Southwark
Head Chef Kismet, Borough Market, London Full-time | £50k pa Kismet is a newly opened Turkish meyhane restaurant in Borough Market, inspired by the meyhanes of Istanbul and Cyprus. Our food centres around meze, seasonal produce and cooking over charcoal, served in a lively restaurant built around generous hospitality, good wine, cold beer and long evenings around the table. Led by chef and founder Keiran Mustafa, whose experience includes some of Londons leading restaurants and high-profile openings, Kismet is an ambitious independent restaurant with plans to develop beyond its first site. Were looking for a hands-on Head Chef to take ownership of the kitchen and lead its next stage of development. This is a proper leadership role for someone who can maintain high culinary standards while building a disciplined, positive and commercially responsible kitchen. Youll work closely with Keiran and the management team, with real responsibility for the day-to-day running of the kitchen. The role Lead the kitchen team across preparation and service Maintain consistency, quality and presentation across every dish Organise rotas, sections, preparation and daily kitchen operations Recruit, train and develop chefs Manage ordering, stock control, wastage and supplier relationships Take responsibility for food costs, gross profit and kitchen labour Maintain excellent food-safety, hygiene and compliance standards Work with Keiran on menu development and seasonal changes Build a professional, respectful and accountable kitchen culture Communicate clearly with the GM and wider management team What were looking for Experience as a Head Chef or a strong Senior Sous Chef ready to step up Strong leadership and kitchen-management skills Confidence managing food costs, stock, ordering and labour Excellent organisation and attention to detail The ability to lead calmly through busy services High standards without unnecessary ego or drama Reliability, consistency and a genuine sense of ownership An interest in Turkish food, meze and charcoal cooking is beneficial, but not essential Experience in a quality, high-volume London restaurant would be advantageous Hours and schedule Kismet is closed on Mondays. We serve dinner Tuesday to Saturday and lunch Wednesday to Sunday. This is a full-time, hands-on position requiring a mixture of single and double shifts, with responsibility across the restaurants busiest services. What we offer Competitive salary based on experience Staff meals on shift Creative input and influence over the kitchens development The opportunity to lead an ambitious newly opened restaurant Support from an experienced chef-founder and management team Genuine progression as Kismet and the wider business develop TPBN1_UKCT