Head Chef – Michelin-Starred Restaurant Reopening – Hertfordshire – £60,000 – £65,000 + Profit Share 

Take full ownership of a former Michelin-starred restaurant with a clear ambition to win the star back. We are seeking a passionate, commercially aware Head Chef to lead the reopening of a stunning countryside restaurant set within beautiful Hertfordshire grounds.

We are partnering with a prestigious hospitality business to recruit a Head Chef for a tranquil waterside restaurant with a former Michelin star. The venue is set for a refurbishment, planned around the incoming chef's vision. This is not just a job. It is an opportunity to take ownership, shape the menu and style, and share in the profits.

The Venue:

• Location: Hertfordshire
• Capacity: 60 seats inside, up to 100 outside
• Accolades: Former Michelin star with a clear ambition to win it back
• Refurbishment: Planned but not yet started and will be designed around the incoming Head Chef
• Investment: Ownership fully committed to investing in the right chef and vision

The Head Chef Role:

• Full control over the food style and menu
• Open to modern European, Asian influence, open-fire cooking, or another strong concept direction
• Lead the transformation of the restaurant and drive standards throughout
• Opportunity to redesign the kitchen layout, including potential for open-fire cooking
• Build and lead a small brigade of 6-8 chefs, reducing to a leaner team during quieter seasonal periods
• Ensure the restaurant is commercially successful and profitable
• Take real ownership of the business with a lower base salary offset by a strong profit-share structure
• Lead the restaurant towards regaining a Michelin star

The Ideal Head Chef:

• Ambitious, passionate, and commercially aware
• Experience within Michelin-starred or high-end fine dining environments
• A hungry and driven chef looking for ownership and long-term success rather than a large guaranteed salary
• Comfortable with a £60,000 - £65,000 base salary alongside a 10-20% profit-share model
• Able to mentor and develop a small team
• Creative and confident enough to shape the restaurant identity

Why Apply?

• £60,000 - £65,000 base salary
• Profit share with strong long-term earning potential
• Full creative control over the food direction
• Clear Michelin ambition
• Opportunity to influence the refurbishment and kitchen design
• Beautiful countryside setting in Hertfordshire

Send your CV to stuartcampbell@corecruitment.com.