Head Chef

Job Title: Head Chef

Job Requisition Number 8744

Work Type Permanent (37 hours / week)

Salary Range Up to £35,000 per annum

Base Llanishen

Closing Date

ASAP

Who we are

Our Visitor Attraction site at Lisvane and Llanishen opened in 2023, in the North of Cardiff, and is open all year round! This is an exciting opportunity for anyone wishing to join Welsh Water. The site boasts, a state-of-the-art Visitor Attraction building with 150cover restaurant, balcony with views over both reservoirs, group and cubicle changing rooms, both land and water-based activities, education learning space, bird hides & islands, meeting rooms and a Grab & Go.

…Come and join our team and work in this green / blue oasis less than 5 miles from Cardiff city centre. Want to see more? Take a look at here: https://lisvane-llanishen.com/

Good to know

This is a Head Chef role designed to support a healthy work-life balance without compromising on quality, creativity or career development. You'll primarily work daytime hours, typically 8:00am to 4:00pm, with only occasional variations and a maximum of two later finishes per week (up to 10:00pm). Weekend working is shared fairly across the team, averaging one weekend in three, and you'll receive your rota by the 14th of each month, giving you plenty of time to plan your personal commitments.

You'll work any five days out of seven on an annualised hours contract. This means your working hours are spread across the year to reflect seasonal business demands, with busier periods balanced by quieter periods, while you continue to receive the same monthly salary throughout the year. Unlike many hospitality roles, you'll benefit from no split shifts, providing greater consistency and predictability in your working day.

You'll be joining a friendly, supportive team where people enjoy working together to deliver excellent food and service in a well-organised environment.

For an informal discussion about this role, please contact James.Griffith@dwrcymru.com and quote the Job ID in the subject line.

What you’ll be responsible for

At Lisvane and Llanishen’s stunning setting, we’re looking for an inspiring Head Chef to take the lead on a thriving, high-profile food offer. This is a hands-on role for a confident, creative chef who leads from the front—bringing energy to the kitchen, setting high standards, and building a motivated team that delivers exceptional food every day. You’ll shape menus, drive quality and consistency, and play a key role in growing the business through fresh ideas, great experiences, and a real passion for food. If you love leading people, thrive in a fast-paced environment, and want to make your mark, this is your chance to be part of something special.

• Take the reins of a buzzing, seasonal kitchen and bring your food to life with every dish
• Create vibrant, flavour-packed menus using fresh, local ingredients (and a bit of your own flair)
• Get creative with the food offer—spot trends, try new ideas, and keep things exciting
• Lead a passionate kitchen team, inspiring great energy, teamwork and pride in every plate
• Support and develop your team—sharing skills, ideas and your love of great food
• Keep standards sky-high when it comes to food safety, hygiene and presentation
• Balance creativity with smart cost control, stock management and low waste
• Build strong relationships with suppliers to source the very best seasonal produce
• Play a key role in events—helping deliver standout food experiences that guests remember
• Be hands-on, visible and energetic in the kitchen—setting the tone and leading from the front

About you

Essential Knowledge, Skills and Experience

We're looking for someone who is passionate about great food, enjoys leading and developing others and is committed to delivering an excellent customer experience.

You'll bring:

1. Experience working within a catering, café or hospitality environment, with a passion for creating high-quality dishes using fresh, locally sourced ingredients.
2. Practical knowledge of health and safety within a food, retail or hospitality setting.
3. Excellent customer service skills and the ability to build positive relationships with customers, colleagues and stakeholders from a variety of backgrounds.
4. Experience managing budgets, menu costings, gross profit margins, cash handling and day-to-day financial performance.
5. Knowledge of food safety, licensing and regulatory requirements, including food hygiene standards, Environmental Health requirements and trading standards.
6. Experience supporting, developing and motivating a team to deliver excellent service and achieve shared goals.
7. Experience planning and delivering successful events, functions or hospitality services.
8. Experience identifying opportunities to grow sales, improve performance and enhance the customer experience within a food and beverage operation.
9. Demonstrable experience delivering consistently high standards of food production and service, with a focus on quality and customer satisfaction.
10. Previous people management or supervisory experience, including coaching, supporting and developing team members.

Benefits

We have great benefits, including:

· Annual pay review

· Staff Discounts at our visitor attractions

· Uniform provided

· Beautiful working location

· Flexible working hours

Whilst also working for a not-for profit company that truly cares about earning the trust of customers everyday, and about looking after our beautiful environment.

Please note, we may close this role sooner if required. We may also extend the original closing date depending on interest.

Due to the nature of the industry, we require satisfactory references, post offer medical clearance, and a criminal records Basic Disclosure check on all new employees joining the business. For some roles there may be additional checks and security clearance required, and this offer is subject all checks being satisfied. You will receive further information on how to complete these checks via email once you have accepted this offer.