Senior Sous Chef

About the roleAs a Senior Sous chef, you will work alongside the Head chef, leading and developing the team to produce exceptional food and service, utilizing seasonal and homegrown produce from our estate's Kitchen Garden.
There is a large well-equipped Kitchen with 2 finishing kitchens across the estate allowing us to cater for Large-scale events and family-friendly smaller events, as well as our day-to-day hotel guests.

• Salary - The full time (37.5 hour) salary range for this role is £26,500 to £35,000 however expected salary is £31,800 - £42,000 based on a 45 hour week that we are currently recruiting for.

• Contract type - This position is permanent.

• Working pattern - 45 hours per week with straight shifts only, Earliest start time 6 am - latest finish 9.30 pm

• Location - This role is based at our Odney Hotel

• Live-in accommodation is available with this role - Private bedroom with shared bathroom and kitchen - Up to £135 per calendar month

Key responsibilities 

• Excellent cooking skills with a strong understanding of produce and ingredients.

• Previous experience in a Senior Chef Role in a similar venue.

• The ability to write menus that are both creative and profitable.

• Excellent leadership skills with experience in developing and leading a team.

• Strong communication skills through a variety of means.

• Flexible and adaptable, with the ability to stay calm under pressure, adapting your approach to complete routine and non-routine tasks.

• Exceptional organization and planning skills through Standard operating procedures. High attention to detail and accuracy – great at managing one’s own time and the time of the team.

• Drive self-motivated. Excellent knowledge of kitchen-related legislative requirements/audits.

• Hold appropriate professional qualifications for the role and have HACCP knowledge and experience.

Essential skills/experience you’ll need

• Food Safety Level 3, Relevant professional chef qualifications: City & Guilds diplomas in professional cookery, BTEC HNC in professional cookery or equivalent

• Proven experience leading a team in a commercial kitchen environment

Desirable skills/experience you may have 

• Skilled influencer/ motivator/ coach

About Odney

If you are looking for a hotel with something different and some history to work in, then The Odney Hotel, our Place by the River could be for you. This is a beautiful and unique John Lewis Partnership-owned hotel, set on 130 acres by the River Thames in Cookham, Berkshire. It offers both character and charm to our guests. 

The guests can stay in one of 5 beautiful houses on the site, or one of 5 Air BnB’s each maintaining the period look of its time with access to the picturesque grounds including a private stretch of river, water gardens, a pool, and sports facilities. The main building Lullebrook Manor and it’s grounds are thought to have been the inspiration for the classic novel The Wind in The Willows bringing history along with relaxation.

Relaxation can be further achieved with a visit to our Serenity Therapy suite, offering beauty treatments and massages or afternoon tea on the terrace, a drink in the bar, or a meal overlooking the river. 

For internal use only#LI-JLPGR#LI-SH1About 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.