Head Chef

Role: Head Chef in Poppadoms Restaurant at The Tavistock Hotel, Bloomsbury, London

About Us:

Imperial London Hotels has been welcoming guests to the heart of Bloomsbury for nearly 200 years. Today, we operate a portfolio of hotels, restaurants, bars and event spaces, including the newly reopened The Imperial Hotel and the Royal National, the UK's largest hotel.

The business continues to evolve, invest and grow, creating exciting opportunities for talented individuals to make a genuine impact. We are currently recruiting for a Head Chef based in the heart of Bloomsbury to join our vibrant and multi-cultural team.

What We're Looking For

Are you a talented Head Chef with a passion for authentic Indian cuisine? Do you thrive in a fast-paced kitchen, lead by example, and take pride in delivering exceptional food every time?

We are looking for an experienced and hands-on Head Chef to lead the kitchen team at Poppadoms, our vibrant Indian restaurant located within the iconic Tavistock Hotel in Bloomsbury. This is an exciting opportunity to shape menus, develop your team and play a key role in delivering an outstanding dining experience for our guests.

What You'll Do:

• Lead and inspire a passionate kitchen team.
• Deliver high-quality, authentic Indian dishes with exceptional consistency.
• Use your expertise in curries, spices, marinades and tandoor cooking to create memorable guest experiences.
• Drive menu innovation, seasonal specials and food quality standards.
• Manage stock, food costs and kitchen operations effectively.
• Ensure the highest standards of food safety, hygiene and compliance.

What You’ll Bring:

• Proven experience as a Head Chef, Senior Sous Chef or experienced Indian Cuisine Chef.
• Strong knowledge of authentic Indian cooking techniques, spices, sauces and curries.
• Experience working with a tandoori oven.
• A confident leader who enjoys developing and motivating teams.
• Strong commercial awareness with experience managing food costs and stock control.
• A passion for delivering outstanding food and guest experiences.

What You’ll Get:

• 28 days holiday, rising to 33 with length of service (including bank holidays).
• Free meals on duty
• Access to ILH Training Academy programmes, apprenticeships and supported study
• Holiday Purchase Scheme
• Complimentary uniform dry‑cleaning, plus discounted personal dry‑cleaning
• Interest‑free Season Ticket Loan
• Workplace Pension
• Team member flat rate and 50% friends and family hotel discount
• 50% discount across ILH F&B outlets
• Discounted drinks at Blooms Café
• Employee‑funded Health Cash Plan
• Local Bloomsbury discounts
• Early Pay access
• Shopping discounts with selected retailers
• Salary sacrifice schemes including nursery care, cycle to work, and technology
• Access to mental health first‑aiders, wellbeing support and the Employee Assistance Programme

Ready to Bring Authentic Indian Flavours to Bloomsbury?

If you're an experienced chef who combines culinary excellence with strong leadership and commercial awareness, we'd love to hear from you.