Group Executive Head Chef

at  HandPickedHotels

ABOUT THE COMPANY

Hand Picked Hotels was founded in 2001 by owner, Chairman and CEO, Julia Hands MBE. Julia’s love of historical buildings, the English countryside, local food and good wine inspired her dream to own a collection of hotels that would celebrate these passions and invite others to share in them.
Today, the family-owned group has 21 unique luxury country houses and coastal retreats, each hand picked for their individuality. Architecturally distinctive and quintessentially British, every hotel boasts an extraordinary location from Scotland to the Channel Islands, offering breathtaking views from vast countryside to expansive beaches, to lush woodlands. Dedicated to creating unique and enchanting stays, curated personalised service runs through the heart of every hotel. Whilst each hotel is individual, each property fulfils the company values of family, individuality, community and care, with a team commitment to aiming higher and delight their guests with magical experiences that offer a true escape from the every day.
Our Group Executive Head Chef will be responsible for providing inspirational and dynamic leadership to the Head Chefs and their brigades, at an exciting time in the group’s journey to become the UK’s leading privately-owned country house hotel group.
As Group Executive Head Chef, you will be responsible for driving, implementing and delivering the Hand Picked philosophy of Service, Excellence, Consistency across the hotel’s culinary offering. You will work closely with the Hand Picked Hotels Executive Leadership Team, Senior Leadership Team and Head Chefs to maximise the performance of the hotels food offering, whilst ensuring our guests are met with a truly magical culinary experience.

This exciting role will enable you to be a key influencer for the future and ongoing transformation of Hand Picked Hotels, taking your career to new heights.

This role has primary areas of focus:

• This rare and amazing opportunity will give you exposure to being part of a Senior Leadership Team, who are committed to transforming Hand Picked Hotels to become a leading country house hotel group.
• As Group Executive Head Chef, you will be able to utilise your experience and knowledge of the luxury hotel industry to coach Head Chefs and their teams, embodying Hand Picked Hotels philosophy of service.
• You will be influential in establishing and creating a culture where the Hand Picked brand philosophy defines their colleagues experience throughout each of the hotels.
• Review and sign off all menus, ensuring they are consistent with Hand Picked Hotels standards, the targeted positioning and the expected quality for each of the Hotel’s culinary outlets.
• Be responsible for ensuring innovation withing the kitchen teams, pushing the boundaries of the “art of the possible”.
• Provide commercial leadership, setting clear objectives and plans of activity to deliver Hand Picked Hotels’ culinary strategy and budget in line with HPH’s values.
• Be responsible for inspiring and leading the Head Chefs to achieve their operational and strategic goals.

About you:

• Previous experience as a Group Executive Head Chef within a luxury hotel group, including the execution of Michelin Star culinary standards, alongside multisite management.
• You will be dynamic, driven leader who thrives on inspiring others with your natural passion and energy for the hospitality industry, leading from the front.
• This is amazing opportunity where you can be involved in striving for culinary excellence across the group shaping the future of our of food and beverage offering.
• It is essential you have outstanding leadership and interpersonal skills, with the ability to motivate and guide your Head Chefs and their teams to ensure they maximise their career potential.
• Can demonstrate the ability to critically evaluate and challenge current work practices; is an innovator, driven, passionate about hospitality and leads with heart and soul.
• Must have exceptional people leadership with a proven track record of leading and coaching teams to levels of unparalleled success.
• Confident with presenting at board level and to senior stakeholders, and able to articulate their strategy and the reasoning behind this with the focus being service, excellence and consistency from a culinary perspective.
• Outstanding communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Exceptional level of commercial and financial acumen with extensive experience in budgeting, management of food costs, including GP control and procurement.
• In-depth knowledge of current and future culinary trends, best practices, luxury standards.