How to record a head chef video job ad

Step 1: Open with the Opportunity

Start your video by answering the question every head chef candidate is asking: "Will this be my kitchen — my menus, my standards, my team — or will I just be executing someone else's vision with a fancy title?" Head chefs have reached the point where they want to lead, not follow. They want creative ownership, real authority, and a platform that matches their ambition. Your job ad needs to show them you're offering that.

This opening determines whether strong candidates keep watching or scroll past. Head chefs who are good enough to hire have options — they're either in a role they could stay in or fielding multiple opportunities. The standard job ad opening ("We're looking for an experienced head chef to lead our kitchen team") tells them nothing about why your opportunity is worth their attention. You have maybe fifteen seconds to convince them this is different.

The fundamental question head chefs ask is: will I have the autonomy to cook my food, build my team, and run my kitchen — or is this one of those roles where "head chef" means "senior cook who takes orders from management"? Your opening needs to answer that question directly, and if the honest answer is genuine autonomy, lead with it. If it isn't, you'll struggle to attract the calibre of chef you want.

Your goal is to make them think: "This is the platform I've been looking for."

Use this 3-part approach:

1. Lead with what they'll gain

Head chefs have spent years developing their craft, building their skills through every level of the kitchen hierarchy. Now they want a stage. The most compelling thing you can offer is a genuine opportunity to express their culinary vision — menus that are theirs, a team they build, standards they set. But you need to be specific about what that means in practice, because too many job ads promise autonomy and deliver micromanagement.

Start with creative control. What does menu ownership actually look like in your restaurant? Does the head chef have final say on dishes, or do owners have approval rights? Is there a defined cuisine or concept they work within, or can they shape the direction? How do seasonal changes happen — head chef-led development, or collaborative input from ownership? Be honest about this, because head chefs have been burned by roles where "creative freedom" meant "you can change the garnish occasionally."

Consider what platform you're offering. Head chefs evaluate opportunities partly on where it positions them in the industry. Is this a venue with a reputation that enhances their CV? Is there potential for recognition — awards, press coverage, industry standing? Is it a place where doing excellent work will be noticed, or somewhere good work disappears into obscurity? This isn't vanity; it's career strategy, and ambitious head chefs think about it.

Think about business ownership. The best head chefs want to understand and influence the commercial side of their kitchen. They want to see the P&L, control food costs, make decisions about labour and purchasing that affect profitability. If your head chef has genuine commercial responsibility — not just cost targets handed down, but real ownership of kitchen economics — that's valuable experience that develops them. If they'll work closely with ownership on business performance, even better.

Be honest about the backing and resources. Head chefs can only do excellent work if they have the tools to do it. What's the equipment situation — modern and well-maintained, or making do with ageing kit? What's the staffing reality — a team that allows proper execution, or skeleton crew where the head chef has to cover gaps? What's the produce budget — enough to buy quality, or constant pressure to cut corners? A head chef can work with constraints, but they need to know what they are.

2. Understand what matters to head chefs

Head chefs have different priorities than sous chefs or CDPs, and your job ad needs to speak to what actually drives their decisions. Understanding these concerns helps you frame your opportunity effectively.

Autonomy is usually the dominant factor. Head chefs have spent their careers working under other people's direction. Now they want to lead. They're asking: How much will I actually control here? Will my creativity be supported or constrained? When I make decisions about my kitchen, will they stick, or will I be second-guessed by people who don't understand food?

The ownership relationship matters enormously. A head chef's daily reality is shaped heavily by who they report to and how that relationship works. Hands-on owners who interfere with kitchen decisions make some head chefs miserable; others prefer owners who are engaged partners. Distant owners who don't understand food can leave head chefs unsupported; others appreciate being left alone. There's no universally right answer, but there is fit, and head chefs want to know what they're getting into.

Financial performance responsibility varies widely, and candidates have preferences. Some head chefs want full P&L ownership — they see it as professional development and proof of their business capability. Others prefer to focus on the food while someone else handles margins and labour costs. Be clear about what your role involves. If your head chef owns the GP and labour figures, that's a selling point for some candidates. If they don't, focus on what they do own.

Team building versus team inheriting are different propositions. Is this a role where the head chef will build a brigade from scratch, hiring their own people and creating their own culture? Or are they inheriting an existing team with established dynamics and capabilities? Both can be appealing depending on the candidate — some want a blank canvas, others prefer not to rebuild from zero. Be honest about what situation they're walking into.

Recognition and profile matter to many head chefs. Some are motivated by the potential for awards, press coverage, and industry standing. Others are content with quiet excellence. If your venue offers a platform for recognition — the kind of food that gets noticed, a location with press attention, a history of accolades — that's worth highlighting to candidates who care about it. If it doesn't, focus on other strengths.

