Head Chef
| Posting date: | 17 December 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £38,000 to £40,000 per year |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 09 January 2026 |
| Location: | BN2 9XZ |
| Remote working: | On-site only |
| Company: | Arena Racing Company |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 298713JCP |
Summary
Based at Brighton Racecourse, this role is responsible for leading and managing the venue’s culinary offering across all racedays and events at one of the country’s most prestigious sporting venues.
Working closely with the Regional Head Chef, you will play a key role in the development and delivery of an exciting and commercially successful food offer, including the growth of our non-raceday events business.
Key Responsibilities
Work in partnership with the Regional Head Chef to manage revenue budgets and achieve cost targets
Develop and deliver an innovative food strategy across retail, hospitality, and fine dining propositions
Ensure full implementation and compliance with the Company Food Safety Management System across all areas of responsibility
Develop and implement effective procurement, storage, and distribution strategies while maintaining agreed stock levels
Manage kitchen staff rotas across all areas in remit, ensuring timely submission to staffing managers and adherence to cost controls
Recruit, develop, and retain a high-performing kitchen team, allocating daily workloads to maintain operational efficiency and control
Maintain accurate records of staff attendance, sickness, and absence for all direct reports
Take full accountability for food safety compliance, including allergen management, accurate food information display, and team training and briefings
About You
Proven experience in a senior chef or head chef role
Strong knowledge of HACCP, nutrition, and allergen management
Good understanding of purchasing systems, technical packages, and IT systems
Strong leadership skills with the ability to motivate and develop teams
Excellent communication and organisational skills
Passionate about food, quality, and the kitchen environment
Thrives under pressure and is structured, systematic, and process-driven
If you are an experienced Head Chef with a passion for large-scale event delivery and culinary innovation, we would love to hear from you.
At ARC, we believe that a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace makes us a more relevant, more competitive, and more resilient company. We welcome people from all backgrounds, ethnicities, cultures, and experiences. We are an equal opportunities employer and do not discriminate on the grounds of gender, sexual orientation, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity, gender reassignment, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, disability or age. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.
If you have a disability that requires reasonable adjustments, please let us know; we will ensure that individuals with additional needs are provided reasonable adjustments to participate in the job application or interview process and to perform essential job functions.
We understand the value that diversity brings to our business and we are striving to create a working environment that is inclusive, psychologically and physically safe and ensures everyone can be heard and valued for their contributions. We are committed to making a consistent, top-down effort to be role models on what diversity, inclusion and belonging means in society.
Working closely with the Regional Head Chef, you will play a key role in the development and delivery of an exciting and commercially successful food offer, including the growth of our non-raceday events business.
Key Responsibilities
Work in partnership with the Regional Head Chef to manage revenue budgets and achieve cost targets
Develop and deliver an innovative food strategy across retail, hospitality, and fine dining propositions
Ensure full implementation and compliance with the Company Food Safety Management System across all areas of responsibility
Develop and implement effective procurement, storage, and distribution strategies while maintaining agreed stock levels
Manage kitchen staff rotas across all areas in remit, ensuring timely submission to staffing managers and adherence to cost controls
Recruit, develop, and retain a high-performing kitchen team, allocating daily workloads to maintain operational efficiency and control
Maintain accurate records of staff attendance, sickness, and absence for all direct reports
Take full accountability for food safety compliance, including allergen management, accurate food information display, and team training and briefings
About You
Proven experience in a senior chef or head chef role
Strong knowledge of HACCP, nutrition, and allergen management
Good understanding of purchasing systems, technical packages, and IT systems
Strong leadership skills with the ability to motivate and develop teams
Excellent communication and organisational skills
Passionate about food, quality, and the kitchen environment
Thrives under pressure and is structured, systematic, and process-driven
If you are an experienced Head Chef with a passion for large-scale event delivery and culinary innovation, we would love to hear from you.
At ARC, we believe that a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace makes us a more relevant, more competitive, and more resilient company. We welcome people from all backgrounds, ethnicities, cultures, and experiences. We are an equal opportunities employer and do not discriminate on the grounds of gender, sexual orientation, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity, gender reassignment, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, disability or age. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.
If you have a disability that requires reasonable adjustments, please let us know; we will ensure that individuals with additional needs are provided reasonable adjustments to participate in the job application or interview process and to perform essential job functions.
We understand the value that diversity brings to our business and we are striving to create a working environment that is inclusive, psychologically and physically safe and ensures everyone can be heard and valued for their contributions. We are committed to making a consistent, top-down effort to be role models on what diversity, inclusion and belonging means in society.