Job Description

Café Chef & Kitchen Lead — 25 hours per week

Project 44 is one of East London’s busiest neighbourhood cafés, and we’re looking for a talented, hands-on cook to help us build the next stage of our food offering. This is a part-time role focused on developing and delivering a very simple, high-quality daytime menu — think great toast, pan con tomate, seasonal ingredients and a handful of dishes executed exceptionally well. You’ll have real ownership over the menu, prep, suppliers, consistency and how the kitchen operates day to day, without the complexity of a traditional restaurant kitchen. We’re looking for someone who understands good ingredients, loves hospitality and wants to help shape something from the beginning. The role starts at 25 hours per week, with the opportunity to develop into a full-time position as the food side of Project 44 grows.

Job Requirements

Previous experience working as a chef, cook or kitchen lead in a café, restaurant or similar hospitality environment.
Confident developing a small, simple, high-quality menu from scratch.
Strong understanding of ingredients, seasoning, prep and consistency.
Comfortable working with a toast-led daytime menu including dishes such as pan con tomate, sandwiches and simple seasonal plates.
Able to manage ordering, stock levels, food costs and wastage.
Organised, clean and confident working independently in a small kitchen.
Comfortable during busy service and able to produce food quickly without compromising quality.
Good understanding of food hygiene, allergens and kitchen safety.
Passionate about hospitality and creating food people genuinely want to come back for.
Collaborative, low ego and happy to work closely with the wider front-of-house team.
Interested in helping grow the food side of Project 44 and potentially moving into a full-time role as the operation develops.