Retail Head Chef | AELTC Wimbledon

About the Role

The Retail Head Chef is responsible for leading the retail culinary operation for The Championships at the All-England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC), delivering innovative and sustainable high-volume catering. The role sits within Wimbledon Food & Drink, the official caterer at AELTC, and the wider Levy culinary team. It involves shaping creative menus, driving culinary innovation, and managing logistics to bring outstanding food experiences to life on a global stage. The position also carries the ambition to raise the bar on food quality, creativity, and guest experience in a fast-paced environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the culinary vision for The Championships’ Retail operation, creating innovative dishes and exciting new concepts.
• Own the full culinary journey from menu development and tastings through mobilisation, live delivery and post-event review.
• Turn ideas into action, ensuring tasting feedback is captured, implemented and reflected in final operational specifications.
• Set the culinary standard, creating detailed recipes, flavour profiles, dish descriptions and presentation guidelines.
• Champion quality and sustainability, working with purchasing teams to secure seasonal, locally sourced and sustainable products.
• Use data to drive decisions, optimising menu sales mix, stock levels and waste across retail outlets.
• Master production and logistics, developing efficient pre-production and night-production schedules that balance time, storage and cost.
• Ensure operational readiness, making sure every kitchen has the equipment, resources and support needed to deliver exceptional menus.
• Raise the bar on quality, benchmarking food trends and guest feedback while carrying out daily dish and service checks throughout The Championships.
• Lead from the front, supporting area chefs and managers on the ground while driving culinary projects and consistently exceptional standards.

Required Experience & Qualifications

• Experience of high-volume event, premium hospitality, multi-outlet or large-scale catering operations
• Strong influencing, coaching and people development skills
• Highly motivated self-starter
• Independent person who demonstrates initiative
• A genuine excitement for food, someone who has their finger on the pulse of current trends
• Proactive, positive individual able to quickly build partnership relationships with key stakeholders and work as a team player
• Ability to drive through change
• Has a commercial approach and inquisitive nature
• Ability to influence and operate at all levels
• Able to problem solve and make balanced business decision

Benefits & Perks

• 25 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays
• Your birthday off
• Holiday purchase scheme
• Aviva Digicare
• Medicash (dental, optical, therapy treatments)
• 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, and adoption leave
• 2 days’ additional leave after returning from maternity leave
• Day off for your baby’s first birthday
• Enhanced family leave
• Shopping, entertainment, and travel discounts
• 20% off Nuffield Health and 10% off PureGym memberships

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