Join us for our Open Evening at Leiths on Thursday 12th March 2026, 6:30–8:30pm, and discover how the Culinary Diploma can launch your career in food.
Join us for our Open Evening at Leiths on Thursday 12th March 2026, 6:30–8:30pm, and discover how the Culinary Diploma can launch your career in food.
The head chef, also known as an executive chef, is the most senior role in a professional kitchen; all other staff operate under their leadership and direction. They’re responsible for all ongoing operations in the kitchen, whether that’s popping in to monitor service, hiring new staff, researching and developing dishes, as well as overseeing administrative tasks. Overall, their presence is there to ensure the service runs properly, the quality remains consistent and that standards are maintained at a high level.
While the hours a head chef will work can vary depending on the restaurant, head chefs often work Monday to Sunday with the shift running from 9 am to 11 pm. The role doesn’t necessarily require them to be in the kitchen during service, which can provide more flexibility around the hours they work.
For those looking to expand their leadership and culinary influence, this role can offer the route to natural progression into becoming a restaurant owner or executive chef for multiple venues.
For those wanting to embark on a career as a head chef, they’ll need to show they have the following skillset:
The salary a head chef can earn will vary depending on the restaurant; it’s common for a head chef to earn between £55,000 and £60,000.
Employment type:
Employed
Working hours:
Monday – Sunday 9am – 11pm
(depending on the restaurant)
Potential Salary:
£55 – 60K
Work/Life Balance
The mental load of this role is considerable but equally there is less emphasis on presence during service as this usually falls to the sous chef or junior sous depending on the restaurant. So it’s a lot of work but with slightly more sociable hours.
Head chef at Canteen 310
Jess worked as a chef for six years at The River Cafe. Most recently, she spent three months cooking at Alice Waters’ Chez Panisse in California before becoming head chef at Canteen 310, in Notting Hill. Her culinary style, influenced by extensive travels around Italy, celebrates simple and beautiful seasonal produce.
“I think one of the amazing things about Leiths is that it gives you that platform to get opportunities to work at places like Delicious Magazine and The River Cafe, which you otherwise wouldn’t.
The Leiths name immediately gives you a huge head start above your peers when it comes to applying for jobs.”
A chef with junior responsibilities for the running of a particular section, answerable to the head of that section – the chef de partie.
A chef whose role in the brigage is to succesfully run one section of the kitchen, from ensuring readiness for service, making sure ingredients are ordered in advance and giving tasks to more junior chefs working on your station.
Usually in charge of ensuring kitchen operations run smoothly, running the pass during service and freeing up the sous chef to focus on menu development.
