Lead Events Chef

Job Introduction

Job Description

• Job Title: Lead Events Chef
• Location: Royal Academy of Arts
• £50,000 Salary + up to 10% bonus
• 40hrs pw, 5 over 7, early mornings - late evenings

Job Introduction 

Heritage Portfolio is delighted to be recruiting for a dynamic Lead Events Chef, this role is perfect for someone looking to take the next step up!

Reporting into Head of Events, you will lead all culinary aspects of events across 5 amazing cultural destination across the Wallace Collection, The Royal Academy of Arts, Trinity House, Lancaster House, Insurance Hall to drive excellence in food preparation, safety, and service across all events and client tastings.  The successful candidate will be able to work solo and manage a team of 9 whilst upholding high operational and food safety standards, and ensure timely, quality delivery that exceeds client expectations.

This role would be great for someone looking to work high end events serving high profile guests in historical buildings.

If you’re passionate about leading a dynamic kitchen team and delivering exceptional culinary experiences, we’d love to hear from you.

What You'll Do:

• Understand and embody the vision of the Sodexo Live and Heritage Portfolio to ensure consistent, high-quality event delivery.
• Participate in menu design, innovation, costing, and specification, supporting revenue growth, PR, and client satisfaction.
• Lead kitchen operations daily, including managing casual labour, kitchen organisation, and compliance with food safety, allergen, and waste policies.
• Oversee menu photography and clear articulation of food, equipment, service flow, and customer experience for each event.
• Manage ordering to meet event specifications, budgets, and minimise waste, following established procedures.
• Collaborate closely with event managers on-site and at SQ to build strong, positive business relationships.
• Ensure strict adherence to all company and client policies including health & safety, hygiene, HR, and statutory regulations, report incidents promptly.
• Participate in training, team meetings, and additional duties as assigned by senior craft team members.

What You Bring:

Essential

• Demonstrable experience in a high-volume environment – major events or banqueting operation
• Fine dining background gained in hotels, restaurants or contract catering
• A passionate interest in the catering industry – knowledge of current trends, well read, eats out in interesting restaurants on a regular basis, talks about and gets excited about food
• A competent communicator and ability to present to colleagues, peers and clients
• Financial awareness and understanding of a food profit and loss account and articulate how to control food cost and generate a positive food margin
• Evidence of being organised and possess excellent planning skills
• An intermediate level Food Hygiene qualification
• Ability to competently use Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook
• Proven ability to manage and lead a team of chefs

Desirable

• Supervising Food Safely Level 3 qualification
• IOSH Managing Safely or similar qualification
• Previous Sous chef role or Head chef in a smaller operation
• Experience in the delivery of retail food operations
• Production kitchen knowledge and/or experience
• Experience of working with clients in a contract catering environment
• Experience of upskilling staff

What we offer:

Working with Sodexo is more than a job; it’s a chance to be part of something greater. You’ll belong in a company and team that values you for you; you’ll act with purpose and have an impact through your everyday actions; and you’ll be able to thrive in your own way. In addition, we also offer a range of resources, rewards and benefits for our colleagues and their families:

• Unlimited access to an online platform offering mental health and wellbeing support.
• Employee Assistance Programme to help with everyday issues or larger problems where you may need additional support, including legal and financial advice, support with work related issues or personal issues such as bereavement.
• Access to a free health and wellbeing app that provides rewards for maintaining a healthy lifestyle and includes access to a 24hr virtual GP and various other services.
• The Sodexo Discounts Scheme, offering great deals 24/7 (also open to friends and family) and/or the prepayment cashback card.
• Money Insights and financial benefits via the Salary Finance Platform.
• Save for your future by becoming a member of the Sodexo Retirement Plan
• A Death-in-Service benefit for colleagues who pass away whilst employed by Sodexo
• Opportunities to enable colleagues to grow and succeed throughout their career at Sodexo, including a variety of learning and development tools.
• Cycle to Work Scheme to help colleagues to do their bit for the environment whilst keeping fit.
• Volunteering Opportunities to enable all colleagues to help support worthwhile causes in our communities.
• Flexible and dynamic work environment 
• Competitive compensation 
• Full training and full protective uniform supplied.

Ready to be part of something greater? Apply today! Career progression for the caring profession.

Sodexo reserves the right to close this advertisement early if we are in receipt of a high volume of applications.

About Sodexo 

At Sodexo, our purpose is to create a better every day for everyone to build a better life for all. As the global leader in services that improve the Quality of Life, we operate in 55 countries, serving over 100 million consumers each day through our unique combination of On-Site Food and FM Services, Benefits & Rewards Services and Personal & Home Services. 

We are committed to being an inclusive employer. We are a forces friendly employer. We welcome and encourage applications from people with a diverse variety of experiences, backgrounds, and identities. We encourage our employees to get involved with our Employee Networks such as Pride, Sodexo Parents & Carers, Sodexo Disability, Ability network, So Together, Generations and Origins.

We’re a Disability Confident Leader employer. We’re committed to changing attitudes towards disability, and making sure disabled people have the chance to fulfil their aspirations. We run a Disability Confident interview scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria for the job.

Click here to read more about what we do to promote an inclusive culture.

Sodexo Disability, Ability network, So Together, Generations and Origins.