Head Chef - Cirencester

Job title: Head Chef
Location: Cirencester
Hours: Full‑time, including evenings and weekends
Employment Type: Permanent
Salary: £42,000 - £45,000 + tronc

About Our Client

Our client is a luxury, family‑run countryside destination set within 150 acres of beautiful farmland. With a hotel, spa, cookery school, restaurants, and a working farm, they offer an immersive, nature‑led experience for guests from the UK and around the world. Their culture is warm, collaborative, and rooted in exceptional hospitality, seasonal living, and a deep connection to the land.

The Role

Our client is seeking an exceptional and inspiring Head Chef to lead their kitchen team and work alongside the Chef Director. In this pivotal role, you will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the kitchen, leading service, and ensuring the venue's garden-led culinary vision is delivered to the highest standard.

You will manage and mentor a dedicated brigade, oversee menu execution using estate-grown and seasonal produce, drive financial controls, and foster a respectful, collaborative kitchen culture.

Key Responsibilities

• Leadership & Operations: Lead and inspire the kitchen team during service, ensuring quality, timing, and consistency across all sections.

• Menu Execution & Standards: Oversee seasonal menu execution, briefing FOH teams on ingredients, and maintaining garden-led culinary standards.

• Team Development: Train, mentor, and support kitchen staff, championing a culture of continuous learning and professional development.

• Food Safety & Compliance: Maintain top-tier hygiene standards (retaining a 5-star rating), manage allergen matrices, and ensure complete regulatory compliance.

• Cost & Stock Control: Manage food costs, minimise waste, oversee stock ordering, and build strong supplier relationships to drive profitability.

• Culture Champion: Uphold key commitments around sustainability, respectful communication, inter-departmental collaboration, and teamwork.

Requirements

• Proven experience in a senior kitchen leadership role (Head Chef / Senior Sous Chef).

• Deep passion for seasonal, garden-led, and estate-driven food concepts.

• Food Hygiene & Safety Level 3 certification (essential).

• Strong financial acumen with experience managing food costs and stock control.

• Exceptional leadership skills with a calm, respectful, and supportive management style.

• Hands-on approach with the ability to support any section of the kitchen during service.

Benefits

• Exceptionally generous monthly service charge bonuses

• 28 days’ annual leave + an additional day off for your birthday

• Healthy, delicious meals on duty prepared by in‑house chefs

• Employee assistance and wellbeing programme

• High‑quality, sustainably made uniforms

• Free on‑site staff parking

• Team rates to stay at the property (£150 per night), extendable to family

• 50% off food in the estate’s restaurants

• Cookery School classes for £40 (for you + one guest)

• 50% discount on spa treatments

• 40% discount on retail products

• Annual staff Christmas party with dinner, drinks, music and dancing

• Tailored investment in your professional development

• A beautiful countryside location with plenty of space to relax during breaks

Why Join Them

• A warm, caring, and supportive team culture with a "One Team" mindset

• A stunning natural environment and inspiring, garden-focused workplace

• A company that values learning, growth, sustainability, and waste reduction

• The chance to work with exceptional ingredients, much of it grown on‑site

• Strong values: Consideration, Consistency, Integrity, Pride, Aspiration

How to Apply

If this role feels like the right fit for you and you have the relevant experience, please apply today.

​​​​Contact us about this vacancy

Kat Kantorova

07548 963 089

kat.kantorova@pineapple-recruitment.co.uk

Pineapple Recruitment are recruiting for this role on behalf of our client and are acting as a Recruitment Agency.