Executive Chef – Wight Pubs, Hotels & Events

Job Posted: 26 September 2025

• Contract Term: Permanent
• Location: Isle of Wight
• Contract Type: Full time
• Salary: Annual Salary up to £60K including accommodation at Birdham Cottage dependant on experience and expertise.
• Industries: Catering, Hospitality & Bar Chefs

Executive Chef – Wight Pubs, Hotels & Events

– Isle of Wight

Wight Pubs, Hotels & Events is a family owned and operated by the Holmes family for the past 35 years, The portfolio consists to the Birdham Hotel & Restaurant Bembridge, The Chequers Inn Rookley, the White Lion at Niton and a growing external events business.

We are looking for a dynamic, innovative leader for our varied kitchen brigades. The company is undergoing a renaissance and looking for a suitable candidate to take the reigns and lead from the front.

Based at the Birdham Hotel & Restaurant our flagship venue, although overseeing the food production of all venues the initial remit is to drive forward the Birdham food offering working closely with the Chief Executive Mark Holmes to ensure we make full use of the best of Island and Hampshire local produce, including our own hand reared meats.  As Executive Chef you will have autonomy to find and work with some of the greatest producers on the Isle of Wight to achieve our vision of menus incorporating 80% local or home grown produce.

Menu development will be your passion creating menus which change with the seasons and that also reflect classic British Pub and Restaurant Cuisine.

Once fully embedded in the Birdham you will begin to roll out venue specific offerings for the entire portfolio.

Innovation, Flair, and creativity will be key activities for you, and this will be supported in the further development of our Chef’s, Cooks and Kitchen support teams. Wight Pubs prides itself on developing staff across the board and work closely with the island HTP college to offer development and growth opportunities for our team.

You will be responsible for recruiting and maintaining our teams, deploying the best members of the team in the right place, at the right time and achieving results at all levels.

Collaboration is paramount at Wight Pubs, as a small family business on occasions it is all hands to the pump from the Chief Executive to the hotel support teams everyone works to common goals, Great Food, Great Service, Great Products first time every time.

Responsibilities will include (but not limited to)

• Overseeing the back of house operations
• Recruitment, training, and development of all Kitchen teams
• Overview of operation staff rotas for all venues and events
• Leading preservice briefings / meetings
• Development and creation of all menus be it for the venue’s weddings, special events of occasions.
• Determining the plating style forward presentation plans
• Ordering and evaluating the quality of our suppliers and new menu items on a regular basis.
• Leader for all stock control and stock taking ensuring all margins are met and exceeded.
• Supports the back of house teams with financial planning and budgeting, the Marketing team with innovative input to plans and the management teams with ensuring communication is always maintained.
• The champion for all food safety, Health & Safety and regulatory requirements empowering the team to follow your lead.
• Sets, implements, and reviews all kitchen and food related policies and procedures contributing to cross over policies and procedures across the business.

Education and Experience

• Formal qualification in food production, Kitchen practices, Degree, City & Guilds, HND or similar preferred.
• At least 3 years’ experience as an executive chef or 5 years as a Head chef with broad experience 
• Foundation certificate of food hygiene or similar
• Financial Acumen strong: skills to manage and set budgets.
• Strategic Thinking: this includes analysing data, forecasting, and managing stock effectively.
• Problem solving the capacity to handle challenges, make decisions under pressure have solutions not problems.
• Excellent communication skills: communicate at all levels and all mediums.
• Attention to detail: maintain high standards of quality, precision, hygiene encourages this in others.

Salary Package

• Annual Salary up to £60K including accommodation at Birdham Cottage dependant on experience and expertise.
• Performance related bonus
• Pension Scheme
• Gym Memberships
• 28 Days Annual leave
• Meal Voucher Allowance
• Professional Development Opportunities
• Employee Discounts on F&B and Accommodation
• Free Car Parking

Call to Action

This is an exciting time for Wight Pubs, Hotels & Events, and a great chance for you to become a key player in developing something special and unique on the Isle of Wight.

We cannot wait to receive your application, join us for an interview, and meet some of the team who are joining us on this journey.

Apply Today your next adventure could be with us on the beautiful Isle of Wight

Interview / Recruitment Process

• Initial scoping interview on team’s or similar
• Second in person interview at the Birdham Hotel & Restaurant, requiring a presentation on a 3,3,3 menu using Island local produce.
• A Single dish cook off for which we will provide ingredients to enable you to show your creativity.
• Time frame the position is available with immediate effect.