Head Chef Required at Harry's Restaurant in Exeter

If you’re a chef, passionate about producing consistently brilliant home-from-home dishes, within a fast paced and high volume kitchen, then we want to hear from you.

The role is very hands-on and extremely varied, so your kitchen management skills will be of paramount importance. Harry’s is a family run business and you’ll be working with the owner on a daily basis. You’ll enjoy being part of a close-knit team who share a vested interest within the business and a very particular vision for the restaurant.

A real flair and passion for food is essential. You’ll benefit from bringing innovative ideas to the table whilst simultaneously understanding our heritage and also future vision. You’ll appreciate the food that we know our guests to crave and love, and you’ll enjoy preparing and cooking it for them as much as they enjoy visiting.

Running this busy kitchen is not for the feint hearted. At peak times we’ll comfortably cater for up to 160 covers. You’ll be expected to operate the kitchen to an exceptional standard and produce outstanding results.

We operate at high volume and will frequently be at full capacity; conferences, private functions and parties are common too as we also host separate event space within the building. Prep work for breakfast, lunch and dinner shifts will be a breeze for you, as will stock management and ordering.

You’ll use your own initiative and demonstrate previous success of maintaining excellent kitchen performance. Using your experience and skillset, stock ordering, stock rotation and working to budgets will be completed effortlessly. You’ll have responsibility for health and safety, food hygiene, and achievement of GP targets. Level 3 food hygiene certificate is preferred yet not essential as training provided.

You’ll easily be able to prioritise and work well under pressure, whilst maintaining an even temperament at all times. You will be highly motivated and have the ability to pass on that motivation to the rest of your team. Great leadership skills are essential and you will need to become the teams’ role model. This role can grow to provide a great deal of autonomy and you’ll have an enormous influence over the performance of the business.

The Food:

Seasonal; honest; delicious; and plenty of choice. Harry’s is the ideal setting for laid back brunches, lunchtimes dates, intimate dinners, celebrations and quick bites.

Harry’s has close working relationships with suppliers who are typically local and all longstanding, supplying a variety of seasonal produce for the menu.

Who We Are:

Harry’s Restaurant is set in the heart of the city and has been gratifying appetites for 25 years. Rated as one of the best restaurants in Exeter on TripAdvisor, Harry’s has established itself to become the go-to dining den on the neighbourhood food scene.

Founded in 1993 by the Pounds family, Harry’s is still independently owned and run today. The eclectic restaurant, bar and private dining room all sit within the iconic gothic style building, formerly Harry Hems’ 19th century architectural sculptors workshop.

The Skills

Previous chef work or cooking experience would be beneficial.
Previous experience in a similar role within a similar operation (Grill/Steak House/high volume) would also be beneficial.
Organisational skills are essential.
You’ll have great communication skills.
The role would suit a people person and you’ll enjoy working as part of a close-knit team.
Excellent attention to detail is desired alongside good presentation skills.
Delegation will be an essential part of the role.

The Benefits