Work-life sustainability has become increasingly important even at head chef level. The burnout rate in the industry is significant, and many head chefs have experienced the worst of it. If you genuinely offer manageable hours, protected days off, or structures that mean the head chef isn't personally required for every service, that can be a significant differentiator. But be honest — overselling hours and then requiring sixty-hour weeks destroys trust and drives turnover at any level.

3. Differentiate from other opportunities

A good head chef will be weighing your opportunity against others — other job ads, staying where they are, maybe opening their own place. Your opening needs to give them a reason to put you at the top of the list.

Differentiation requires honesty about where you actually stand out. Every restaurant thinks they offer "creative freedom" and "a great team." These aren't differentiators because everyone claims them. What actually distinguishes your opportunity? Maybe it's genuine autonomy that competitors don't offer. Maybe it's backing and investment for an ambitious vision. Maybe it's the produce access or supplier relationships. Maybe it's the calibre of the existing team. Maybe it's ownership who actually understand food and will be genuine partners.

Be specific about what makes you different. "We really support our head chef" doesn't differentiate. "Our owners are former restaurateurs who trust their head chef completely — our last one ran the kitchen for six years with full menu autonomy, no approval required, and left to open her own place with our investment" is specific and provable. Concrete claims about what you offer beat generic promises every time.

Avoid claiming what you can't deliver. Head chefs have experienced enough jobs to spot overselling. If you promise autonomy but ownership has strong opinions about the menu, that's a trust-destroying mismatch. If you claim great work-life balance but the reality is sixty-hour weeks, they'll figure it out fast. Be honest about what you're offering, even if it's not perfect, rather than making claims you can't back up.

If you're struggling to identify genuine differentiators, that's information worth having. Either you have strengths you're not recognising (ask current or former staff what they value), or your offering genuinely isn't competitive for the calibre of head chef you want, and you may need to address that before recruiting effectively.

Tips if you're unsure what to say

If you're finding it hard to articulate why a strong head chef should choose your kitchen, work through these questions:

What's the honest story of your last head chef? Why did they join, why did they stay (or leave), and what would they say about the role if asked candidly? If they left for a better opportunity, what did that opportunity offer that yours didn't? If they stayed for years, what kept them?

What do you actually offer that's better than average? Be brutally honest. Is your autonomy real or nominal? Is your backing genuine or lip service? Are your hours manageable or brutal? What would a head chef gain from working for you that they wouldn't get elsewhere?

Why would a successful sous chef choose to take their first head chef role with you specifically? Put yourself in their shoes. What makes your kitchen the right place to make that jump? What support would they have? What learning opportunity?

What would you have to improve to attract the head chef you really want? Sometimes the answer to "why can't we attract great candidates" is "because our offering isn't great." That's useful information.

Example: Fine Dining Restaurant

We're looking for a head chef who wants genuine ownership of a kitchen — not a role where "head chef" means executing management's vision with a good title. Our last head chef ran this kitchen for seven years with complete menu autonomy. She designed every dish, built the team from scratch, and left only to open her own restaurant (which we helped back). We're looking for someone to write the next chapter.

You'll have full creative control: the menu is yours to develop, change seasonally, and evolve as you see fit. Our owners are former industry people who understand food and trust their head chef — they'll be partners, not micromanagers. You'll own the kitchen P&L and work with us on business performance, because we want a head chef who understands and cares about running a successful operation, not just cooking.

The kitchen was refitted two years ago with equipment that actually works. The brigade is seven including sous chef, and the team is stable — most have been here 18 months or more. If you want a platform to do your best work with genuine support to do it, this is it.

Step 2: Show Your Venue Personality

Now help candidates picture themselves leading your kitchen. Head chefs know that the same job title can mean wildly different experiences. A head chef in an intimate neighbourhood restaurant lives a different life from one in a hotel with banqueting and room service. Both can be great — but candidates need to know which yours is, and whether it's the environment where they'll thrive.

This section is where you move beyond specs and into feel. What's the character of your place? What's it actually like to lead a kitchen here? Video is powerful for this because your tone, your enthusiasm, the physical space visible behind you — all communicate things that words alone cannot. Use that.

Authenticity matters more than polish. Head chefs have led or worked in enough kitchens to detect bullshit immediately. Every restaurant claims "great culture" and "supportive ownership." They know the reality is always more nuanced. When you present a sanitised, corporate version of your restaurant, you trigger scepticism. When you describe it honestly — including the challenges, the quirks, what makes it imperfect — you build trust and show that you're someone they can actually work with.

Your goal is to help them imagine themselves leading here and get excited about the environment.

Fit matters at head chef level more than anywhere else in the kitchen hierarchy. You're not just hiring someone to do a job; you're entering into a leadership partnership that will define your food operation. A mismatch is costly — for you in time and money, for them in career damage.

