Head Chef - Steak Barn, Balgove Larder (St Andrews)

CompanyBalgove Larder

LocationSt Andrews, Scotland, United Kingdom

Posted At1/13/2026

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Occupation Type

Chefs

Occupation Code Skill LevelMedium Skilled

Sponsorship EligibilityIneligible for Sponsorship

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Description

Head Chef – Steak Barn, Balgove Larder (St Andrews)

A rare opportunity to lead a flagship kitchen and shape its future.

Opportunities like this don’t come around often.

We’re recruiting a Head Chef for the Balgove Larder Steak Barn — a well-established and highly regarded destination built around exceptional farm-reared meat, seasonal home-grown produce and strong relationships with local suppliers.

As the New Year began, so did our renovation works. With a butchery extension underway and a larger store room in development, Balgove Larder is investing in its future. With that investment comes the opportunity for an experienced Head Chef to take full ownership of the Steak Barn kitchen and play a central role in what comes next.

The Role

This is a senior, hands-on leadership position with genuine autonomy. As Head Chef, you’ll be responsible for the full kitchen operation — from people and standards through to menus, margins and consistency.

You will:

Build, lead, motivate and develop the kitchen team.
Take full control of menu creation, evolution and delivery, ensuring menus are exciting, seasonal and rooted in Scottish produce.

Develop menus in direct collaboration with our on-site Market Garden, located just one field away, with five polytunnels delivering fresh vegetables, salads and herbs daily.

Collaborate with our on-site, award-winning Butchery, gaining a deep understanding of cuts, yields and opportunities, with the chance to work across departments and develop new skills.

Work closely with our Farm Manager, who oversees our home-grown meat range — with animal welfare at the heart of everything we do. We look after our animals properly, ensuring they are healthy and well cared for, and by weight, approximately 65% of the meat used at Balgove comes directly from our own farm.

Champion the use of locally sourced products, supporting local businesses, strengthening supplier relationships and actively reducing food miles across everything we serve.

Manage menu costing, GP control and portion consistency.

Set and maintain high standards across service, prep, food safety and hygiene.

Oversee rotas, labour control and efficient kitchen operations.

Run a busy service with confidence, ensuring consistency and quality at all times.

What Makes This Role Unique

Direct access to fresh produce from an on-site Market Garden.
Premium, ethically sourced meat from our own farm and butchery.
Creative freedom to design menus shaped by what’s grown, reared and available on site.
A strong commitment to supporting the local economy and reducing food miles.
A stunning rural setting with a close-knit, collaborative team.
Opportunities for innovation and cross-department learning.

About You

You’ll be an experienced kitchen leader who enjoys responsibility, structure and creative control in equal measure.

You’ll bring:

Proven experience as a Head Chef.
Strong menu development and costing skills.
Confidence working with seasonal produce and local suppliers.
Excellent people management skills and a calm, authoritative leadership style.
Pride in running a kitchen that is well organised, commercially sound and consistent.

What We Offer

Attractive competitive salary and overall rewards package.
Generous share of tips/service charge.
Average 45-hour week, with flexibility on total hours for the right candidate to support a positive work-life balance.

Meals on duty.

25% staff discount across the business, including our award-winning Butchery, Café, Shop and Steak Barn.

The Process

We will follow a two-stage interview process:

Initial interview via phone or Microsoft Teams with either our HR Manager or Hospitality General Manager.
Second, in-person interview with our Director(s).

Why Balgove?

We celebrated 15 years of Balgove Larder last September. The Steak Barn is established, respected and central to the business. This role offers the opportunity to lead it during an exciting period of investment and growth — while working directly with the land, animals, people and local producers behind the food.

If you’re ready to take ownership of a respected kitchen, support the local economy and create menus with real integrity, we’d love to hear from you.

Early applications are encouraged.