the front: Inspire, motivate and develop your kitchen team, creating a positive environment where everyone can thrive.
Deliver great food: Maintain consistently high standards of food quality, presentation and service across our menu.
Run a successful kitchen: Manage day-to-day operations, ensuring the team is organised, prepared and ready for every service.
Keep standards high: Take responsibility for food safety, hygiene, health and safety, and kitchen compliance.
Manage costs: Oversee stock control, ordering, portion control and waste to help maximise profitability.
Work as one team: Partner with the General Manager to drive performance, deliver great customer experiences and achieve business targets.
Develop your people: Coach and support your team, helping them build their skills and progress their careers.
What we’re looking for
We’re looking for someone who brings passion, energy and a genuine love of great food. You might already be an established Head Chef, or you could be an experienced Kitchen Team Leader who’s ready for more responsibility.
You’ll ideally have:
Experience working in a professional kitchen, ideally as a Head Chef, Sous Chef or Kitchen Team Leader.
The ambition and potential to take the next step into a Head Chef position.
Confidence in supporting, motivating and developing a kitchen team.
A good understanding of food safety, hygiene and kitchen standards.
Commercial awareness, including an interest in stock management, food costs and reducing waste.
A hands-on approach and the ability to stay calm and organised during busy services.
A commitment to delivering consistently great food and memorable customer experiences.
Not quite a Head Chef yet? That’s absolutely fine. If you’re an experienced Kitchen Team Leader with the right skills, attitude and ambition to step up, we’d love to hear from you.
We’re all about rewarding our team’s hard work, that’s why…
You’ll receive a competitive salary, pension contribution as well as:
- The chance to further your career across our well-known brands – as one of the industry's top apprenticeship providers, we can provide training and development at each level of your career.
- Discount of 33% for you and 15% for your loved ones on all of our brands – so you enjoy your favourite food and drink at a discount.
- Free employee assistance program – mental health, well-being, financial, and legal support because you matter!
- Enhanced, family-friendly maternity and paternity policies
- Menopause Friendly Employer
- Discount of 50% for you and 25% for your loved ones at our Greene King Inns and hotels – so you can enjoy a weekend away without breaking the bank.
- Refer a friend – who do you know who could be interested in a new role? When they are placed, you could earn up to £1,500 for referring them!
- Wagestream – access your wage before payday for when life happens.
- Retail discounts – Receive up to 30% off at Superdrug, exclusive discounts with Three Mobile along with many more…
CREATING PLACES WHERE PEOPLE FEEL WELCOME, SAFE AND THAT THEY BELONG
We aim to embed inclusion into every decision we make – across our people, customers, communities, suppliers, and operations. We want to create a culture where everyone feels welcome, valued, and able to thrive.
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