Use this 3-part approach:

1. Describe what kind of place this is

Give candidates a concrete picture of your operation so they can assess fit. Generic descriptions don't help — "established restaurant with high standards" could be anywhere. Specific details let candidates understand what they'd actually be leading.

What type of venue is this? The head chef role varies enormously depending on context. A fine dining restaurant with tasting menus is a different leadership challenge than a busy brasserie, which is different from a hotel kitchen with multiple outlets. Be clear about what you are, because head chefs have preferences and strengths.

What's the scale of the operation? How many covers at peak? How many chefs in the brigade? How many services — lunch and dinner, dinner only, seven days or five? A head chef needs to know the scope of what they're leading. Running a 40-cover restaurant with four chefs is fundamentally different from running a 120-cover operation with twelve.

What's the commercial context? Independent, part of a group, owner-operator? Each brings different dynamics. Group restaurants often have more resources but less autonomy; independents might offer more freedom but tighter constraints. Hotel kitchens have the complexity of multiple outlets and stakeholders. Be honest about the context, because it shapes the head chef experience significantly.

What's the service style and pace? Is this calm and measured, with focus on precision and technique? Or high-energy, with fast turns and volume? Some head chefs thrive on adrenaline; others want methodical excellence. Mismatching pace preference is a recipe for frustration on both sides.

What's the physical kitchen like? A purpose-built space with modern equipment is different from an older kitchen with character and constraints. Some head chefs love the challenge of making a difficult space work; others want tools that enable their best work. Be honest about what they'd be walking into.

2. Share your restaurant culture

Culture is what distinguishes your restaurant from others of similar type and scale. Every fine dining restaurant serves ambitious food — what makes yours different to lead?

For head chefs, the ownership relationship is the defining cultural element. What are the owners like to work with? How involved are they in day-to-day operations? When they're involved, is it as supportive partners or interfering overseers? How do decisions get made — head chef autonomy, collaborative discussion, or ownership approval? What happens when there's disagreement — constructive resolution or power struggles?

Be specific about how the relationship works in practice. "Supportive owners" is meaningless. "They come in twice a week, eat in the restaurant, give feedback on the food, but never interfere with kitchen decisions" is concrete. "When I wanted to completely change the menu direction, we had a long discussion about it and then they backed me fully" is a specific example that communicates trust.

Describe the management style that works here. Some restaurants run on formality and process; others on informal relationships and flexibility. Some expect head chefs to be hands-on cooks; others expect more management and less cooking. Some have strong FOH leadership that partners with the kitchen; others have weaker FOH that the head chef has to compensate for. Be honest about the environment and what it requires.

Address what happens under pressure. Every restaurant has tough moments — busy services, staffing crises, things going wrong. How does your organisation handle them? Is it calm problem-solving or blame assignment? Does management support the kitchen or create additional pressure? Does the head chef have authority to handle problems, or do they need approval? These dynamics matter enormously to head chef candidates.

3. Introduce who they'll work with

The head chef role is relationship-intensive. They work with ownership or management above them, lead a brigade below them, and partner with FOH alongside them. Candidates want to know who these people are.

The ownership relationship will define their daily experience as head chef. Who owns this business? What's their background — industry people or outside investors? How involved are they, and what does that involvement look like? What's the communication like — formal reviews, informal dinners, constant contact? What's the style of working together — trust and autonomy, or oversight and approval requirements? Be as specific as you can about what this relationship actually looks like.

Describe the leadership team they'll work alongside. Is there a GM or restaurant manager? What's that person like, and how does the kitchen-FOH relationship work? Is it genuine partnership with mutual respect, or an uneasy tension where kitchen and floor operate in silos? Will the head chef have support in running the business, or are they expected to handle it themselves?

Explain what brigade they'll be leading. How many chefs? What's the experience level and stability? Is there a strong sous chef already in place, or will they need to find one? What are the team dynamics like — skilled and professional, or challenging and in need of development? A head chef walking into a strong team has a different job than one who needs to build from scratch or turn around a struggling brigade.

If you can, give a sense of personalities. "Our GM has been here five years and has genuine respect from the kitchen — she and the previous head chef worked really well together" tells candidates something useful. "The sous chef has been here two years and runs service confidently when needed" signals what they're inheriting.

Tips if you're unsure what to say

The best source of authentic description is the people who work there now or have worked there recently. Ask your current senior team or former head chefs: What's it really like to lead here? What's the relationship with ownership like in practice? What surprised you about the culture that you didn't expect? What would you tell a friend considering the role?

Listen for specific stories and examples. "Management is supportive" is vague. "When we had a terrible service and eighty-sixed three dishes, the owner came in the next day to ask what she could do to help, not to criticize" is concrete and authentic.

Think about what relationships define the head chef experience here. The ownership dynamic, the GM partnership, the brigade quality — which of these is a strength to highlight, and which is a challenge to be honest about?

