Sous Chef – Luxury Private Estate
Location: Suffolk
Position: Full-Time, Permanent
Reporting to: Head Chef / Executive Chef
The Opportunity
We are seeking an exceptional and passionate Sous Chef to join the culinary team of one of the UK's most distinctive luxury private estates.
This is far from a conventional hotel kitchen. The estate offers guests an immersive countryside experience where outstanding food, exceptional produce and highly personalised service sit at the heart of the offering.
Working alongside the Head Chef and wider culinary team, the Sous Chef will play an important role in delivering memorable dining experiences across a variety of settings—from refined dinners and relaxed family-style dining to outdoor feasts, barbecues, picnics and bespoke private events.
The successful candidate will be a talented and grounded chef who genuinely loves ingredients, seasonality and cooking from the land.
The Role
As Sous Chef, you will support the Head Chef in the day-to-day running of the kitchen while helping maintain exceptional standards of food quality, presentation and consistency.
Responsibilities will include:
- Supporting the Head Chef with the management and organisation of daily kitchen operations.
- Preparing and delivering exceptional dishes using the finest seasonal and locally sourced ingredients.
- Helping develop menus that celebrate British produce, seasonality and the surrounding countryside.
- Creating bespoke dining experiences according to individual guest preferences and requirements.
- Supporting a wide variety of dining styles, from sophisticated dinners to informal lunches, outdoor cooking, picnics and private celebrations.
- Supervising, motivating and developing junior members of the brigade.
- Maintaining excellent standards of food preparation, presentation and consistency.
- Supporting ordering, stock management, stocktakes and waste control.
- Ensuring excellent food hygiene, HACCP and health & safety standards throughout the kitchen.
- Working collaboratively with front-of-house and estate teams to ensure a seamless guest experience.
- Taking responsibility for kitchen operations in the absence of the Head Chef.
The Ideal Candidate
We are looking for someone who combines strong classical foundations with creativity and a genuine passion for produce.
You will ideally have experience within a luxury hotel, private members' club, high-end restaurant, country estate or private household environment.
You should be:
- Passionate about seasonal, sustainable and locally sourced produce.
- Comfortable delivering both refined cuisine and beautifully executed informal food.
- Creative without being overly complicated.
- Highly organised with excellent attention to detail.
- Calm and professional when working under pressure.
- Confident leading and developing junior chefs.
- Commercially aware, with an understanding of food costs, stock management and waste.
- Flexible and comfortable working within a guest-led luxury environment.
- A strong team player with a positive, hands-on approach.
The Food Philosophy
Food is an integral part of the guest experience.
Menus are inspired by the seasons and the surrounding countryside, with an emphasis on exceptional British produce, provenance, sustainability and simplicity.
The philosophy is about allowing excellent ingredients to speak for themselves while creating food that feels generous, memorable and appropriate to the occasion.
The role therefore offers a chef considerable variety and the opportunity to move beyond the traditional restaurant environment.