Senior Sous Chef

We're looking for an exceptional, passionate and ambitious Senior Sous Chef to join our kitchen leadership team at The Leicester Arms, our beautiful countryside pub with rooms in the heart of Penshurst, Kent. Part of the Little & Large Pub Company , The Leicester Arms is a food-led country pub where exceptional seasonal cooking, fantastic British produce and genuine hospitality are at the heart of everything we do.

We're looking for a talented chef who can do more than just deliver a great service. We want someone who can lead, inspire, innovate and help take our kitchen to the next level. This is a fantastic opportunity for an experienced Senior Sous Chef or an ambitious Sous Chef ready to take the next step in their career. THE ROLE Working closely with our Head Chef and wider food leadership team, you'll be instrumental in driving the food offering, developing the brigade and ensuring the kitchen consistently delivers outstanding results.

You'll be responsible for: Leading the kitchen team and delivering exceptional food across lunch, dinner, Sunday roasts and special events Supporting the Head Chef with all aspects of kitchen operations and leadership Taking ownership of service, ensuring consistency, quality and attention to detail Developing creative, seasonal menus and exciting daily specials Working with fantastic British produce and building strong relationships with suppliers Training, mentoring and inspiring junior chefs to achieve their potential Managing food GP, stock control, wastage and kitchen profitability Maintaining the highest standards of food safety, hygiene and HACCP compliance Supporting kitchen recruitment, rotas and effective labour management Taking full responsibility for the kitchen in the Head Chef's absence Helping create a positive, professional and ambitious kitchen culture ABOUT YOU We're looking for a chef with genuine talent, strong leadership skills and a passion for doing things properly.

You'll have: Proven experience as a Senior Sous Chef or a strong Sous Chef in a quality, fresh-food kitchen A passion for seasonal British cooking and exceptional ingredients Strong technical cooking skills and excellent attention to detail Experience leading, developing and motivating a kitchen brigade A solid understanding of food costs, GP management and commercial kitchen operations Confidence managing busy services while maintaining exceptional standards Creativity and enthusiasm for menu development Excellent organisational skills and a calm, solutions-focused approach A genuine desire to progress and help build something special Above all, we're looking for someone who leads by example, takes ownership and cares as much about the team and the guest experience as they do about the food on the plate.

WHY JOIN US? At Little & Large, we believe great hospitality starts with great people. We're an independent, growing hospitality company with a collection of distinctive pubs, restaurants and rooms, each with its own personality but all sharing the same commitment to great food and genuine hospitality. We offer: Competitive salary, dependent on experience The opportunity to work with outstanding seasonal British produce Genuine creative input into menus, specials and the direction of our food offering A key leadership role within an ambitious, food-focused kitchen Support from an experienced senior management and food leadership team Real opportunities for career development and progression across our growing pub company Staff benefits and discounts across our venues A positive, supportive environment where talent, individuality and ideas are valued The chance to help shape the future of an exciting and evolving hospitality business READY TO MAKE YOUR MARK?

We're not just looking for someone to fill a position. We're looking for a chef who wants to make a difference. Someone who loves great food, thrives on leading a team and takes real pride in creating memorable dining experiences. If you're ready for a new challenge, have the ambition to grow and want to be part of an independent hospitality company doing things a little differently, we'd love to hear from you.

Apply today and take the next step with The Leicester Arms and Little & Large Pub Company.