The Deli Kitchen is a relaxed, all-day restaurant and an important part of Peligoni’s food offering. Its menu evolves throughout the day: breakfast and brunch-style dishes in the morning and early afternoon, followed by Mediterranean and Italian-influenced cooking in the evening – including wood-fired pizzas, fresh pasta dishes and vibrant salads.
Designed for easy, flavour-led dining, most dishes are also available to take away.
Alongside restaurant service, the Deli Kitchen produces a small range of house-made items sold on site, as well as optional arrival-night hampers for guests who wish to have food ready on their first evening. The kitchen also prepares picnic-style food for Odyssey, our vintage yacht, supplying high-quality dishes for coastal day trips.
We’re looking for a creative, organised and hands-on Head Chef to lead the Deli Kitchen this summer. This role is primarily restaurant-focused, with responsibility for delivering a high-quality all-day menu that transitions smoothly from breakfast and brunch into relaxed evening service.
You’ll take ownership of the Deli Kitchen’s food offering – from menu development and daily service to managing a small, versatile team and overseeing the production of select house-made items and hampers. Working closely with the Executive Head Chef, you’ll help shape an evolving concept that balances simplicity, consistency, efficiency and guest experience.
This is a fast-paced and rewarding role suited to a Head Chef who enjoys variety, understands service flow across different dayparts, and takes pride in producing food that is generous, unfussy and beautifully executed.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the day-to-day operations of the Deli Kitchen across breakfast, brunch and evening service.
- Develop and refine menus with the Executive Head Chef, ensuring dishes work equally well for dine-in and takeaway.
- Deliver consistently high standards of food quality, flavour and presentation.
- Oversee the preparation of optional arrival-night hampers and picnic food for Odyssey, ensuring quality, consistency and clear labelling.
- Manage a small range of house-made items produced for on-site sale.
- Plan prep and ordering to support restaurant service, takeaway demand and hamper production.
- Manage food costs, stock rotation and waste to maintain strong margins.
- Train, develop and motivate a small kitchen team throughout the season.
- Create rotas that balance service, prep and production requirements.
- Ensure dietary requirements and allergies are fully understood and catered for.
- Uphold the highest standards of food safety, hygiene and cleanliness at all times.
- Work closely with Front of House to respond to guest feedback and continually refine the offering.
- Support wider kitchen operations and club events when required.
About You
You will be someone who:
- An experienced Head Chef with strong all-round kitchen leadership skills.
- Passionate about Mediterranean and Italian-influenced cooking, done simply and well.
- Confident running a kitchen that combines restaurant service with prep-led production.
- Calm, organised and effective in a busy, high-volume environment.
- A natural leader who enjoys developing and motivating a small team.
- Commercially aware, with strong planning and cost-control skills.
- Detail-focused, with high standards for consistency, labelling and presentation.
- Flexible, positive and enthusiastic about seasonal life.
Essential Requirements
- Proven experience as a Head Chef.
- Extensive experience in a professional kitchen environment.
- Strong knowledge of food safety, hygiene and HACCP standards.
- Experience managing and developing a kitchen team.
- Excellent organisational and time-management skills.
- Strong understanding of food cost control and stock management.
- Up-to-date Food Hygiene Certificate.
- Available for the full season (May – October).
- EU passport holder.