Full job description
San Pietro Restaurant
Head Chef – Italian Restaurant
Location: Kensington, London (between High Street Kensington Station and Earl’s Court Station)
Salary: £48,000 to £53,000 per year base, plus performance-related bonus
About the Restaurant
We are a small independent Italian restaurant located in Kensington, specialising in authentic Italian cuisine with a strong emphasis on fresh seafood. The restaurant has approximately sixty covers, increasing to seventy-two during the summer months.
The business is relatively new and has clear plans for growth, including the potential to expand into additional branches. This role offers an excellent long-term opportunity for a Head Chef looking to grow alongside an ambitious, quality-driven restaurant.
The Role
We are seeking an experienced, strategic, and hands-on Head Chef to take full ownership of our kitchen operations. This is a key leadership position, responsible not only for day-to-day service but also for shaping the culinary identity, maintaining standards, and supporting future growth.
The restaurant operates Monday to Sunday, with working hours of approximately forty to forty-five hours per week based on a rota. The Head Chef will report directly to the ownership and will have full day-to-day autonomy over the kitchen operation.
The kitchen delivers lunch and dinner service with a seafood-led Italian menu focused on simplicity, quality ingredients, and precise execution. Service is high quality but manageable, with an emphasis on consistency, attention to detail, and calm professional standards.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead and manage all aspects of the kitchen operation
- Design and deliver seasonal Italian menus with a strong focus on fresh seafood
- Prepare and oversee high-quality Italian dishes, including Neapolitan-style pizza dough, with experience using a gas pizza oven
- Maintain consistently high standards of food quality, presentation, and authenticity
- Ensure full compliance with food safety, hygiene, and HACCP requirements
- Drive consistency, efficiency, and service excellence, particularly during busy services
- Recruit, train, develop, and motivate the kitchen team, fostering a positive, professional, and respectful kitchen culture
- Manage ordering, stock control, food costs, and waste control
- Work closely with ownership and management to ensure the food offering aligns with commercial objectives
- Contribute to the long-term development and potential expansion of the restaurant
The Ideal Candidate
- Proven experience as a Head Chef, ideally within Italian and seafood-focused kitchens
- Strong knowledge of Italian cuisine, seafood handling, and seasonality
- Confident and skilled in Neapolitan pizza dough preparation and baking using a gas oven
- Strong leadership, organisational, and cost-control skills
- Excellent understanding of food safety, hygiene, and HACCP systems
- Calm, reliable, and consistent under pressure
- Effective communicator with both kitchen and front-of-house teams
What We Offer
- Competitive salary of £48,000 to £53,000, plus performance-related bonus
- Genuine autonomy to shape menus and influence the food direction of the restaurant
- Professional, supportive, and collaborative working environment
- Strong emphasis on work-life balance
- Contributory pension scheme
- Clear career progression opportunities for a Head Chef wishing to grow with the business
Recruitment and Legal Information
- Candidates must have the right to work in the UK
- The role is available with a reasonable notice period for the right candidate
- All applications and discussions will be treated in the strictest confidence
Our Values
We are committed to creating a working environment where everyone feels respected, valued, and empowered. We operate a professional kitchen built on mutual respect and do not tolerate aggressive or abusive behaviour.
We celebrate diversity and believe that different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives strengthen both our team and our business.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: £48,000.00-£53,000.00 per year
Work Location: 7 stratford road, W86RF