Chef de Partie

Chef de Partie

Ajé Cafe and Studio, Ilkley
Full Time | Salaried | Start date: Immediate

Ajé is a new independent restaurant, café and wellness space opening in Ilkley, and we’re looking for an experienced Chef de Partie to join the expanding kitchen team.

This is a hands-on role for someone who enjoys cooking properly, works cleanly and quickly, and takes real pride in consistency.

We’re looking for someone motivated, organised and calm under pressure. Someone who can take ownership of a section, support the wider kitchen and understands that good cooking is built on preparation, discipline and attention to detail.

Ajé is more than a single restaurant service, so the kitchen team will work across several different parts of the business.

Ajé by Day is our main daytime restaurant and café, open seven days a week. The food is contemporary, produce-led and designed for breakfast and lunch without falling into standard café food.

The daytime service is a busy and fast-paced environment, so strong organisation and prep will be essential. You’ll need to work accurately at speed while maintaining presentation, seasoning and consistency throughout service.

Ajé by Night runs on Friday and Saturday evenings and becomes a more intimate, reservations-led restaurant with a chef-led à la carte menu.

The food is more detailed and technically considered, with a strong focus on Yorkshire produce, seasonality and Mediterranean influence.

You’ll work across both daytime and evening service and will have the opportunity to develop different areas of your cooking.

AjéTobanco is our more informal wine and drinks offer, centred around interesting bottles, sherry and cocktails alongside interesting small plates.

The food here is simpler in format but held to the same standards, with a strong emphasis on quality ingredients, preservation, preparation and dishes that work naturally alongside drinks.

Alongside the hospitality business sits the Ajé yoga and wellness studio, with regular classes, memberships, private sessions and workshops.

The studio influences part of our daytime audience, but Ajé is not a health café. The food is fresh, balanced and produce-focused while still being generous, interesting and enjoyable.

The role

As Chef de Partie, you’ll take responsibility for your section and work closely with the Head Chef and wider kitchen team.

You’ll be involved in prep, service, ordering, stock rotation, cleaning and maintaining the standards of your section.

You’ll be expected to know your mise en place, understand your prep levels and be ready for service without needing to be chased.

During service, you’ll work accurately and calmly, communicate clearly and support the rest of the kitchen when required.

This is a role for someone who wants to progress, but has a good level of experience in more refined restaurants. Everything we do here, is made from scratch, so f it says mayo - we make it, if it says muffin, we make it. You need to be confident in being able to make food properly, and be able to plate delicately. We are a professional team who love working with food, being inventive and creative, but the basics of working clean, staying on top of prep and service times, washing up and cleaning as you go, are all equally important.

You’ll have the opportunity to work across different sections, contribute ideas, learn new techniques and become involved in menu development as your experience grows.

We’re looking for someone who:

• Has previous experience as a Chef de Partie in a good restaurant, hotel or quality independent kitchen.
• Has strong basic cooking skills and sound technical foundations.
• Is confident running a section during service.
• Is organised and takes preparation seriously.
• Works cleanly and efficiently.
• Understands seasoning, consistency and presentation.
• Has a good understanding of food safety and kitchen hygiene.
• Is comfortable working with fresh, seasonal produce.
• Understands stock rotation, waste and the commercial side of a kitchen.
• Communicates well and works properly as part of a team.
• Is reliable, punctual and calm under pressure.
• Notices what needs doing and gets on with it.
• Has high standards without unnecessary ego.
• Is interested in learning and progressing.

We will provide continual development and training, with opportunities to work alongside the Head Chef and owners on new dishes, seasonal changes and special menus.

What we offer

• A full-time salaried Chef de Partie position.
• The opportunity to join a new independent restaurant
• Experience across both busy daytime cooking and more detailed evening service.
• Quality ingredients and a strong focus on independent and seasonal sourcing.
• Continual professional training and development.
• Opportunities to progress within the kitchen team.
• Meal while on shift.
• Shared tips throughout the team, distributed according to hours worked.
• Staff discount across Ajé.
• Free yoga classes or discounted studio membership.
• Workplace pension.
• Statutory holiday entitlement.

We’re building a small, ambitious kitchen team where people are expected to work hard, support each other and care about the food they send.

We want high standards and accountability, but without shouting, unnecessary hierarchy or kitchen ego.

If you enjoy cooking, want to keep developing and are looking for a kitchen where you can take real responsibility for your section while learning from the people around you, we’d like to hear from you.

Please apply with your CV and a short introduction/cover letter telling us a little about yourself, where you’ve worked, the areas of the kitchen you most enjoy and why Ajé interests you.

Pay: £28,000.00-£32,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Discounted or free food
• Employee discount

Work Location: In person