About the role
The Role…
At Soho House, the Executive Chef at Pen Yen is responsible for supporting the Head Chef in leading and operating the kitchen, delivering a high-quality Japanese dining experience for our members and guests.
Pen Yen is a Japanese restaurant centred around sharing dishes, sushi, sashimi and robata cooking over charcoal. As Chef de Cuisine, you will be a hands-on culinary leader, responsible for maintaining the quality, consistency and standards of the food while supporting the development and performance of the kitchen team.
A successful Executive Chef will work closely with the Head Chef in the day-to-day operation of Pen Yen, supporting menu execution, team development, scheduling, labour, food quality and kitchen performance.
What's in it for you?
- Weekly Pay
- Team meal whilst on shift prepared by our chefs
- Every House Membership
- 50% off Food & Drink, 7 days a week
- Staff Room Rate; Any Bedroom, Any House, $100 a night
- Private Health and Dental Care
- Life Assurance
- Day off on your birthday
- Up to 50% Staff Discount on Cowshed & Soho Home
- In conjunction with Soho Impact, take 2 days paid a year to support a charity of your choice.
- Free Counselling Sessions
- Cookhouse & House Tonic: Our Cookhouse & House Tonic programmes offer unique food and drink trainings, events and opportunities to inspire and educate.
- Continuous training to develop yourself personally and professionally
- Team Events: From fitness sessions to cinema screenings and art classes, each month we hold a series of fun events which you can sign up to
Soho House offers competitive compensation packages that feature global benefits and perks. Whether you’re seeking entry-level employment or a new opportunity to expand your profession, we offer training to develop the technical and managerial skills necessary to enhance your career
Key duties…
- Deliver a consistent, high-quality Pen Yen dining experience across sushi, sashimi, robata and Japanese sharing dishes.
- Oversee the day-to-day BOH operation, ensuring effective staffing, preparation, service and execution of all dishes to Pen Yen and Soho House standards.
- Maintain the highest standards of food quality, presentation, consistency and attention to detail across the kitchen.
- Support with menu development, seasonal dishes, recipe creation, food specifications, costing and menu updates.
- Ensure all dishes are prepared and executed according to agreed recipes, specifications and presentation standards.
- Support the development and training of the kitchen team through on-the-job coaching, Cook House training and regular skills development.
- Create a positive, collaborative kitchen culture and ensure effective communication between the BOH and FOH teams.
- Manage kitchen schedules, labour, prep, production, service, opening and closing procedures to ensure the operation runs efficiently.
- Ensure all food safety, health and safety, hygiene and allergy procedures are followed in line with Soho House and local regulations.
- Support purchasing, stock control, food cost, waste management and supplier relationships to maintain quality and commercial performance.
- Manage events, special menus and private dining experiences.
- Ensure all kitchen equipment is maintained and report and follow up on any maintenance issues.
- Manage and develop the kitchen team, including recruitment, onboarding, performance management and succession planning.
What we are looking for...
- Minimum 4–5 years’ experience in a similar Executive Chef, Head Chef or Culinary Senior Leadership role within a high-volume, quality-driven restaurant.
- Strong experience working with Japanese cuisine, ideally including sushi, sashimi, robata or charcoal cooking.
- Culinary trained and passionate about Japanese food, ingredients, technique and continuous development.
- Proven experience leading, training and developing a kitchen team in a busy, high-volume environment.
- Strong knowledge of food quality, kitchen operations, food safety, HACCP and local sanitation regulations.
- Experience managing labour, purchasing, stock, food cost and waste control.
- A hands-on and operational leader who is comfortable working alongside the team during service.
- Strong communication and organisational skills, with the ability to build positive relationships across the kitchen and wider House.
- Experienced managing P&L’s, labour, purchasing, vendors and quality control while providing results in revenue
- Must be able to demonstrate competency as outlined in the training schedule and Club School
- Must be able to work flexible shifts and schedules, including weekends and holidays as needed
- Ability to take direction, work in a team environment and autonomously