Example: Fine Dining Restaurant

This is a 70-cover restaurant in a Georgian townhouse — tasting menus, serious wine program, guests who book months ahead. The kitchen was refitted two years ago, so you're working with equipment that actually enables the food rather than fighting it. We do 35 covers for lunch, 70 for dinner, five days a week, with a brigade of seven including head chef.

The owners are former hospitality people — one ran restaurants for fifteen years before this. They understand food, they respect the kitchen, and they know enough to stay out of decisions that aren't theirs to make. The previous head chef was here seven years; the one before that, four. They stay because the relationship works: genuine partnership, real autonomy, owners who are engaged without interfering.

The GM has been here since opening and is a genuine partner to the kitchen. She and the previous head chef developed the service style together, and the relationship between kitchen and floor is collaborative rather than adversarial. You'd be stepping into a leadership dynamic that actually works.

The sous chef has been here two years and can run service confidently. The CDPs are experienced — most have been here a year or more. You're not inheriting a team that needs rebuilding; you're inheriting one that's functional and looking for leadership.

Step 3: Paint a Picture of the Role

Give candidates a realistic preview of what their life will look like as your head chef. This goes beyond responsibilities — it's helping them understand what leading your kitchen actually involves, day to day, week to week, season to season.

Realistic previews are especially important at head chef level, where a bad fit is expensive for everyone. Head chef turnover disrupts teams, damages reputation, and costs significant money in recruitment and settling-in time. Candidates who understand what they're actually signing up for — including the hard parts — make better decisions and start with accurate expectations.

The opposite approach — making the role sound better than it is — backfires predictably. You might attract more applicants, but you'll also get disappointed new hires who feel misled, early turnover when reality hits, and damage to your reputation in an industry where people talk. Better to have fewer candidates who genuinely want what you're offering.

Your goal is to help them imagine leading your kitchen and decide if it's right for them.

Use this 4-part approach:

1. Describe what a typical week looks like

Walk candidates through how the head chef role actually operates in your kitchen. What does a normal week look like? How does time split between cooking, managing, developing, administering?

Address the cooking versus managing balance honestly. Head chef roles vary widely in how much time is spent on the pass versus in an office, hands-on cooking versus overseeing others. In a small kitchen, the head chef might cook every service. In a larger operation, they might rarely cook, focusing on standards, development, and business. What's your reality? Candidates have preferences — some want to stay close to the food, others want to lead without cooking every plate — and need to know which you're offering.

Describe the service pattern. How many services does the head chef work personally? Which ones? Is the expectation that they're on the pass every night, or is there flexibility? What happens on the head chef's days off — does a capable sous chef run things, or does the head chef stay connected remotely? Be specific about what presence is actually required.

Explain the non-service time. Head chef roles involve significant work beyond service: menu development, ordering and supplier relationships, rota and labour management, team development, cost control and reporting. How does your role break down? What gets handled by the head chef directly versus delegated or shared? What admin systems are in place, and what requires the head chef's personal attention?

Talk about the seasonal rhythm. Most restaurants have patterns — quiet periods used for development, peak periods that require all hands on deck, annual events or projects. What does your year look like? When are the intense periods? When can the head chef do development work without service pressure? When is breathing room?

2. Explain what they'll actually own

Head chefs particularly want to understand the scope and limits of their authority. The gap between "head chef" as a title and head chef as actual control varies enormously between kitchens.

Be clear about menu ownership. Who makes the final decisions about what goes on the plate? Does the head chef have genuine creative control, or do they need approval? What's the process for menu changes — head chef-led, collaborative with ownership, or owner-directed? If there's a concept or cuisine that must be maintained, be clear about that framework. Autonomy with constraints is different from autonomy without them, but both can be valid if honestly communicated.

Describe team authority. Does the head chef hire and fire, or recommend with others deciding? What involvement do they have in recruiting, interviewing, making offers? What authority do they have over performance issues — can they address underperformance directly, or does it go through HR or management? What control do they have over team development, training, promotions?

Explain commercial responsibility. Does the head chef own the kitchen P&L? What figures are they accountable for — food cost, labour cost, overall margin? How is that accountability exercised — targets they're expected to hit, bonuses tied to performance, shared ownership of results? Or is the commercial side someone else's domain while the head chef focuses on the food?

Address operational decisions. Who controls ordering, supplier relationships, purchasing decisions? What latitude does the head chef have on spend versus what requires approval? What operational matters — equipment, maintenance, health and safety — are theirs to manage?

3. Describe who they'll work with

The head chef role is inherently relational at multiple levels. Candidates need to understand the key relationships they'll navigate.

The ownership/management relationship shapes everything. Be specific about what it's actually like. How often do they interact? What does communication look like — formal meetings, informal conversations, constant contact? How involved is ownership in kitchen decisions, and what does that involvement look like? When there's disagreement, how is it resolved? What support is available when things go wrong?

