Sous Chef -

Sous Chef – Multi-Service Hospitality Environment

Our multi-award-winning organisation is seeking a Sous Chef to join our Hospitality team, supporting a busy and diverse catering operation that includes care home dining, a café, community centre and regular events.

You will initially be based at Vi and John Rubens House Nursing Home in Ilford (IG2 6JH) before transitioning in early summer 2026 to our brand-new Sugar and Ronson Campus and the new Sugar Family Care Home (IG4 5LN). The new campus will be a vibrant community hub, offering a varied hospitality environment where food plays a central role in bringing residents, visitors and the wider community together.

Our sociable working hours offer an excellent work-life balance, while giving you the opportunity to make a real difference to our residents, service users and the wider community through the provision of high-quality meals and catering.

At the Sugar and Ronson Campus, you will work across a vibrant and diverse hospitality setting. As Sous Chef, you will support catering across our care home dining, café, community centre and campus events, giving you the opportunity to work within a varied and community-focused food service environment.

You will also play an important role in catering for community and organisational events, typically around twice per month, helping to create memorable experiences for residents, visitors and guests.

We strive to be an employer of choice, fostering a positive kitchen culture where staff feel valued and supported. As a result, many of our team members stay with us long term, enabling us to build strong, experienced teams that work collaboratively and support one another. If you are not familiar with Kosher kitchen practices, don’t worry — full training will be provided.

You will work 5 days out of 7 including weekends (averaging 1 weekend in 3). This role is 40 hours per week on a shift basis.

Typical shift patterns

8:00am – 4:30pm (8 hours with a 30-minute break)

10:00am – 6:30pm (8 hours with a 30-minute break)

Occasionally, shifts may start earlier or finish later to support special events or operational requirements.

What you will be doing

You will play a key role in ensuring we deliver an excellent catering service, creating an inviting and enjoyable dining experience for residents, visitors and the wider community.

Your core duties will include:

• Ensuring all food produced meets agreed quality standards, developing innovative approaches that reflect market trends, cultural requirements and Kashrut laws
• Ensuring all Food Hygiene and Health & Safety practices are monitored, met and recorded in line with organisational policies and current legislation
• Working within agreed budgets, managing unit controls and consistently identifying opportunities to improve both quality and cost-effectiveness
• Leading, motivating and supporting the kitchen team to achieve agreed outcomes and exceed customer service expectations
• Deputising for the Head Chef in their absence and supporting the day-to-day management of the kitchen

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for an experienced Sous Chef who thrives in a busy and complex catering environment, with the ability to deliver consistently high standards across multiple service areas.

This role requires someone who is comfortable working across care home dining, café service, community catering and events, while maintaining quality, efficiency and compliance at all times.

You will bring strong organisational skills, a hands-on leadership style and a passion for delivering excellent food and service.

You will need:

• Previous experience at Sous Chef or senior chef level, ideally within a high-volume or multi-service catering operation
• Supervisory experience with relevant Food Hygiene or Catering qualifications (NVQ Level 2 or 3 or equivalent)
• Strong understanding of food safety, compliance and kitchen best practice within a regulated environment
• The ability to manage competing priorities and work to deadlines in a fast-paced kitchen
• Experience working within budgetary controls while maintaining high food quality standards
• An energetic, passionate and proactive approach, with the ability to motivate and support colleagues
• An understanding of the care sector environment, with the sensitivity required when catering for older and vulnerable people