Head Chef - Contemporary Dining & Brunch

About the role

A growing premium hospitality and dining establishment in Colombo is looking for an experienced and creative Head Chef to lead its culinary operations. The role focuses on developing and delivering an exceptional dinner menu while keeping high standards across breakfast and brunch. The ideal candidate combines culinary creativity with operational leadership, preferably gained in a five-star hotel, luxury hospitality setting or premium international dining establishment.

Key responsibilities

• Lead and oversee daily kitchen operations, ensuring consistency in food quality, presentation and service standards.
• Own dinner menu development, introducing innovative and commercially viable dishes.
• Develop and maintain high-quality breakfast and brunch offerings.
• Design seasonal menus, experiment with new flavours and use contemporary international techniques.
• Manage the kitchen during busy service periods for efficient preparation and timely execution.
• Lead, train, mentor and supervise the culinary team.
• Monitor food costs, portion control, inventory and wastage while maintaining profitability.
• Establish standardized recipes, kitchen procedures and food presentation guidelines.
• Ensure compliance with food safety, hygiene and HACCP principles.
• Collaborate with restaurant management to improve the guest dining experience.

Required profile

• Minimum 5-7 years of progressive professional culinary experience, preferably in five-star hotels, luxury hospitality or premium dining.
• Previous experience as Head Chef, Sous Chef, Executive Sous Chef or a comparable senior culinary leadership position.
• Proven expertise in contemporary international cuisine, especially à la carte and dinner service.
• Strong knowledge of breakfast and brunch menu preparation.
• Ability to create innovative menus while keeping consistency, quality and cost efficiency.
• Culinary qualification from a recognized institution or equivalent professional training is an added advantage.

Required skills

• Food costing, inventory management, kitchen budgeting and operational efficiency.
• Leadership, kitchen management and team development.
• Food safety standards and kitchen hygiene practices.

What we offer

• An attractive, negotiable remuneration package depending on experience and expertise.
• The chance to lead and shape the culinary direction of a growing premium dining concept.
• Creative freedom to contribute to menu development.
• A collaborative environment with opportunities for professional growth.