We are Company of Cooks, and we believe brilliant food and drink start with brilliant people. For over 25 years, we’ve been part of some of the UK’s most loved cultural destinations, from historic palaces and botanical gardens to buzzing galleries and performance spaces, running the cafés, restaurants, bars and events that bring these incredible places to life.
Our values - Craft, Creativity and Community - guide everything we do. They shape how we work together, how we support our partners, and how we make each guest feel welcome. If you care about food, people and doing things properly, you’ll feel right at home here.
Wherever we are, we do more than serve. We bring places to life through food, service and creativity and we’re looking for a Senior Sous Chef to join our team at Royal Opera House in Lodnon.
Salary: £45,000 per annum + Tronc
Location: London, Covent Garden, WC2E 9DD
Shift Pattern: 5 over 7, 45 hours per week
About the Role
As Senior Sous Chef, you’ll work closely with the Head Chef to lead the kitchen team and deliver consistently excellent food across restaurant service, terrace dining, pre-theatre menus, post-show trade and events.
You’ll help set the tone in the kitchen, supporting the team through busy services, maintaining high standards and making sure every plate leaves the pass with care and confidence.
Key Responsibilities:
- Support the Head Chef in leading, training and developing the kitchen team.
- Deliver beautiful, consistent Italian food with a focus on quality ingredients and seasonality.
- Run sections and services confidently, stepping up to lead the kitchen when needed.
- Be calm, organised and positive under pressure.
- Work closely with front of house to support a smooth and memorable guest experience.
- Help manage prep, ordering, stock, wastage and kitchen organisation.
- Understand food cost, GP and the commercial side of a successful kitchen.
- Maintain excellent standards of food safety, hygiene, allergens and health and safety.
- Bring energy, ideas and pride to menus, terrace moments, seasonal specials and events.
- Help create a kitchen culture where people feel supported, challenged and proud of the food they serve.
We are looking for someone with strong experience as a Sous Chef or Senior Sous Chef in a quality restaurant, hotel or premium hospitality environment. Experience with Italian cooking would be a real advantage, but more important is passion, personality and a genuine love of good food.
What We Offer
- A senior kitchen role in one of London’s most unique venues.
- Targeted earnings of £50-£55k per annum
- The chance to work in an Italian restaurant connected to Angela Hartnett and the Royal Opera House.
- A supportive senior team and the opportunity to grow with Cicoria.
- Quality team meals on duty.
- Uniform provided.
- Paid holiday.
- Staff benefits and recognition programmes.
- Career development within a respected hospitality group.
- A busy and varied environment, from restaurant service to terrace dining, events and performance-led trade.
Beyond experience, we’re looking for someone with warmth, pride and ambition. A chef who leads by example, supports the team and cares about delivering food that guests remember.
Job Reference: com/2809/47579004/52836031/IN/SU #Gather and Gather
Compass Group UK&I is committed to fostering an environment where every individual can truly be themselves at work and has equal opportunities to advance in their careers. We strive to build a culture that respects and celebrates the unique talents, beliefs, backgrounds, and abilities of all our team members. We want our colleagues to feel valued, empowered to reach their full potential, and to thrive - because diversity is our strength!