Guest Chef Residency - Live-Fire Pop-Up - Manchester - Profit Share + Fee & Exposure

Guest Chef Residency - Live-Fire Pop-Up - Manchester - Profit Share + Fee & Exposure

A one-month headline residency for a Guest Chef to put their name to a premium-casual live-fire kitchen in Manchester, with a full team behind them.

The Role

A rare opportunity for an established or rising Guest Chef to headline a limited-season outdoor dining series in Manchester. Each month, one Guest Chef creates a menu built around charcoal grills and open fire, then hands it to a strong in-house brigade to deliver. The season runs from mid-November to May, with one Guest Chef residency per month.

The Operation

Premium-casual outdoor restaurant on a large site, 60-80 coversWednesday to Sunday service, with multiple sittings at weekendsKitchen built for live-fire cooking: charcoal grills and open fire, plus fryer and flat-topEstablished operator with existing Manchester sites, suppliers and central supportIn-house Head Chef and Chefs de Partie to run the menu day to dayOpening and closing events to bookend the season, with marketing and social content throughout

The Guest Chef Role

Create a live-fire menu at a premium-casual price pointSet up the kitchen, recipes, systems and standards at the start of the residencyTrain the in-house team so the food lands properly when the Guest Chef is not on the passThree to four visits across the month, ideally cooking one or two services a weekSupport press, photography, filming and social content around the residencyNo relocation and no investment required, with the option to bring members of your own team

The Ideal Guest Chef

A recognised or emerging name with a following, through a restaurant, TV, cookbooks, press or social mediaStrong in live-fire, grill, barbecue or produce-led cookingPremium-casual or modern restaurant backgroundNew to the Manchester market, whether from London, other UK regions or abroadComfortable trusting and leading an existing teamCommercially minded and open to a profit-share modelDeveloping a new concept, or keen to test a menu before a future opening

The Package

Profit share on the residency month plus a paid fee for time on site, with full figures shared by the operatorTravel and accommodation support availableA low-risk platform to test a concept in front of a new audienceMarketing, PR and social exposure in one of the UK's busiest food citiesLimited slots: one Guest Chef per month, with residencies available from November into spring 2027Potential involvement in a future permanent live-fire restaurant project

If you are a Guest Chef with a live-fire or premium-casual following and want a month in the spotlight in Manchester, send your CV or a short note on your concept to Olly at COREcruitment dot com today.