Head Chef

Dakota Hotel based in Glasgow City Centre are seeking a forward-thinking and driven Head Chef to drive our Kitchen team. This is a rare opportunity for a culinary professional who combines technical excellence with creative flair, and who thrives in a high-performance, brand-led environment., Ensure all dishes are prepared and presented in alignment with Dakota's menu SOPs, maintaining consistency in quality, portioning, and visual appeal across all service periods. Introduce seasonal specials that complement the core menu, enhancing the guest experience while staying within brand guidelines. Be ultimately responsible for adhering to best practice in Food Hygiene/Safety legislation as well as Health and Safety in the kitchen and leading the team to do so consistently. This includes maintaining the highest standards of cleanliness in the kitchen and strict food safety processes, writing HACCP's, and maintaining the completion of due diligence documentation to maintain our high food audit scores. Carry out managerial responsibilities including providing daily guidance and coaching to the team, attending meetings and communicating with other departments, holding interviews and trial shifts, holding appraisals, and performance management. Drive kitchen profitability through effective rota planning, stock control, and supplier management. Monitor GP margins and ensure procurement aligns with quality and cost expectations. Work closely with the General Manager and F&B Manager to ensure the food offering consistently meets guest expectations and reflects Dakota's brand identity. Support FOH training to ensure exceptional menu knowledge and service delivery. Be committed to working wholeheartedly as part of the wider hotel team, effectively and positively communicating with all members of the kitchen and front of house team. Have a passion and display a willingness to train junior Chefs and apprentices in an open working environment of ongoing improvement. Display a willingness to continuously learn and improve your skills as a professional Chef, responding to guest feedback.

• A minimum of 8 years professional cooking experience in restaurant of a high calibre.
• A minimum of 2 years experience as a Sous Chef or above.
• A minimum of two years experience in stock management and purchasing, and cooking to high standards.
• Trained and knowledgeable in food hygiene to level 2 or above, HACCP and allergens.
• Experience in using rota writing and using procurement systems.
• Experience in preparing a kitchen for food hygiene audits and maintain food safety documentation.
• Demonstrate a passion for quality food and preparation.
• Be computer literate with an ability to use Microsoft Office programs.
• An enthusiastic individual who will promote our culture of positivity.
• Be task oriented with a great pride for the work they do and attention to detail.
• Flexible with shift patterns and available around the needs of our business.
• Successful candidates must demonstrate having researched our brand and a genuine desire to be part of our team.
  Dakota is a growing UK-based lifestyle brand, known for our stylish hotels, bustling brasserie Grills and upscale cocktail Bars. Dakota's story started with two boutique hotels on the outskirts of Edinburgh, in South Queensferry, and Glasgow, in Eurocentral. We have now expanded into prime city centre locations in Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, and Newcastle with more in our pipeline.
Dakota is synonymous for delivering attentive and genuine guest service. We attract hard-working individuals who are passionate about working to the highest standards and have been voted within The Caterer's Top 15 Best Employers in Hospitality for the last five years in a row. We were also featured within the Top 10 employers in the 2024 Sunday Times Best Places to Work in the UK, as well as being awarded the Spotlight Award for Best Places to Work for LGBTQIA+ employees. As recent winners of The Cateys 'People Team of the Year', we have award-winning internal training programmes within Dakota Academy fostering continuous development and ongoing training. As a result, over 75% of our leaders have been promoted internally and, for four consecutive years, a member of our team has won a prestigious Acorn Award awarded by The Caterer to the 'Top 30 under 30' in the industry, demonstrating our success in developing talent. Eurocentral | Edinburgh | Glasgow | Leeds | Manchester | Newcastle Our location, 179 W Regent St, Glasgow G2 4DP, is easily accessible by bus and train, being less than a 15min walk from Buchannan St Bus Station, Queen St and Central Station. With discounted car parking for both guests and team members at Charing Cross and Cambridge Street car parks. We are an 83-bedroom luxury hotel boasting a destination cocktail bar, Jack's Bar, cigar terrace, champagne room, and brasserie-style Grill.
The gross annual salary is expected to earn £54,000 (inclusive of the anticipated tronc payment and tronc surplus) plus an annual incentive bonus to earn up to £5,000. The role carries a permanent contract of a minimum of 45 hours per week, working any 4 days out of 7., In addition to being part of a culture infused with positivity and opportunity for ongoing development, tangible benefits you could enjoy when you join our team include:
• Special discounts on stays and dining at any Dakota
• Access to our Employee Assistance Program which includes free private mental health support and counselling sessions, video GP consultations and private prescription services, as well as access to daily rewards to be cashed out for shopping vouchers
• Support from our inhouse Mental Health Champions
• Additional holiday day on the first anniversary of your employment
• Family-friendly flexible working options
• Meals on duty and uniforming
• Bonuses to recommend a friend to join our team and every time you are mentioned on Trip Advisor
• Accredited, certified compliance training given on employment
• Access to a suite of external, certified resources via our Learning Management System
• Supportive continuous professional development culture with an annual appraisal and objectives, or a Personal Development Plan
• Opportunities to undertake both internal and external training courses, including potential for in-house Apprenticeships
Full terms on our benefits can be found in our Handbook.