Sous Chef

Royal Tunbridge Wells · On-site

About this role

Are you an ambitious Sous Chef looking to be part of something special from the very beginning?

We're looking for a talented and passionate Sous Chef to join the opening team at Yarrow, our brand new restaurant at Paramount Place, a luxury retirement village in the heart of Tunbridge Wells. Open to both residents and the public, Yarrow offers a fresh, seasonal dining experience in a beautifully designed setting, making this an exciting opportunity to help establish a destination restaurant with an excellent reputation.

This is a full-time, permanent position working 37.5 hours per week, on a rota of any 5 days out of 7, with shifts including weekends and evenings.

Working alongside the Head Chef, you'll play a key role in delivering exceptional food, leading the kitchen team, and creating memorable dining experiences for our residents and guests. This is a hands on role with plenty of opportunity to bring ideas, develop your skills and progress your career within a growing organisation.

If you thrive in a quality-led kitchen, enjoy working with fresh ingredients, and take pride in delivering outstanding food and service, we'd love to hear from you.

What you'll be doing
  • Support the Head Chef in the day-to-day running of the kitchen.
  • Prepare and deliver high quality, freshly cooked dishes using seasonal ingredients.
  • Ensure every plate is presented to the highest standards of quality and consistency.
  • Supervise, motivate and develop the kitchen team, creating a positive and collaborative working environment.
  • Take responsibility for the kitchen in the Head Chef's absence.
  • Assist with menu development, bringing creativity and fresh ideas.
  • Monitor stock levels, place orders and minimise food waste.
  • Maintain excellent food hygiene, health and safety standards, ensuring full compliance with HACCP procedures.
  • Work closely with the front of house team to deliver an exceptional customer experience for residents and visitors alike.
What we're looking for
  • Previous experience as a Sous Chef or an experienced Chef de Partie ready to step up.
  • Experience working in a fresh food, high quality hospitality environment.
  • A genuine passion for producing exceptional food and delivering outstanding service.
  • Strong leadership skills with the ability to inspire and support a kitchen team.
  • Excellent organisational skills and the ability to perform well in a fast paced environment.
  • Knowledge of food safety, allergen management and kitchen compliance.
  • A positive, flexible approach and a willingness to work evenings and weekends as part of a rota.
Why join Retirement Villages Group?

At Retirement Villages Group, we're creating vibrant communities where people can enjoy later life to the fullest. Food plays a huge part in that experience, bringing people together and creating memorable moments every day.

As part of the opening team at Paramount Place, you'll have the opportunity to shape a brand new restaurant, work with a supportive team, and build your career within a growing organisation that values quality, innovation and exceptional hospitality.

Company at a glance

Our mission

The UK’s population is ageing, fast, but the country cannot currently cope with the rising demand for active, independent later living. Too many people are therefore forced to live in inappropriate housing or move into care far too soon.

As a pioneer of later living in the UK we recognise the need. We have set out to create amazing, sustainable communities, connected to thriving local centres, breathing new life into urban and suburban neighbourhoods and country locations.

“Our mission is to create positive life choices for older people - built on community, wellbeing, and flexibility. We strive to support people to live their best lives for longer, while ensuring the planet, and our healthcare system, offer the same opportunities to future generations.“

Our story

We have been a developer and long-term operator of housing-with-care communities since 1981. We built the first community of its kind in the UK at Elmbridge in Cranleigh, Surrey and today we operate 16 sites across the country with over 1500 self-contained homes. We have another two sites opening to the public in 2026.

In 2017, Retirement Villages Group was acquired by BNP Paribas Asset Management Alts – a global leader in real asset investments and the leading real estate portfolio and asset manager in Europe – on behalf of their clients to provide long-term, sustainable investment in retirement living.

Supported by BNPP AM Alts we have ambitious plans to deliver over 5,000 new homes across over 40 new sites in the next ten years making appropriate housing more accessible to a wider group of older people.

We're hiring! Visit our jobs page on LinkedIn or the careers page on our website for more information: https://www.retirementvillages.co.uk/about-us/careers/

Founded1981
Team Size501-1,000 employees
WorkspaceOn-site
IndustryReal Estate
Location
Royal Tunbridge Wells, England, United Kingdom

Tired of cold applications?

Sign up with Clera and we'll reach out the moment a role actually fits you — no more spraying applications into the void.

Know someone who'd be great for this?