Director of Food - #1704206

Role Overview

Oversee Kitchen Operations across the Group’s Bar, Restaurant & Hotels concepts, combining creative vision with strategic execution. Working to deliver distinctive, high-quality menus while ensuring consistency across venue groups. Use strong financial acumen to manage food costs, stock, GP margins, and menu costing, driving both innovation and profitability.

About Us

Scotsman Group is a collection of diverse venues. Lots of our venues are housed in grade A & B listed buildings, carefully restored, expanded, refreshed and put to good use. We have Restaurants, Hotels, Nightclubs, Bars, Cinemas and more.

One thing all our places have in common is our People- they work hard, often behind the scenes, and they are the best at what they do. They are a wildly eclectic bunch and we are always growing and on the lookout for fresh talent, so if you've got it, bring it.

Role Responsibilities

Menu Development

• Create and oversee unique, trend-forward, and commercially viable menus tailored to each concept, season, and location - balancing creativity with profitability.
• Manage & empower the Food Team to deliver excellence with each menu launch, in all venues.
  
  

Financial & Cost Control

• Develop and manage food budgets.
• Oversee menu costing, GP margin control, inventory management, and waste reduction.
• Ensure the role delivers strong financial outcomes, not just creative execution.
  
  

Vendor & Supply Chain Management

• Source and negotiate with suppliers to secure top-quality ingredients at the best possible cost.
• Maintain health, safety, and sustainability standards across the supply chain.
  
  

Operations Management

• Ensure consistency in food quality, presentation, and preparation methods across all venues.
• Implement and uphold standard operating procedures to drive efficiency and consistency.
  
  

Team Leadership

• Line manage a team consisting of Operations Chefs, Project Chefs & Executive Chefs.
• Train and mentor line reports to build high performing kitchen teams in all venues.
• Foster a high-performance culture focused on collaboration, accountability, and culinary excellence.
  
  

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with beverage, marketing, and operations teams to design integrated menus, promotions, and events that enhance the guest experience.
  
  

Innovation & Trend Integration

• Stay current with culinary and consumer trends.
• Proactively adapt and integrate new ideas to keep offerings fresh and competitive.
  
  

Quality Assurance

• Oversee and ensure Food Team complete regular audits of kitchen operations, food safety, and team performance to uphold brand standards across all venues.
  
  

Skills & Experience

• 7+ years of progressive culinary leadership experience, preferably in a multi-unit restaurant or hospitality group.
• Proven success in menu development and kitchen management in high-volume environments.
• Strong, hands-on experience in financial management—including stock control, GP margin tracking, and detailed menu costing.
• Deep understanding food safety, and labour management.
• Passion for food innovation, menu trends, and maintaining a competitive culinary edge.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and organisational skills.
• Culinary degree or equivalent professional training preferred.