Sous Chef
We’re looking for creative chefs to help lead our kitchen team at the beachfront Ruin Beach Café on Tresco this season. Working yards from the beach, with arguably one of the best kitchen views in the country (if not the world), you’ll play an integral role in the busy kitchen of our hugely popular oceanside eatery. The Ruin is where Tresco’s wonderfully laid-back vibe meets modern, Mediterranean-inspired beachfront dining. At the heart of the restaurant – and menu – sits our feature oven, fired by island wood, which produces delicious pizzas and roasts succulent meat, fish and vegetables. Guests come from across Tresco, the wider archipelago and even the mainland to dine with us, and it’s this reputation you’ll be helping maintain and grow. Life at The Ruin is fun and fast-paced, creative and confident, ambitious and authentic – and we look for these same qualities in our chefs. Enjoy excellent on-duty meals, on-island accommodation, paid travel to and from the island, and the opportunity to work and live a stone’s throw from the sea.
Join our team for the 2025 season, with live-in hospitality and housekeeping opportunities for couples and friends on Tresco Island and at Hell Bay Hotel in the beautiful Isles of Scilly.
Department: Ruin Beach Cafe
Salary: From £14.40 per hour, dependent on experience
Benefits: Tips, meals and accommodation
Hours: Full Time, 2 days off per week
Contract Length: Seasonal, February – November
Duties Include:
- Preparing dishes & ensuring food is served to a consistently high standard
- Working closely with the Head Chef planning menus & developing new dishes
- Liaising with suppliers & placing orders, while keeping to budget and controlling costs
- Monitoring and maintaining consistent portion and waste control to maintain set profit margins
- Helping the Head Chef with staff rotas, assisting the management & training of Chef de Parties, Demi-CDPs & Kitchen Porters
- Helping to oversee the smooth running of daily operations in the kitchen and responsible for leading the kitchen in the Head Chef’s absence
- Ensuring the kitchen is kept clean and tidy at all times in line with health and hygiene safety regulations
- Undergoing any training required provided to assist in the role
Our Ideal Candidate:
- A dedicated and driven individual who shares our passion for the industry
- Previous supervisory experience is preferred, or willing to take on management responsibility
- Have experience in providing outstanding service
- Committed and hungry to progress and grow your skills
- Have a keen eye for detail
- Adaptability to a varied and evolving menu
- Able to work well under pressure and handle varied work hours on demand
- Have a high standard of cleanliness
- Able to communicate all relevant information on nutrition and food allergens
- Have existing experience in a hotel restaurant or an establishment with a good reputation for excellent cuisine
- Hold the relevant food hygiene certification or be willing to obtain them
- Having a rosette background will be advantageous
About Tresco Island
At the heart of the Isles of Scilly archipelago, 28 miles from the Cornish coast, Tresco Island is a family‐run business comprising the whole island of Tresco and the Hell Bay Hotel on the neighbouring island of Bryher.
With timeshare and rental cottages, a 16-bedroom inn, two restaurants, a world-famous garden, a spa, an art gallery, a shop and a working farm, Tresco is a subtropical island known for its deserted bays, aquamarine seas and exceptional guest experiences.
Just across the water on the neighbouring island of Bryher, Hell Bay Hotel stands as Scilly’s highest-rated hotel and restaurant. Our boutique hotel offers 25 suites, a 3AA Rosette restaurant, a Crab Shack and wellness facilities - a haven of calm amidst the wild seascape of Bryher's west coast.
Working & Living Here
If the breathtaking views and island lifestyle aren't enough, we offer excellent pay rates, on-island accommodation, travel to and from the island, and a great range of benefits.
We're proud to offer competitive pay above the National Living Wage, and many positions offer gratuities. Some positions also offer meals on duty and pathways for progression for the right people.
Our range of staff benefits is constantly evolving and currently include a 20% discount in our eateries and shops, unlimited scheduled boating to explore the archipelago, subsidised spa membership and treatments, free entry to Tresco Abbey Garden, an Employee Assistance Programme, and discounted stays for friends and family.
In order to process any application, we require confirmation you are eligible to work in the UK. Unfortunately, if you are not, we are unable to help with the necessary paperwork to assist with this.
