The Jolly Fenman, Sidcup
Kitchen Manager / Head Chef
Salary - £37,000 - £41,000 + Bonus
Love leading a busy kitchen, creating great food and bringing a team together? Your next opportunity is waiting at The Jolly Fenman!
We're looking for an experienced Kitchen Manager / Head Chef to take the lead at The Jolly Fenman in Sidcup. If you're passionate about food, confident leading a team and enjoy the variety that comes with a busy community pub, this could be the perfect opportunity for you.
From delivering our pub food favourites to catering for buffets and wakes, no two days are the same. We're looking for someone who can keep standards high, motivate their team and make sure every guest enjoys great food and service.
Why join The Jolly Fenman?
The Jolly Fenman is a lively community pub with plenty going on. From match-day crowds and family visits to buffet bookings and wakes, there's real variety in the kitchen and opportunities to make a positive impact.
You'll have the chance to lead your team, make your mark on the food offer and help deliver memorable experiences for guests visiting for all kinds of occasions.
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What's the opportunity?
The Jolly Fenman is a welcoming, family-friendly pub in Sidcup, popular with locals, families and sports fans alike. With Sky Sports and TNT Sports showing the latest action, plus pool tables, darts and arcade games, there's always something happening.
Our spacious beer garden can accommodate over 200 customers, with heated cover to keep guests comfortable whatever the weather. Alongside our regular food menu, we also cater for buffets and wakes, giving our kitchen team the opportunity to deliver food for a range of occasions and create a welcoming experience for guests when it matters most.
As Kitchen Manager / Head Chef, you'll take ownership of the kitchen, lead from the front and help drive the success of our food offer.
You'll be responsible for:
Leading your team: Motivate, coach and develop your kitchen team, creating a positive environment where everyone can do their best work.
Delivering great food: Ensure every dish is prepared to a consistently high standard, from hearty pub classics and seasonal favourites to indulgent desserts.
Catering for every occasion: Organise and deliver quality buffet food for wakes and other gatherings, ensuring everything runs smoothly and guests are well looked after.
Managing a busy kitchen: Plan ahead, organise prep and service, and make sure the kitchen is ready for busy periods and special bookings.
Taking control of costs: Manage stock, ordering, waste, labour and food costs to support strong commercial performance.
Maintaining high standards: Ensure food safety, allergen management and kitchen compliance are always a priority.
Working as one team: Partner with the General Manager and front-of-house team to deliver a great guest experience and identify opportunities to grow food sales.
What we're looking for
We're looking for someone with previous experience as a Kitchen Manager, Head Chef or in a similar senior kitchen role, ideally within a busy branded pub or restaurant environment.
You'll bring:
Experience leading a kitchen team in a fast-paced setting.
A hands-on leadership style and the confidence to lead from the front.
A passion for quality food, consistency and great presentation.
Strong organisation and the ability to plan for busy services and buffet bookings.
Good commercial awareness, including stock control, waste and labour management.
A sound understanding of food safety, allergens and kitchen compliance.
The ability to motivate your team, solve problems and remain calm under pressure.
Above all, you'll be someone who takes pride in their kitchen, enjoys developing people and understands that great food and a great team go hand in hand.
What's in it for you?
At Greene King, we believe in rewarding our teams and helping them build careers they can be proud of.
Career development: Training, apprenticeships and opportunities to progress across Greene King.
Discounts: 33% off food and drink in our pubs, plus 15% off for friends and family.
Greene King Inns: 50% off stays and 25% off for friends and family.
Wellbeing support: Access to our Employee Assistance Programme.
Family-friendly benefits: Enhanced policies to support you through life's important moments.
Recognition: Recommend a friend and earn up to £1,500.
Financial wellbeing: Access to Wagestream to help manage your pay.
Extra savings: Retail discounts, including Superdrug and Three Mobile.
Greene King is one of the UK's leading pub companies and brewers, with over 220 years of history and a team of around 39,000 people. We're passionate about pouring happiness into lives and becoming the pride of great British hospitality.
Ready to take the lead?
If you're an experienced kitchen leader who loves a busy service, knows how to bring out the best in a team and takes pride in delivering great food for every occasion, we'd love to hear from you.
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.
Lead the team. Serve up something special. Make The Jolly Fenman yours.