Senior Production Chef

Job Description

What you'll be doing

• Work alongside the Culinary Director and Head of Culinary Training, Development and Research on the production of ferments, pickles, jams, cordials and more from Heckfield Home Farm produce, for Home Farm produce sales and for Heckfield Place.
• Produce all seasonal baked goods, including sourdough and other breads, ensuring labelling and packaging meet Heckfield Home Farm produce sales standards.
• Lead the development and growth of our baked goods and bread offering, creating new seasonal products in line with the Heckfield ethos and estate produce.
• Streamline and improve production methods, cost-effectiveness and efficiency across the operation.
• Always maintain expected stock levels and proper rotation of products.
• Uphold a high standard of food safety, following the health and hygiene procedures set by our food safety policy and current legislation.
• Exceed guests' expectations through excellent service delivery, product development, quality and cost control.
• Support food-related guest experiences throughout the year.
• Support the preparation, cooking, service and delivery of hospitality events held on Heckfield Home Farm throughout the year.
• Champion and promote our working culture, company principles and the Heckfield brand ethos.
• No late shifts or Sunday shifts

Job Requirements

About you

• A genuine passion for working seasonally, and an openness to learning new styles and techniques.
• Experience in a production or pastry kitchen, ideally with a produce-led or farm-to-table operation.
• The creativity to develop new products rather than only follow recipes.
• Confident with preserving — ferments, pickles, jams, cordials — or keen to learn.
• Organised and methodical: comfortable with production planning, yields, stock rotation and costings.
• Sound working knowledge of food safety, allergens and labelling requirements.
• A collaborative approach — happy working across kitchens, the farm and the wider estate team.

Baking and pastry skills

This is a baking-led role, and we're particularly keen to hear from people with real hands-on strength in:

• Laminated pastry — croissants, danish, puff and rough puff made from scratch, with the feel for dough temperature, resting and butter behaviour that keeps quality consistent through changing seasons and kitchen conditions.
• Sourdough — building and maintaining a starter, managing bulk fermentation, shaping, proving and baking, and adapting timings to the day rather than the clock.
• Broader baking craft — cakes, tarts, biscuits and traybakes produced to a consistent standard, at volume, with an eye on yield and waste.

If you're strong in one of these and keen to develop the others with us, we'd still like to hear from you.

Job Location

Heckfield Place, Hook
Hook RG27 0LD