Cafe Chef - Brambles of Inveraray

Award-winning cafe & hotel | Full-time | Inveraray, Argyll

This Isn’t Fine Dining.

It’s Better.

At Brambles, we’ve won awards not because we do fancy.

We’ve won them because we do simple food brilliantly.

Burgers.

Fish and chips.

Open sandwiches.

Homemade cakes and puddings.

The kind of food people actually want to eat - cooked fresh to order, every single time, and presented so well it makes people stop and take a photo before they even pick up a fork.

We’re looking for a Cafe Chef who gets that.

Someone who takes real pride in making a burger taste exactly right, who plates a slice of cake like it matters, and who can hold it all together when the cafe is packed and the tickets are flying.

Let’s Be Honest About the Pace

This is a fast kitchen.

Genuinely fast.

Everything is cooked and prepared fresh to order.

 When we’re busy, we’re really busy, and you’ll need to read a ticket, understand it, and execute it quickly without cutting corners on quality or presentation.

We’ve had chefs who couldn’t handle it.

It wasn’t a skills issue - it was a pace issue.

They were talented in the kitchen but not built for the rhythm of a high-volume café service.

So we’re being upfront: if you’re more comfortable working methodically at a gentle pace, this probably isn’t the right fit. There’s no shame in that - it’s just not what this role needs.

If, on the other hand, you thrive on a busy service, find satisfaction in clear systems and consistent results, and love the challenge of a full cafe rather than a quiet pass - read on.

What a Typical Day Looks Like

You’ll be prepping and running service in our busy café kitchen.

The menu is focused and unfussy - our food is honest, hearty, and made with quality local produce.

On a good day (and there are a lot of them), you’ll be:

• Working a high-volume breakfasth and lunch service, cooking everything fresh to order
• Keeping the kitchen clean, organised, and moving at pace
• Plating food to Brambles brand standards - simple, generous, and genuinely appealing
• Working alongside a small, tight-knit team who care about what they produce
• Helping with prep at the start and end of service

The menu doesn’t change constantly, which means you get good at what we do - and you own it.

What We’re Actually Looking For

The most important thing is not a long list of technical qualifications. We care far more about who you are and how you work.

You’re the right person if:

• You love making simple food taste genuinely great - seasoning, timing, and care matter to you
• You move quickly, stay calm under pressure, and can prioritise without being told
• You read a ticket and execute, without needing things explained twice
• You care how food looks when it leaves the pass - even when it’s busy
• You take pride in consistency, not just creativity
• You’ve worked in a fast, high-volume kitchen before and actually enjoyed it

You’re probably not the right person if you’re looking for a creative fine dining environment, want to redesign menus weekly, or prefer a quieter, more considered kitchen pace.

That’s a valid preference - it’s just not us.

What Brambles Offers

Brambles is an award-winning cafe and hotel at the heart of Inveraray - one of Scotland’s most beautiful small towns on the shores of Loch Fyne.

We’ve grown steadily for over 20 years because we’ve always cared about the details: quality food, a warm welcome, and a team that takes real pride in what they do.

We offer:

• Competitive pay, commensurate with experience
• A supportive, tight-knit team environment
• A kitchen that runs properly - well-equipped, well-stocked, and led by people who know the business
• Consistent shifts within a business that has real stability and a strong reputation
• The chance to be part of something that genuinely means something to locals and visitors alike
• Share of tips
• Accommodation

We’re not a chain.

We’re not a franchise.

We’re a real, independent, award-winning local business - and the people who work here are the reason we keep winning.

How to Apply

If this sounds like your kind of kitchen, we’d love to hear from you.