The FOH leadership partnership matters for the operation. How does the head chef work with the GM or restaurant manager? Is the relationship collaborative, with shared decision-making on service and guest experience? Or more divided, with kitchen and floor operating independently? Is the FOH leader someone the head chef will need to manage around, or a genuine partner?

The brigade is who they'll lead directly. Describe the team honestly. How many chefs? What's the current capability and experience level? Is there a strong sous chef who can be relied on? What's the dynamic — functional and professional, or challenging and in need of development? What's retention like — stable team, or high turnover they'll need to address?

4. Be honest about the demands

Every head chef role is demanding. Being upfront about the specific challenges builds trust and attracts candidates who can genuinely handle them.

Name the particular pressures of your environment. Is it the volume and pace? The precision and standards expected? The commercial pressure to hit margins? The team challenges? The ownership relationship dynamics? The physical demands of the space? Different candidates handle different pressures differently. Someone who thrives on high volume might struggle with exacting precision, and vice versa. Honesty helps them self-select.

Address what previous head chefs have found hardest. What's the challenging part of this specific role that someone from outside wouldn't realise? What's caused head chefs to struggle here in the past? What do current team members identify as the difficult aspects? This information helps candidates assess whether they're up for the challenge.

Be honest about the trade-offs. If the creative freedom is significant but the commercial pressure is real, say both. If the team is great but the hours are long, acknowledge it. If the pay is below market but the platform is exceptional, be clear. Candidates can evaluate trade-offs when they're transparent; they can't evaluate hidden ones until it's too late.

Tips if you're unsure what to say

Study how the role actually operates. If you have a current head chef, ask them to walk you through a typical week honestly. Observe what they actually spend time on versus what the job description says.

Talk to people who've done the job. What surprised them? What's harder than it looks? What do people need to succeed here that isn't obvious from outside?

Reflect on why head chefs have left or struggled. If there's a pattern — people underestimating the commercial pressure, struggling with the ownership dynamic, burning out from the hours — that's information candidates need.

Example: Fine Dining Restaurant

As head chef here, you'll typically work five days a week, with Tuesdays and Wednesdays off. You'll be on the pass for four dinner services; the sous chef runs service one night with you off the premises entirely. That's not a paper promise — we've invested in a sous chef specifically so the head chef role is sustainable.

Your week breaks down roughly: 60% service and service-adjacent (prep oversight, briefings, running the pass), 25% management (team development, admin, supplier calls, ordering), 15% creative (menu development, testing, research). The split varies with the season — quiet January is heavier on development, busy December is survival mode.

You'll own the kitchen P&L completely. Food cost is your target (currently 28%, goal is 26-29%), and you'll have full control over purchasing to hit it. You'll see the full figures monthly and meet with ownership to discuss performance. Labour cost is shared responsibility — you control the rota and staffing within an agreed budget.

The demands are real. You're accountable for everything that comes out of the kitchen: quality, cost, team, and standards. The precision expected in fine dining is relentless. And you're the one responsible when things go wrong — no hiding behind anyone else. The trade-off is genuine ownership: this is your kitchen to shape, your menus to create, your team to build. If that level of responsibility appeals to you, this is the role. If it sounds exhausting, it might not be right.

Step 4: Be Honest About What You Need

This section tells candidates what you're looking for — clearly, specifically, and honestly. The goal isn't to describe an impossible ideal. It's to communicate your actual requirements so the right people recognise themselves and the wrong people recognise they're not suited.

Both outcomes are good. Accurate self-selection saves everyone time and prevents expensive mistakes. A candidate who reads your requirements and decides they're not qualified — or not interested in what you're describing — has saved themselves a miserable experience and saved you a failed hire. The candidates you want are those who read your description and think "yes, that's exactly who I am and what I want."

The common mistake in head chef job ads is listing aspirational requirements that don't reflect reality. Demanding "Michelin experience" when you've never aimed for Michelin. Requiring "10+ years experience" when your best head chefs have been talented people with seven. Listing every conceivable skill when you actually care about five core capabilities. Inflated requirements signal that you don't really know what you need, which puts off thoughtful candidates while attracting overconfident applicants who claim things they can't deliver.

Your goal is to help the right candidates think "that's me" and the wrong candidates think "that's not for me."

Use this 4-part approach:

1. Define essential experience and skills

Be honest about what a head chef genuinely needs from day one to lead your kitchen successfully. Essential means they cannot do the job without it — not "would be nice" but actually required.

Consider what leadership experience is genuinely necessary. Have they led a kitchen before, even a smaller one? Have they been a sous chef with genuine responsibility for service, team, and standards when the head chef wasn't there? Have they demonstrated they can be accountable for results, not just execute tasks? The title matters less than the reality — someone who's "run the kitchen" as a strong sous chef may have more genuine leadership experience than someone with "head chef" from a less demanding environment.

