Head Chef – The Pontcanna Inn, Cardiff

Full Autonomy • Fresh, Seasonal Menus • Creative Freedom in Your Own Kitchen

Salary: Up to £42,000 + £4,000 Annual Bonus (based on achieving key KPIs)  

About Us

The Pontcanna Inn sits proudly on Cathedral Road, just a short stroll from Sophia Gardens, Cardiff Castle, and the Principality Stadium. With its relaxed, stylish vibe and two fantastic outdoor terraces, our pub is a favourite for both locals and visitors.

Inside, our bar and dining area seat up to 100 guests, serving hearty and healthy dishes alongside an eclectic mix of wines, craft ales, and cocktails. Upstairs, our ten boutique bedrooms offer a true home-from-home, supported by a friendly team that delivers warm, genuine hospitality every day.

The Role – Head Chef

We’re looking for a passionate, creative Head Chef who’s ready to take full ownership of their kitchen.

Whether you’re an experienced Head Chef or an enthusiastic Sous Chef ready to step up into your first leadership role, this is a fantastic opportunity to make your mark and shape your own kitchen.

At The Pontcanna Inn, you’ll have complete freedom to:

• Craft and develop your own menus using fresh, seasonal produce

• Showcase local Welsh ingredients or reinterpret classic pub favourites

• Lead, inspire, and develop your kitchen team

• Build a kitchen culture that reflects your values, style, and high standards

You’ll have the full backing of Young’s Pubs, where we believe every venue should have its own unique personality — and as Head Chef, you’ll be at the heart of bringing that to life.

What we offer our Head Chefs:

• Head Chefs get to have full autonomy to create your own menus and specials
• Access to our Apprenticeship Scheme and Development Programmes
• Access to regular culinary masterclasses covering topics such as Game, Butchery and Shellfish
• Access to inspirational food trips with our top quality suppliers
• Regular Chef Forums with other Head Chefs to inspire and develop
• Free meals
• 20% discount in all Young's Pubs and 30% discount on overnight stays in our Pubs with Rooms
• Share save Scheme
• Enhanced Company Pension Scheme
• 28 Days Holiday per year

What we look for in a Head Chef:

This role requires someone that can inspire a team, to bring out the potential and lead by example whilst being able to develop, cost and produce fresh seasonal menus for the variety of revenue streams within the business.

• Have experience championing excellent service through quality food either as a Head Chef or in the position of Sous Chef
• Demonstrate a passion for leading and developing a team
• Be an active hands-on team player with excellent communication skills
• Be responsible and able to manage the kitchen staff rota, training and all health and safety effectively at all times
• Be able to demonstrate your creativity and ability to design and deliver new dishes for our menus and daily specials
• Demonstrate great planning and organisational skills, necessary to maintain effective controls with regard to both GP and labour
• Have a pro-active approach to driving sales and delivering growth, through engagement with both kitchen and front of house teams

Head Chef – The Pontcanna Inn, Cardiff

Full Autonomy • Fresh, Seasonal Menus • Creative Freedom in Your Own Kitchen

Salary: Up to £42,000 + £4,000 Annual Bonus (based on achieving key KPIs)  

About Us

The Pontcanna Inn sits proudly on Cathedral Road, just a short stroll from Sophia Gardens, Cardiff Castle, and the Principality Stadium. With its relaxed, stylish vibe and two fantastic outdoor terraces, our pub is a favourite for both locals and visitors.

Inside, our bar and dining area seat up to 100 guests, serving hearty and healthy dishes alongside an eclectic mix of wines, craft ales, and cocktails. Upstairs, our ten boutique bedrooms offer a true home-from-home, supported by a friendly team that delivers warm, genuine hospitality every day.

The Role – Head Chef

We’re looking for a passionate, creative Head Chef who’s ready to take full ownership of their kitchen.

Whether you’re an experienced Head Chef or an enthusiastic Sous Chef ready to step up into your first leadership role, this is a fantastic opportunity to make your mark and shape your own kitchen.

At The Pontcanna Inn, you’ll have complete freedom to:

• Craft and develop your own menus using fresh, seasonal produce

• Showcase local Welsh ingredients or reinterpret classic pub favourites

• Lead, inspire, and develop your kitchen team

• Build a kitchen culture that reflects your values, style, and high standards

You’ll have the full backing of Young’s Pubs, where we believe every venue should have its own unique personality — and as Head Chef, you’ll be at the heart of bringing that to life.

What we offer our Head Chefs:

• Head Chefs get to have full autonomy to create your own menus and specials
• Access to our Apprenticeship Scheme and Development Programmes
• Access to regular culinary masterclasses covering topics such as Game, Butchery and Shellfish
• Access to inspirational food trips with our top quality suppliers
• Regular Chef Forums with other Head Chefs to inspire and develop
• Free meals
• 20% discount in all Young's Pubs and 30% discount on overnight stays in our Pubs with Rooms
• Share save Scheme
• Enhanced Company Pension Scheme
• 28 Days Holiday per year

What we look for in a Head Chef:

This role requires someone that can inspire a team, to bring out the potential and lead by example whilst being able to develop, cost and produce fresh seasonal menus for the variety of revenue streams within the business.

• Have experience championing excellent service through quality food either as a Head Chef or in the position of Sous Chef
• Demonstrate a passion for leading and developing a team
• Be an active hands-on team player with excellent communication skills
• Be responsible and able to manage the kitchen staff rota, training and all health and safety effectively at all times
• Be able to demonstrate your creativity and ability to design and deliver new dishes for our menus and daily specials
• Demonstrate great planning and organisational skills, necessary to maintain effective controls with regard to both GP and labour
• Have a pro-active approach to driving sales and delivering growth, through engagement with both kitchen and front of house teams