Area Chef

Grow and Thrive Limited; Hitchin; On-site; GBP 18,000 - 21,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Term-time schedule

Travel between schools

Job summary

Grow and Thrive Limited seeks an Area Chef to lead school catering across your region, delivering healthy, tasty menus for students and staff with a focus on quality and service.

This role requires a full UK driving licence to travel between sites on weekdays during term time. You will mentor kitchen teams, ensure food hygiene standards, and build strong relationships with school clients.

Qualifications

• Full UK driving licence required to travel between schools.
• Proven catering experience with fresh ingredients and education catering knowledge is preferred.
• Solid understanding of Health and Safety practices and Food Hygiene levels 2 and 3.
• Self-motivated with initiative and a passion for learning and mentoring others.
• Ability to build strong relationships with school clients and students.

Responsibilities

• Menu Excellence: Expert preparation of our menus using fresh ingredients.
• Team Leadership: Supervise and motivate kitchen staff for smooth service.
• Safety Champion: Ensure compliance with Food Hygiene, Allergen, and Health & Safety regs.
• Excellent Hospitality: Manage high-quality hospitality requests for schools and events.
• Building Community: Develop strong relationships with schools and students.

Skills

Menu planning

Team leadership

Food safety

Self-motivated

Education

Food Hygiene Level 2

Food Hygiene Level 3

Tools

Full UK driving licence

Job description

The role

As an Area Chefs, you will be the culinary leader responsible for crafting and delivering a healthy, nutritious and truly fun menu for students and staff alike. We’re looking for someone with the flair, originality and leadership skills to deliver the highest quality food and service to the schools within your area, making our offer the absolute best.

Please note: This position requires a full UK driving licence to enable you to travel between schools.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Menu Excellence: Expert preparation of our menus using excellent craft skills and fresh ingredients.
• Team Leadership: Supervising and motivating your kitchen team to ensure smooth service and high morale.
• Safety Champion: Ensuring strict compliance with all Food Hygiene, Allergen, and Health and Safety regulations.
• Excellent Hospitality: Managing and producing high-quality hospitality requests for school clients and special events.
• Building Community: Developing strong, friendly relationships with both the school client and the students you serve.

About you:

• We need a passionate, self-motivated Chef who is ready to mentor a team and raise the bar for school dining.
• A full UK driving licence to enable you to travel between schools
• Proven experience in a catering environment, focusing on using fresh ingredients, ideally with knowledge of education catering.
• Excellent knowledge of Health and Safety practices and certification in Food Hygiene level 2 & 3 (further development training is available)
• You’re self-motivated, take initiative, and have a passion for learning and achieving goals while effectively motivating others.

Why Join the Aspens Family?

Great Work-Life Balance:

You’ll work Monday to Friday during school term time - that means no late nights, no weekends and no working at Christmas!

25 hours per week

38 weeks per year - what will you do with all that time off?

Career Growth and Development:

Join a fast-growing, ambitious company. We have no ceiling in terms of where you can take your career in catering.

Benefit from a dedicated Learning & Development team offering apprenticeship and training courses to help you constantly develop your skills.

Ready to start a rewarding career with amazing hours? Apply today!

Please note: All staff must share our commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children/young people. The company will seek an enhanced DBS disclosure.