Head Chef — The White Horse Inn, South Lopham, Norfolk, IP22 2LH
Salary: Competitive + share of tips | Start: TBA
Build a kitchen from scratch. Yours.
The White Horse Inn has stood on the Norfolk–Suffolk border for around 350 years. Low beams, open fires, the kind of room that does half the work for you. After a period closed, it's reopening this year under new ownership - and we're looking for the chef who'll define what comes out of the pass.

This isn't a job inheriting someone else's menu. The kitchen is yours to shape: the dishes, the suppliers, the standards, the team. We have a clear view of what we want the pub to be - a proper country inn that locals use weekly and visitors drive out for — and we're looking for a chef with the craft and the appetite to own the food side of it.
 

What you'll be doing

● Writing and costing seasonal menus across bar, restaurant, Sunday lunch and events

● Building relationships with Norfolk and Suffolk producers — we'd rather name our suppliers on the menu than hide them

● Recruiting, training and leading the kitchen brigade

● Owning GP, stock control, ordering and waste

● Running food safety, HACCP and due diligence to an unimpeachable standard
● Working alongside the front of house team on private dining, functions and our bedroom
accommodation offer

What we're looking for

● Proven Head Chef or strong Sous ready to step up

● Genuine skill with fresh, seasonal British cooking — pub food done properly, not gastro-by-numbers

● Commercial head: you understand that a beautiful plate that doesn't make GP isn't a beautiful plate

● Calm leadership. We're building a kitchen people want to stay in

● Level 3 Food Safety (or willingness to obtain)

What you get

● A genuine say in the direction of the food, not a spec handed down

● Competitive salary plus tips, with performance-related bonus once trading is established

● Fair holiday, meals on duty, staff discount

● A supportive owner-operator who is in the building, not on a spreadsheet in another county

● Real progression: The White Horse is the first site in a small growing group

To apply
Send a CV and a short note telling us about one dish you'd put on the opening menu and why, to info@whitehorselopham.co.uk
The White Horse Inn is operated by Opus Taverns Limited. We're an equal opportunities employer.