Head Chef

ABOUT THE ROLE



In addition to your contractual pay, any time worked between 22:00 - 06:00 will attract Night Premium at a rate of £4.75 per hour. This will also apply to existing Partners who have enrolled onto Enhanced Hours Premium arrangements.



At the John Lewis Partnership, we’re passionate about using ingredients with provenance to produce fresh seasonal meals that are second to none. 

We are seeking an experienced and passionate Head Chef to join and lead our dynamic kitchen team. 

In this pivotal role, you will be responsible for all aspects of the food offer and will ensure the consistent delivery of high-quality culinary experiences within our John Lewis head office location.

Leveraging your culinary expertise and leadership skills, you will play a key role in menu development, crafting innovative and exceptional dishes that delight our customers. You will also be responsible for mentoring and developing our chefs, fostering a culture of excellence, and promoting teamwork within the kitchen.

Your responsibilities will extend to inventory management, ensuring optimal stock levels while minimizing waste through efficient practices. You will be responsible for menu planning, food preparation, presentation, and maintaining the highest standards of hygiene and food safety while remaining within an agreed budget.

The successful candidate will have a proven track record of culinary excellence, strong leadership abilities, and a passion for delivering exceptional food. If you are a creative and ambitious chef with a commitment to quality and a desire to make a significant contribution to our culinary team, we encourage you to apply.

• Salary - £32,700 - £51,200
• Contract type - This position is a Permanent contract.
• Working pattern - The working pattern will be 35 hours a week Mon - Fri with hours varying depending on needs of the business between 7am and 5pm.
• Location - This role is based at Pimlico, London
• Role Internally know as Team Manager, Food Production

Key Responsibilities 

• Lead and inspire the kitchen team to deliver exceptional culinary experiences 
• Design and implement innovative food offerings that cater to customers preferences and evolving culinary trends 
•  Ensure adherence to food safety, quality, and cost control standards

Benefits of the Partnership and the role 

We believe in rewarding our Partners for their time and energy. After all, they’re the ones that make the John Lewis Partnership special. Benefits include:

💚Full uniform supplied including safety shoes
💚Free Meals on Duty depending on hours worked
💚Free parking on site.
💚Once you’ve been with us for three months, you’ll get Partnership discount in store and online. That’s 25% off in John Lewis & Partners (12% electrical products, some exclusions apply) and 20% in Waitrose & Partners. You’ll also be able to nominate someone you live with to share your discount.
💚Discounted cinema tickets & VIP suites with discounted tickets at the O2 arena
💚Discounted rates on holidays at the John Lewis Partnerships hotels, where only Partners and their guests can stay
💚Excellent work life balance, including focus on well being and flexible working and our marketing leading equal parenthood leave Policy

And much more! Find out more about our benefits here: https://www.jlpjobs.com/about/benefits/

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Essential Skills/Experience You’ll Need

• Supervisory Experience: A minimum of 3 year’s experience in supervising catering teams.
• Food Expertise: Experience working with all food types and a genuine passion for hospitality.
• Commercial Awareness: A strong understanding of how to manage sales, stock, and wastage to protect the bottom line.
• Leadership Qualities: The ability to lead by example, foster trust within a team, and remain flexible to support other departments when required.
• IT Literacy: Proficient computer skills to manage administrative tasks and ordering systems.
• Recognised Food Production Certificate. City & Guilds 706 1 & 2 or equivalent
• Food Safety Level 3 certification.
• Operational experience in PDRs, canteens or hospitality at a supervisory level
   

Desirable Skills/Experience You May Have

• NVQ Level 3 in Professional Cookery or equivalent
• Experience working in a high-pressure, customer-facing selling or service environment.
• Previous experience in a dedicated administration or logistics function.





Closing Date:

November 23, 2026

Pay:

£32,700.00 - £51,200.00 Annual

Contract Type:

Permanent

Hours of Work:

Mon - Fri 7am - 3pm

Job Level:

Partnership Level 8

Where You'll Be Working:

London Central Office, 1 Drummond Gate, London, , SW1V 2QQ

ABOUT THE PARTNERSHIP

We’re the largest employee owned business in the UK and home of our cherished brands, John Lewis and Waitrose. We’re not just employees, we’re Partners, driven by our purpose to build a happier world. As we look to our future, there’s never been a more exciting time to join us.  

We’re ruthlessly focused on being brilliant at retail. We continue to innovate, adapt and diversify. Never Knowingly Undersold on price, quality and service in John Lewis and passionately serving food-lovers in Waitrose.   

As Partners we all share the responsibility of ownership and in its rewards. We use our voices to contribute to our success, working together through the good and challenging times, holding true to our behaviours and treating everyone with kindness and respect. 

We all own making the Partnership somewhere we belong. Embracing our differences and creating an environment where we’re free to be ourselves and can THRIVE. Growing ourselves individually, and as a collective. 

As Partners, we make all the difference. And, we all own it.  

Important points to note:  

It’s important to note that some of our roles are subject to pre-employment vetting (which may include DBS checks for successful candidates). If required, you’ll be informed and provided with information about vetting during the recruitment process and we encourage you to complete any vetting documents quickly to avoid delays. Any DBS checks required will be carried out by a third-party registered body and financial probity checks may also be required for some of our roles.

We also recommend that you apply as soon as possible as vacancies can close early if we see a high number of applicants.  

We want all of our Partners to have a good work-life balance and we support flexible working. This might mean flexible or compressed hours, job sharing or shorter hour contracts, where possible. Please discuss this further with the hiring manager during your interview.