Sous Chef Job Description

A typical week for a sous chef involves developing and testing new dishes, managing stock and suppliers, writing rotas, conducting one-to-ones with your team, enforcing food safety standards, coordinating events and private dining, and still being expected to run the pass and cook on a section when needed. 

You are the person who makes everyone around you better: training CDPs, mentoring commis, building the skills of the whole brigade. Your relationship with the team matters as much as your relationship with the food, as creating an environment where people feel supported, challenged and motivated to improve is central to the role.

Employers want someone who can hold the kitchen together when the head chef is absent, who understands the commercial realities of running a restaurant on tight margins, and who leads through example and encouragement rather than fear.

Sous Chef Role Responsibilities

What does a sous chef do? Here’s a breakdown of the key duties and responsibilities:

• Acting as the Head Chef’s deputy: overseeing all kitchen operations, maintaining standards and stepping in during absences
• Training and developing the kitchen team - one of the most important responsibilities at this level
• Leading menu development in collaboration with the Head Chef, including recipe testing, costing and seasonal transitions
• Managing ordering, stock control, supplier relationships and GP targets
• Writing and managing staff rotas, balancing labour cost with service needs
• Ensuring full compliance with food safety, hygiene, health and safety and HACCP protocols
• Running service from the pass, expediting and quality-checking every dish
• Jumping back onto a section when needed
• Building a positive kitchen culture: setting the tone for communication, respect and mutual support

Sous Chef Salary Benchmarks (annual)

How much should you expect to earn as a sous chef?

London:

• Lower quartile: £32,000 – £35,000
• Median: £36,000 – £40,000
• Upper quartile: £40,000 – £44,000

Outside London: 

• Typically £2k–£5k lower

Established Skills

Skills and knowledge you should have before starting in a sous chef role.

• Deep understanding of seasonal cooking and the ability to develop menus around ingredient availability
• Strong training and team development ability - you are expected to make your team better
• All-round cooking ability sufficient to run any section to the restaurant’s highest standard
• Ordering and stock control: managing suppliers, negotiating prices and controlling food cost
• Health and safety, food safety and HACCP compliance management
• Competence in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment during peak services

Emerging Skills

Skills you should show willingness and aptitude for, which are developed and honed on the job.

• Rota writing and labour cost management - the financial mechanics of scheduling take time to learn
• Full menu development from conception to launch: creating dishes that are delicious, executable and commercially viable
• Supplier relationship management at a strategic level: sourcing quality ingredients within budget constraints and building long-term partnerships
• Wine and beverage knowledge that supports menu development and the broader guest experience
• Kitchen culture building: the subtle, ongoing work of shaping how your team communicates, resolves conflict and supports each other
• Contributing to business-level conversations about profitability, revenue and operational efficiency

Cultural Skills

• Passion for food and hospitality - the foundation everything else builds on
• A deeply supportive approach to leadership - the most sought-after cultural quality at sous chef level
• Creativity and willingness to innovate with menus, techniques and processes
• Positive energy that sustains the team through demanding services
• Emerging leadership: directing, delegating and making decisions under pressure
• Strong communication across all departments: kitchen, front of house, management and suppliers
• Organisation and the ability to manage multiple responsibilities simultaneously
• Professionalism in conduct, timekeeping and standards
• Calm authority during high-pressure moments - your composure sets the tone for the whole kitchen
• Ambition and drive for personal and professional growth

Additional Skills to Boost Your Salary

• Experience opening new restaurants or leading kitchen installations from concept to launch
• Demonstrable track record of improving GP, reducing waste or increasing kitchen efficiency
• Wine, cocktail or beverage knowledge that supports menu pairing and cross-departmental collaboration
• Experience with events, private dining and catering as an additional revenue stream
• Formal management training, first aid certification or fire safety qualifications
• Sustainability credentials: waste reduction programmes, sustainable sourcing, environmental initiatives

Reaching the Next Level: Senior Sous Chef / Head Chef

Where to focus your growth and how to develop the skills you need to progress.

• Start thinking of the kitchen as a business, not just a brigade: understand the P&L, know what the food cost and labour cost percentages are, and start proposing changes that improve them
• Develop your own culinary identity: what kind of food do you want to cook? What suppliers would you choose? What would your menu look like? Head chefs need a clear creative vision
• Build your supplier network independently - visit farms, meet producers, attend food fairs. The relationships you build now will follow you into a head chef role
• Take full charge of the kitchen whenever the head chef is absent and treat those periods as rehearsals: make decisions, solve problems, lead the team and review how it went afterwards
• Work on your external communication: can you write a compelling menu description? Brief front of house confidently? Talk to a journalist about your food? These skills matter at head chef level
• Develop your financial skills beyond food cost: understand labour cost management, cover targets, revenue per head and how the kitchen contributes to the overall business performance
• Seek out formal leadership or management training - many industry bodies and hospitality organisations offer courses specifically designed for chefs moving into senior roles
• Consider whether you want to pursue a Head Chef role in a single site or a Senior Sous role in a group - the skill sets overlap but the career paths are different