Head Chef – Hungry Horse
The Hooden Horse, Margate, Kent | £35,000–£39,000 per year | Self-Contained Live-In Accommodation Available
Ready to take the lead and make your mark in the kitchen?
Are you a passionate Head Chef who loves great food, leading a team and delivering fantastic results? Or perhaps you're an ambitious Kitchen Manager ready for your next big challenge? At the Hooden Horse, we're looking for a hands-on kitchen leader who can bring energy, organisation and a passion for great pub food to our busy Hungry Horse kitchen.
With a salary of £35,000–£39,000 and self-contained live-in accommodation available, this is a fantastic opportunity to take ownership of your kitchen while enjoying life on the Kent coast.
About the Hooden Horse
Located in the coastal area of Thanet, the Hooden Horse is a welcoming, family-friendly Hungry Horse pub serving generous portions, much-loved pub classics and crowd-pleasing favourites. With a spacious beer garden, outdoor play area and a varied menu, there's plenty to keep the kitchen busy and every service exciting.
From stacked burgers and sizzling grills to traditional favourites and indulgent desserts, we're all about great-value food that brings people together.
What you'll be doing
As our Head Chef, you'll take ownership of the kitchen, bringing your 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 high standards of food quality, presentation and consistency across every service.
Keep things running smoothly: Plan ahead, organise the kitchen and make sure your team is ready to deliver, even during the busiest shifts.
Own your standards: Take responsibility for food safety, hygiene, health and safety, and kitchen compliance.
Manage the numbers: Oversee stock, ordering, portion control and waste to help keep the kitchen running efficiently and profitably.
Work as one team: Partner with your General Manager to deliver great customer experiences and achieve business goals.
What we're looking for
We're looking for someone who takes pride in their kitchen, knows how to bring the best out of a team and isn't afraid to get stuck in.
Experience managing or leading a busy kitchen, ideally within a pub or high-volume food environment.
A genuine passion for great food and consistently high standards.
Strong leadership skills, with the ability to coach, motivate and develop others.
Excellent organisation and the confidence to manage a fast-paced service.
Commercial awareness, including stock control, food costs and minimising waste.
A positive, hands-on approach and the ambition to keep learning and improving.
Whether you're an established Head Chef looking for a fresh challenge or an experienced Kitchen Manager ready for your next step, 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:
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.