Head Chef

The Merry Monk, Monkton Heathfield, Taunton

Competitive salary + excellent tips | Full-time | Permanent

Are you an experienced Head Chef looking for your next opportunity in a busy, independent pub where your skills, ideas and leadership will genuinely make a difference?

The Merry Monk is looking for a talented and passionate Head Chef to lead our kitchen team and take pride in delivering the high-quality food our customers know and love.

Located in Monkton Heathfield on the outskirts of Taunton, The Merry Monk is a popular independent bar and carvery restaurant with a strong local reputation. Our famous carvery sits alongside a varied menu of classic pub favourites, quality steaks and freshly prepared dishes.

The Role

As Head Chef, you will take responsibility for the day-to-day running of our busy kitchen, leading the team and ensuring consistently high standards of food quality, presentation, hygiene and service.

This is an exciting opportunity for a head chef who enjoys being hands-on, takes pride in their work and wants to bring their experience and creativity to an established and well-loved local venue.

You will play a key role in:

• Leading, motivating and supporting the kitchen team
• Maintaining consistently high standards of food preparation, cooking and presentation
• Overseeing our busy carvery and wider food operation
• Managing kitchen operations effectively during busy services
• Ensuring excellent food hygiene, health & safety and food safety standards
• Supporting menu planning and developing dishes where appropriate
• Managing stock and controlling food costs
• Minimising waste while maintaining quality
• Ensuring the kitchen is organised, clean and fully compliant
• Training and developing members of the kitchen team
• Working closely with the management team to maintain and improve our food offering

About You

We're looking for an experienced Head Chef with a genuine passion for producing great food and leading a successful kitchen.

You'll ideally have:

• Proven experience working as a Head Chef or senior kitchen professional in a busy hospitality environment
• Strong culinary skills and a passion for fresh, well-presented food
• Experience managing a high-volume kitchen
• Excellent knowledge of food safety, hygiene and kitchen procedures
• Strong organisational and time-management skills
• The ability to remain calm, focused and hands-on during busy services
• Experience managing food costs, stock and kitchen resources
• A natural ability to lead, motivate and develop a team
• A positive, professional and reliable approach
• Flexibility to work evenings, weekends and busy periods

Most importantly, we're looking for someone who takes pride in their kitchen, cares about the food they produce and enjoys leading a team.

What We Offer

We want our Head Chef to feel valued and supported, so we offer:

• Competitive rate of pay, dependent on experience
• Excellent tips
• Excellent working conditions
• A friendly, supportive team and working environment
• The opportunity to have genuine input into our food offering
• Staff meals
• On-site parking
• A well-established venue with a strong local reputation

Ready for Your Next Challenge?

If you're an ambitious and experienced chef who is ready to take ownership of a busy kitchen and make your mark at The Merry Monk, we'd love to hear from you.

Send us your CV today or contact us directly to find out more about the role.

Join The Merry Monk team and help us continue serving great food to our local community.

Pay: £32,000.00-£35,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Company pension
• Discounted or free food
• On-site parking

Work Location: In person