At the John Lewis Partnership, we’re passionate about using ingredients with provenance in our kitchens. With each and every dish, we aim to produce fresh seasonal meals that are second to none.
It’s not just for our customers either. Whether you’re visiting The Place To Eat at John Lewis & Partners or backstage in our Partner Dining Rooms, you’ll find the same quality food on offer. We are dedicated to creating dishes cooked to the highest standards.
Great dishes are for everyone. Therefore, we’re proud to put ethically sourced and delicious food first throughout the UK’s largest in-house Catering offering.
At the heart of that are our Chefs, who use their passion for fine food to cook up great dining experiences for customers and Partners alike. We’re always looking for fresh talent to join us. In return, you’ll enjoy the outstanding benefits and rewards that come with Chef careers at the John Lewis Partnership.
As a Chef, you might be preparing fresh meals for both customers and Partners at one of our John Lewis & Partners and Waitrose & Partners branches or in our Partner Dining Rooms.
We also run kitchens in some of the UK’s most beautiful landscapes at our exclusive Hotels and recruit Chefs for our Waitrose Cookery Schools. Here, you’ll entertain both customers and Partners and help them master everything from breadmaking to that perfect pastry.
These roles are all underpinned by the same values for providing great food cooked to the highest standards. No matter whether you’re cooking meals for customers, Partners, or aspiring chefs, your food will delight.
Wherever you’re based across the John Lewis Partnership, you’ll work with fresh and quality seasonal produce. Day to day tasks could include:
As a Chef with the John Lewis Partnership you’ll lead, support and upskill our catering teams. This could include Catering Partners at John Lewis, Food Service Partners at Waitrose, and Hospitality Partners at our Partner Hotels.
If you’re based in one of our Partner Dining Rooms, then you’ll be bringing a smile to hardworking Partners by providing them with delicious meals. This will involve serving breakfast, lunch and dinner at our Head Offices, Contact Centres, Warehouses, and at our Distribution Centres.
The other internal and external stakeholders you’ll be in contact with include:
Alongside the on-the-job training you will receive from your colleagues and the day to day experience, we recognise that providing training and development programmes are key to progression. Whether you are a junior Chef or a highly seasoned cook, our team will help you to climb up the kitchen hierarchy.
For example, if you aiming to progress from Sous Chef to Head Chef, we can guide you through development pathways to achieve your goals and develop into the best Partner you can be. We believe that encouraging our Partners to be constantly curious and mindful is key to discovering new opportunities.
As a Chef, you’ll find a clearly structured development pathway as you progress in your Catering career:
Head Chef Opportunities
Head Chefs lead an eager team of Chefs and Kitchen Porters. A Food Safety Level 3 qualification is required for this role.
As Head Chef, you will:
Commis Chef Opportunities
As a Commis Chef, you will be a vital member of the Catering team and must be motivated, with a passion for food. You’ll assist in the planning, production and delivery of the food on offer to customers and Partners.
You’ll play an active role in your own progression by taking initiative and responsibility for your own learning. It’s also important to comply with all the food safety policies necessary to maintain our impressive food reputation at all times.
As a Commis Chef, you will:
Sous Chef Opportunities
In the role of a Sous Chef, you will assist the Head Chef in planning, producing and delivering food. You’ll also take responsibility for the kitchen for them in their absence.
You’ll be bursting with ideas to invent, produce and present quality dishes that perfectly match what’s in keeping for the particular establishment.
A combination of managing food production, balancing a passion for sales, alongside the need to deliver profit through strict cost control, are all factors needed to perform well.
As a Sous Chef, you’ll:
Chef de Partie Opportunities
The Chef de Partie is at the heart of the Catering team. You’ll assist the Head Chef and Sous Chef, as well as deputising in either of their absences.
You’ll be starting to invent, produce and present quality dishes. Plus, you’ll take responsibility for your own learning and self-development with the assistance of colleagues, primarily the Head Chef.
As a Chef de Partie, you will be:
Achieving sales targets by ensuring excellent execution of individual dishes and menus
As a Partner at John Lewis & Partners and Waitrose & Partners, you’ll be entitled to our industry leading benefits. Cooking with the John Lewis Partnership will pave the way for you to enjoy:
Whether you’re looking for full-time or part-time Chef jobs, we have a range of shift patterns. This variety of working hours per week means our jobs cater to all types of lifestyles.
Some of our jobs offer you the chance to work weekends only, whilst others are available during weekday hours too. Please check job descriptions to find the specified hours for our roles.
Across the year temporary roles may become available. Whether you’re looking for work over the summer or winter season, there’s sure to be an opportunity to do that. Register for an account and create a job alert to learn about specific opportunities or continue to check back regularly.
With 50 John Lewis & Partners branches and over 348 Waitrose & Partners shops around the UK, we have a huge range of Chef vacancies available. So whether you’re looking for cooking jobs in London, the South West, the Midlands or Scotland, we may have a role for you. Search for a current Chef opportunity near you.
With a role at one of our exclusive Partner Hotels, you can become a Chef at one of the most beautiful locations in the UK. Learn more about our Partner Hotels and our Chef job opportunities in Berkshire, Poole, Hampshire, Wales, Snowdonia and the Lake District.
Take a look below to see our most recent Chef jobs across the John Lewis Partnership. Apply now.
