Premier Sous Chef (Maternity Cover)

It's delivering the next in a long line of magnificent dishes

It’s inspiring the changes behind the traditions. And it’s honing your leadership skills in an extraordinary kitchen. This is what makes working for the Royal Household exceptional.

As Premier Sous Chef you'll help to lead a team of talented professionals in the Royal Kitchens. Supporting the Head Chef, you'll oversee day-to-day operations and ensure every meal is delivered to the highest of standards.

Although based at Buckingham Palace, after an initial induction period you’ll also work at different Royal residences throughout the year.

We endeavour to ensure that members of our kitchen team have a well-balanced rota, which includes some shifts during sociable hours and set weekends off.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and support a team of talented professionals in the Royal Kitchens, ensuring seamless day-to-day operations across multiple residences.
• Oversee the preparation and delivery of meals for a diverse range of occasions, from staff lunches to grand State Banquets, maintaining the highest standards of excellence.
• Develop and create varied menus that showcase the finest ingredients, while managing stock levels and coordinating staff rotas efficiently.
• Motivate and inspire your team, monitoring their performance and fostering their development through training and recruitment initiatives.
• Collaborate strategically with the Head Chef and Royal Chef to drive culinary innovation, reviving traditional dishes and encouraging new menus ideas.
• Deputise for the Head Chef and lead the kitchen team as chef-in-charge as required in London or at other residences.

• With a City and Guilds catering qualification (or equivalent), you’ll also have extensive experience at a senior level within fine dining or five-star catering operations, demonstrating proficiency in classical cuisine and menu development for various occasions.
• Exceptional leadership and people management skills, with a proven ability to empower and motivate large teams to deliver outstanding results.
• Strong organisational abilities, capable of effectively planning and delegating tasks to meet the demands of varied occasions across multiple sites.
• Thorough understanding of legislative requirements pertaining to food safety and hygiene, coupled with proficient IT skills.
• A passion for mentoring and developing others to achieve culinary excellence.

We know that to deliver our best work; we need to feel at our best. That’s why at the Royal Household we offer a generous benefits package designed to support your wellbeing and life priorities.

Enjoy 25 days annual leave, rising to 30 days (plus bank holidays) dependent on the length of time you have worked for us.

Our excellent non-contributory pension plan (we’ll contribute 15% and you can contribute more if you wish) is highly valued by our employees, as is complimentary lunch on-site to keep you fuelled throughout the day.

We also offer a range of leave options to support your life priorities, such as parental pay and leave and volunteering days, as well as benefits to support your physical and mental wellbeing.

Other perks include 20% off at our Royal Collection Trust Shops and complimentary admission tickets across all our locations, along with many more exclusive employee discounts.

Find out more about the full range of benefits available to our employees here.