Head Chef – Luxury Country House Hotel & Restaurant | 2AA Rosettes
New Forest, Hampshire
£55,000–£60,000 + £2,000–£3,000 Service Charge + Temporary Live-In + Excellent Benefits
A rare opportunity has arisen for an exceptional Head Chef to lead the kitchen of one of Hampshire’s most iconic luxury country house hotels.
Set in the heart of the New Forest, this beautiful and highly regarded property is celebrated for its 2AA Rosette-standard restaurant, elegant afternoon teas, and luxury weddings and events — all built around a true field-to-fork philosophy, showcasing the very best of locally sourced seasonal produce.
But this role is about more than food.
We are looking for a calm, people-focused and inspiring leader — someone who builds high-performing teams through coaching, trust and development, not pressure or shouting. This is a people-first business where culture matters just as much as culinary excellence.
You’ll be a hands-on, passionate and creative Head Chef who thrives on mentoring others, bringing out the best in your brigade, and creating an environment where chefs can grow, flourish and succeed. You’ll lead from the front, setting the standard for quality, consistency and innovation, while nurturing a positive and ambitious kitchen culture.
This is the ideal role for a chef who gets genuine satisfaction from developing talent, creating exceptional dishes, and leading with professionalism, patience and purpose.
What you’ll bring:
- Proven Head Chef experience within a high-end, fresh food kitchen (ideally 2AA Rosette level)
- Strong passion for seasonal, locally sourced produce and refined fresh food cooking
- Creativity and flair in developing dishes from scratch
- A natural ability to lead, motivate, train and inspire a brigade of varying skill levels and personalities
- A calm, composed and supportive management style
- Strong organisational and operational skills
- Good commercial awareness, including GP, stock control and labour management
- Excellent communication skills and the ability to build strong relationships across kitchen, front of house and senior leadership
What’s on offer:
- Competitive salary package + service charge
- Temporary live-in accommodation available
- Excellent company benefits
- Staff discounts across the wider group
- Leisure membership
- Free meals on duty
- Free parking
- A genuinely supportive and positive working environment
- Strong long-term development opportunities
This is an outstanding opportunity to join a respected luxury hospitality business that values its people, invests in its teams, and understands that the best kitchens are built on great leadership, not ego.
To apply, please send your up-to-date CV in Word format for a confidential conversation.