Now Hiring at The Grace
The Grace | Where Excellence meets Opportunity
Westport, County Mayo | Full-Time | Pre-Opening Opportunity
Join The Grace Westport Estate, a remarkable new hotel opening in Spring 2026 on Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way, at the heart of the captivating Westport Estate.
Job Summary:
We are looking for a passionate and experienced Head Chef to lead our culinary team at The Grace Westport Estate. This role requires a hands-on leader who can not only manage daily kitchen operations but also drive business growth and maintain the highest standards of culinary excellence and food safety across all our venues.
Principle Responsibilities
Culinary & Operational Leadership
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Lead, manage, and motivate a high-performing kitchen team in both fine dining and high-volume service environments.
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Design and continuously refine menus that balance premium, detail-driven dishes with efficient execution for large service volumes.
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Oversee all kitchen operations, ensuring consistency in quality, speed of service, and presentation across varying demand levels.
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Implement structured processes for procurement, recipe standardisation, and workflow efficiency to support scalability without compromising standards.
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Maintain all kitchen equipment and storage areas to the highest operational and hygiene standards, ensuring readiness for peak service periods.
Financial Management
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Manage food purchasing and inventory to consistently achieve targeted food cost percentages across both premium and high-turnover service models.
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Drive profitability by optimising margins, reducing waste, and maintaining cost control during high-volume trading periods.
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Ensure all menu items are accurately costed and documented, supporting pricing strategies aligned with both quality and volume objectives.
Team Development & Management
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Lead, train, and develop kitchen staff to deliver fine dining quality at scale, maintaining consistency under pressure.
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Embed strong culinary, hygiene, and compliance standards through structured onboarding and ongoing training.
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Coach teams on service efficiency, coordination, and timing to meet the demands of high-volume operations without compromising guest experience.
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Manage performance through regular appraisals, clear KPIs, and continuous feedback to drive accountability and growth.
Compliance & Safety
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Ensure complete adherence to governmental food safety regulations and company policies.
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Implement and enforce a cleaning schedule and ensure all staff are aware of the importance of maintaining back-of-house areas.
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Perform ad-hoc tasks or projects as assigned by Management.
Required Experience and Skills
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Minimum 3 years' experience in a similar role in a luxury hotel environment
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Proven leadership and team management skills
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Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
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Strong organisational skills with a focus on the details
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Extensive knowledge of food safety standards
This job description is not intended to be either prescriptive or exhaustive, it is issued as a framework to outline main areas of responsibility at the time of writing.
The Grace Westport Estate is an equal opportunity employer. We strive to create and maintain a diverse workforce where everyone is respected and included.
