Job Description

Prep Chef & Production Kitchen Coordinator
In Residence Dining

Contract: Fixed term, 12 October 2026 – 31 January 2027. The position will be reviewed in early January as In Residence assesses the requirements of the production kitchen for its next stage of growth, and could lead to a longer-term position.
Hours: 24 hours per week, normally across three days — typically Wednesday–Friday, 9–5. Exact days and hours can be flexible where agreed, provided all production requirements are met and food is ready for each event.
Salary: £25,000 annualised, therefore about £480 a week (gross)
Reports to: Chef Lead, who sets the rota and processes reports and issues

About the Role

In Residence works with resident chefs to bring six-course menus to events across London and the South East.

We are looking for a Prep Chef & Production Kitchen Coordinator to learn each resident chef's menu and turn it into an efficient, reliable weekly production system.

At the start of each residency, you will spend around 2–3 working days training directly with the resident chef. The resident chef has final say over how each dish is prepared, and you will be expected to reproduce their techniques and standards accurately.

You will then take responsibility for planning and delivering the weekly prep operation. Events normally run Thursday–Saturday, and occasionally Sunday, with preparation covering a range of scenarios, from around 90–240 diners per week.

Key Responsibilities

Learn and accurately reproduce each resident chef's menu
Maintain clear records of recipes, techniques and quantities
Produce a written weekly prep and production schedule
Scale production according to live booking numbers
Prepare food for each week's events efficiently and consistently
Work with the resident chef on ingredient orders, under supervision from the Chef & Menu Lead
Monitor portion sizes, yields, waste and food costs as guest numbers change
Receive and check deliveries, querying issues and escalating them where necessary
Organise ingredients, fridges, freezers and dry storage
Maintain kitchen cleanliness and equipment condition
Order routine kitchen consumables and report maintenance issues
Maintain kitchen-side allergen controls, and ensure dietary portions are properly prepared, separated, labelled and traceable
Safely store and pack prepared food ahead of events
Produce a clear handover sheet for the event team explaining what is packed and what needs finishing on site
Help load prepared food into the event vehicle on Thursdays and Fridays

Responsibility for the food transfers to the event operations team once it has been correctly packed, documented and loaded into the vehicle.

Job Requirements

Job Requirements

You should have professional kitchen experience and be confident working independently. You will need to be:

A strong and consistent cook
Highly organised and methodical
Comfortable following another chef's techniques precisely
Confident scaling recipes and production volumes
Good at managing storage, stock and kitchen organisation
Attentive to waste, cost control and food safety
Reliable and capable of taking ownership of the weekly prep operation

Experience in production kitchens, events, catering or high-volume preparation would be particularly useful.

Food Safety

You must hold Level 2 Food Safety certification before working independently in the kitchen. Candidates who do not yet hold the qualification may still apply if they are willing to obtain it before beginning unsupervised kitchen work.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis - early application is encouraged. To apply, please send a CV, a brief cover letter and two reference contacts to holly@in-residence-dining.com