Think about what technical capability your kitchen requires. This varies by context. A fine dining kitchen requires different technical foundations than a high-volume brasserie. A specific cuisine focus might require relevant experience, or might be teachable to someone with strong foundations. What technical skills genuinely can't be developed on the job versus which can you support someone in building?

Be honest about commercial experience requirements. If your head chef needs to manage P&L from day one, some commercial background is probably essential. If you have strong support structures and can develop their commercial skills, it's less critical. What financial and business understanding do they actually need to succeed?

Focus on demonstrated capability rather than credentials. Names on a CV — famous restaurants, years of experience — are crude proxies for actual ability. What has someone actually done that demonstrates they can do what you need? Focus your requirements on evidence of capability rather than labels that might or might not indicate it.

2. Describe what personality and leadership style thrives

Experience and skills get head chefs in the door, but personality and leadership style determine whether they succeed in your specific environment. Different restaurants suit different people, and being clear about what works in yours helps candidates self-select.

Think about the leadership style that fits your context. Some restaurants need head chefs who are natural commanders — decisive, directive, firm. Others work better with collaborative leaders who build consensus and empower teams. Some ownership relationships work best with head chefs who push back and advocate strongly; others suit people who align and execute. What style actually succeeds here?

Consider how successful leaders in your restaurant handle key situations. When service goes badly wrong, how do effective head chefs here respond? When ownership has concerns about direction, how does the relationship work best? When team members underperform, what approach gets results? When there's pressure to cut corners on quality, how does a good head chef navigate it?

Be specific about what you value. Vague terms like "passionate" and "driven" communicate nothing because everyone claims them. What specific behaviours distinguish head chefs who succeed here from those who struggle? Maybe it's someone who stays calm under pressure rather than escalating stress. Maybe it's someone who develops team members rather than just managing them. Maybe it's someone who manages up effectively with ownership. Name the specific traits that actually matter.

3. Be clear about what you're flexible on

Explicitly stating flexibility serves two purposes: it encourages good candidates who don't tick every box, and it signals that you've thought carefully about what actually matters.

Common areas of flexibility for head chef roles: The specific scale of kitchen they've led, if capability translates across sizes. Whether they've held the head chef title versus done head chef work as sous chef. Specific cuisine experience, if fundamentals are strong and your style is teachable. Industry recognition and awards, if you care about cooking ability rather than CV prestige.

Be specific about trade-offs you'd make. "We'd consider a strong sous chef ready to step up if they've genuinely been running a kitchen operationally and have the leadership presence for the title." "Michelin experience isn't required — we care about technical excellence and creative vision, not credential matching." These statements tell candidates where there's room to make a case for themselves.

Flexibility isn't lowering standards — it's honesty about what predicts success. If your best head chef hire came from an unexpected background, that tells you something about what actually matters versus what just looks good on paper.

4. Address deal-breakers directly

If certain things absolutely won't work, say so upfront. This saves everyone time.

For head chef roles, deal-breakers typically include: Fundamental gaps in capability that can't be addressed through support. Leadership limitations that would undermine the role. Incompatibility with your specific ownership dynamic. Availability constraints that genuinely can't work with your needs.

Be careful about over-designating deal-breakers. If you'd actually consider flexibility in practice, don't call it non-negotiable in the ad. But if something genuinely won't work — a specific technical foundation, a particular availability requirement — being direct about it prevents wasted applications.

Tips if you're unsure what to say

Reflect on your head chef hiring history. What did successful hires have in common? What did people who struggled lack? What did you think was essential that turned out not to matter? What did you overlook that turned out to be crucial?

Ask ownership or management: What would you never compromise on in a head chef? What experience has proven genuinely valuable? What personality traits make someone succeed or struggle here? What's gotten head chefs into trouble in your environment?

Think about failure modes. When head chefs haven't worked out, what went wrong? Technical capability? Leadership style? Ownership relationship? Commercial understanding? These patterns reveal what you actually need versus what sounds good.

Example: Fine Dining Restaurant

Here's what we need:

Experience: You've led a kitchen before — as head chef, or as a sous chef who genuinely ran things. The title matters less than the reality. What we need is someone who's been accountable for a kitchen's output: the food, the team, the service, the standards. If that's been in a smaller operation and you're ready to scale up, we're open to that conversation. If you've been sous chef in a larger operation with real ownership of results, that counts too.

Technical capability: Your cooking needs to be excellent. Fine dining standards mean precision, consistency, and creative ability. Classical foundations matter because they enable everything else. You need to be able to execute at the level we serve and teach that level to others. If there are gaps in your technique, that's fine if you're honest about them and working on them — but we need strong foundations.

Commercial understanding: You've managed budgets, thought about costs, understood how food cost and labour interact to produce margin. We're not looking for an accountant, but we need someone who cares about the business side and will engage with it rather than leaving it to others. If you've never seen a P&L before, this role will be a stretch.

