Find your place in the field of good food

Our goal is to connect good people with good food. We advertise sustainable food jobs and training opportunities to help jobseekers and employers find each other.

Roots to Work is a project of Sustain: the alliance for better food and farming.

Job description

Start Date: ASAP

Salary: £36k + TRONC

Location: Hackney

Hours: 40 hours per week (weekend availability is a must)

An exciting opportunity to work alongside our talented Head Chef, leading a team of skilled, creative chefs. We offer excellent work–life balance with predominantly day shifts and a 40 hour working week. 

You’ll support the Head Chef across our service kitchen in Hackney and production kitchen supplying two other sites, plus daily catering and weekend brunch. The role includes contributing to seasonal menus, catering, and events, with a focus on creative recipe development.

We champion seasonal, organic British produce and make as much as possible in-house – from jams and marmalades to pickles, ferments, and condiments.

This position is perfect for an experienced Sous Chef, looking to progress into a Head Chef Role. We want someone who can make an impact, working with our Head Chef to improve systems, with a strong focus on sustainability. 

If you are interested, please send a cover letter detailing your experience and interest in the role along with your CV to jos@e5bakehouse.com Please note, we may decide to close applications early if we receive a large number of suitable candidates so we recommend getting your application in as soon as possible. 

Key Responsibilities

Kitchen Production 

You will ensure operational excellence over all production processes, focusing on quality, efficiency, and consistency:

• Culinary Execution: Execute consistently high-quality cooking guided by E5 principles: seasonal, nutritious,organic sourcing, and minimal waste.

• Quality Assurance: Ensure everything produced—daily dishes and catering alike—is of the highest, uncompromising standard.

• Role Modeling: Serve as a role model for exceptional kitchen standards, maintaining a clean, tidy, and organised space at all times.

• Menu Development Support: Contribute to menu development through recipe testing and creative input; propose new dishes for café, brunch, lunch, and catering offerings.

• Innovation: Develop new menu ideas for all offerings (catering, breakfast, lunch, brunch) to drive sales and customer engagement.

• Compliance: Demonstrate and enforce exceptional food hygiene standards among all staff. Maintain uncompromising standards of food quality, portioning, and presentation. Uphold impeccable cleanliness, organisation, and mise-en-place discipline. Ensure strict food safety, hygiene, and allergen management compliance.

• Production: Ensure strict food safety, hygiene, and allergen management compliance.

 

People Leadership & Communication

You will provide comprehensive, hands-on leadership for the kitchen team, focusing exclusively on execution, mentorship, and maintaining a positive culture:

• Team Leadership: Lead the kitchen team alongside the Head Chef, as well as autonomously in their absence, ensuring all shift structures and procedures are strictly followed.

• Mentorship: Mentor and train junior staff, fostering skill growth and a professional kitchen environment.

• Performance Support: Assist with performance reviews and feedback to drive accountability and continuous improvement.

• Ambassador: Be an e5 ambassador—live and breathe our ethos and share this passion with the team.

• Communication: Ensure clear communication across sites regarding menu changes, prep requirements,ingredients, and operational updates.

 

Operations and Administration 

You will ensure administrative support to the Head Chef to manage the department's resources:

• Financial: Assist with costing, recipe development, and margin analysis to ensure financial viability.

• Inventory Control: Manage or assist with stock control, ordering, and rotation across sites; maintain communication with suppliers.

• Scheduling Command: Support rota planning, scheduling, and staffing needs; coordinate holiday or sickness cover.

• System: Assist with product costs, updating systems with relevant financial information.

• Sales Monitoring: Monitor sales and proactively adjust production as necessary to prevent waste and meet demand.

• Equipment Oversight: Identify and escalate equipment and maintenance issues to the General Manager to reduce operational downtime.

Essential Requirements

• 2+ years experience working in a busy commercial kitchen in a managerial role. 

• A deep knowledge of seasonal produce, varied cooking techniques and an understanding of sustainable practices in cheffing. 

• Strict compliance with food safety, allergen management and quality control 

• Reliable, punctual, and proactive with a strong work ethic.

• Level 2 food safety and hygiene certificate

Application information

If you would like to find out more, please email jobs@e5bakehouse.com with your CV and a cover letter attached. 

Please let us know that you found us through Roots to Work! 

We may close applications early if we receive a large amount of applicants.

Please mention Roots to Work when applying for these jobs