Leadership capability: You've led teams and developed people. You can give feedback that changes behaviour. You can handle difficult conversations about performance. You stay calm enough under service pressure to lead effectively rather than adding to the chaos. You set standards and hold people to them without being a bully.

What we're looking for in a person: You want creative ownership and are ready to take accountability for results. You're self-directed — you'll identify problems and solve them rather than waiting for instruction. You work well with ownership as partners, not adversaries. You develop your team rather than just managing them. You're honest about what's working and what isn't.

What we're flexible on: Exact size of kitchen you've led — capability matters more than scale. Whether you've held head chef title versus done head chef work as a sous chef. Specific cuisine background, if your fundamentals are strong and you're excited about our direction.

What won't work: If you've never been accountable for a kitchen's overall results — if you've always had someone above you making the calls and taking the heat — you're not ready for this. If you can't handle a genuine partnership with ownership where they're involved and have opinions, this dynamic won't work for you. If you want to just cook and have someone else handle the business side, that's not this role.

Step 5: Make the Offer Compelling

Now sell the package. Head chefs considering your role are comparing you to alternatives — other opportunities, staying where they are, maybe finally starting their own place. Your job is to make the total value of working for you clear enough that you come out on top.

Compensation matters at head chef level, but it's not everything. The difference between head chef salaries at similar restaurants isn't usually dramatic enough to be decisive alone. What often tips decisions is the total picture: creative freedom, working relationship with ownership, team quality, reputation platform, and yes, sustainable hours and working conditions. Your job is to communicate all of this clearly.

Transparency is increasingly expected. Hiding salary and hoping candidates will apply anyway works less well every year. Head chefs talk to each other, they have industry networks, and they're sceptical of "competitive package" (which usually means "we'd rather not say"). Being upfront about compensation signals confidence and respect.

Your goal is to make them think: "This is better than my other options."

Note that "better" doesn't mean "highest paid." Head chefs value different things. Some optimise for money. Others would take less for genuine creative control. Others prioritise sustainable hours after burning out. Others want the platform for recognition. Your job is to understand what you actually offer and communicate it clearly to attract the candidates who value it.

Use this 5-part approach:

1. Be transparent about compensation

State the salary clearly. A range is fine if it's real — "£55,000-£65,000 depending on experience" gives useful information. "£45,000-£80,000" is too wide to mean anything.

Explain the full structure. What's the base salary? Is there a bonus, and what's it tied to? What's realistically achievable — not maximum possible, but what a good performer actually takes home? If there's any equity, profit share, or other financial participation, explain it.

Be honest about market positioning. If you pay above market, say so. If you pay market rate but offer exceptional creative freedom, acknowledge that trade-off. If you pay below market because you're smaller or independent but offer other compensating value, be clear. Candidates will figure out the market rate regardless; being upfront about your position builds trust.

2. Detail the benefits package

List specifically what you offer beyond salary. "Excellent benefits" is meaningless without specifics.

For head chef roles, cover: Holiday allowance and whether it's actually usable. Pension and employer contribution. Staff meals. Dining discounts. Any additional benefits — healthcare, development budget, sabbatical policy.

Be specific about each. "Good holiday" could mean anything. "28 days plus bank holidays, and we close for two weeks in January when everyone actually takes the time off" is concrete and compelling.

3. Address work-life balance honestly

This matters enormously, even at head chef level. Burnout is a serious issue, and many candidates are actively evaluating whether you offer something more sustainable than their current situation.

Be honest about hours. What's the actual working week, not the contracted one? How many days? How many services? If the reality is fifty-five hours, don't claim forty-five. Candidates will discover the truth.

Describe what support enables sustainability. Is there a sous chef who can genuinely run service, meaning the head chef can be off? How protected are days off — actually protected, or "protected except when..."? What happens during peak periods?

If your hours are genuinely better than industry standard, emphasise it. It's a significant differentiator. But only claim what you can deliver.

4. Explain growth and development

Even at head chef level, candidates want to know about growth. Some want to pursue recognition and awards. Others want to develop toward group roles or ownership. Others want to keep learning and expanding their skills.

Be specific about what the role offers for development. What will they learn or experience here? What exposure will they get that advances their career? What platform does this provide for reputation building?

Explain any progression paths. If there's potential to grow into a group role, ownership participation, or other advancement, explain it. Have previous head chefs progressed, and to what?

5. Differentiate from competitors

Pull together your unique selling points into a direct case for why this opportunity beats alternatives.

Be honest about what's genuinely different. Creative control? Ownership relationship? Platform for recognition? Team quality? Sustainable hours? Resources and backing? What specifically makes your opportunity stand out from others a strong head chef might consider?

Don't claim what you can't deliver. If your hours are standard, don't pretend they're exceptional. If your autonomy has limits, don't oversell it as complete freedom. Candidates will figure out the truth, and trust matters.

Tips if you're unsure what to say

Ask yourself: Why would your ideal head chef choose you over alternatives? What would a competitor have to offer to poach them? The answers reveal your genuine selling points.

Ask people who've worked at head chef level for you: What made you take this role? What kept you here? What would you tell a friend considering it? Their words often resonate more than corporate messaging.

Example: Fine Dining Restaurant

The package:

Salary: £58,000-£65,000 depending on experience, plus performance bonus up to £8,000 annually tied to GP margin and guest satisfaction. Realistic total: £64,000-£73,000 for a good year.

Hours: You'll work 50 hours across 5 days. Four dinner services on the pass, with the sous chef running one. Days off are Tuesday and Wednesday, protected — we've invested in the team specifically so the head chef can actually step away. We close for two weeks in January.

Benefits: 28 days holiday plus bank holidays. Pension with 5% employer contribution. Staff meals every shift. 50% dining discount across our restaurants.

Development: If your ambition is awards and recognition, we'll support that pursuit — we've had AA Rosettes and Good Food Guide entries, and our previous head chef was shortlisted for a regional award. If your ambition is eventually your own place, we've backed previous head chefs in that direction. We'll invest in your development: recent examples include staging trips and a sommelier course.

Why us: Genuine creative ownership in a kitchen that's set up to succeed. Equipment that works, a team that's stable, ownership who trust their head chef. Sustainable hours because we've built a team that enables it, not promised it while expecting sixty-hour weeks. If you want to do your best work with real support to do it, this is the platform.

Step 6: Tell Them How to Apply

End with a clear, simple call to action. Head chef candidates have options, and a confusing or demanding application process can lose them. Make it easy to take the next step.

At head chef level, the application process also signals something about how you operate. A process that's cumbersome, corporate, or impersonal suggests working for you might be similarly frustrating. A process that's clear, respectful, and personal suggests competence and good judgment.

Your goal is to remove friction and make applying feel easy and worthwhile.

Use this 4-part approach:

1. Keep the application simple

Minimise what you ask for upfront. For a head chef role, you need a CV and a brief indication of interest. A formal cover letter is usually unnecessary — a few sentences about what appeals to them is enough to start a conversation.

Make it possible to express interest quickly. Head chefs are busy, often working when you're not. If they see your ad during a rare quiet moment, they should be able to reach out immediately. Processes that require extensive form-filling or document preparation lose candidates to opportunities that made it easier.

2. Explain what happens next

Tell them who reviews applications. At head chef level, knowing that an owner or decision-maker will personally see their application matters. "I'm the owner and I read every application myself" creates connection and accountability.

Give a realistic timeline. How long until they hear back? How long does the whole process typically take? Be honest — if you usually take a week to respond, don't promise 24 hours.

Explain the stages. For head chef roles, most processes include initial conversation, deeper interview, potentially meeting the team, and some form of working session or trial. Outline what your process looks like so candidates can plan.

3. Make it personal

Applications feel better going to a person than a system. If possible, provide a direct email and a name attached to it.

Offer the opportunity for conversation before formal application. At head chef level, candidates often have questions before committing to a full application. "Happy to have an informal chat if you'd like to learn more before formally applying" signals openness and confidence.

4. Create appropriate urgency if genuine

If there's a real timeline, share it. "We're hoping to have someone in place by March" helps candidates prioritise.

Don't manufacture false urgency. Head chefs are experienced enough to recognise artificial pressure, and it damages trust.

Tips for the application process

Be responsive. Head chefs have options. If you take two weeks to respond, they may have moved on.

Pay for trials or working sessions. This is increasingly expected and signals respect for their time and status.

Communicate clearly throughout. Even if the answer is "we're still deciding," that's better than silence.

Example: Fine Dining Restaurant

If this sounds like the right opportunity, I'd love to hear from you.

Send your CV and a brief note about what interests you to james@restaurant.com. I'm the owner, and I read every application personally — it doesn't go through recruitment or HR.

Here's what happens next: If your background looks like a potential fit, I'll give you a call — usually 30 minutes to talk through the role, your questions, and what you're looking for. If we're both interested, we'll arrange for you to visit the restaurant, meet the sous chef and GM, and have a proper conversation about the opportunity.

For serious candidates, we'll arrange a paid working day — not an extensive trial where you cook for free, but a genuine opportunity to see how we work and for us to see your approach. We'll pay a day rate and have a conversation afterwards.

I know a role at this level is a significant decision. If you'd like to have an informal chat before formally applying — just to learn more and ask questions — email me and we'll arrange it. No CV required, no commitment on either side.

We're hoping to have someone in place by early spring, so if you're interested, don't sit on it too long. But equally, this is an important hire — we'd rather wait for the right person than rush.