Area Chef

Grow and Thrive Limited; Widnes; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 32,000; Full time

Job summary

Aspens Services is a market-leading contract caterer specialising in school food. We lead menus for students and staff, focusing on fresh ingredients and quality service.

Join a team that values leadership, safety, and community engagement, with hours aligned to school terms and travel between sites in the Greater Manchester area.

Qualifications

• Leadership and mentoring of kitchen teams.
• Proven experience with fresh ingredients in catering.
• Strong focus on health and safety practices and certifications.

Responsibilities

• Menu excellence: craft and deliver nutritious menus for students and staff.
• Team leadership: supervise and motivate kitchen staff for smooth service.
• Safety champion: ensure compliance with Food Hygiene, Allergen, and Health & Safety rules.
• Excellent hospitality: manage high-quality hospitality requests for schools and events.
• Building community: forge strong relationships with school clients and students.

Skills

Team leadership

Food prep

Health & safety

Education catering knowledge

Education

Food Hygiene L2

Food Hygiene L3

Job description

The following content displays a map of the jobs location - Greater Manchester

Aspens Services is a market-leading contract caterer specialising in school food. We don't just serve meals - we create fantastic food experiences that fuel young minds! By blending deep knowledge of the education sector with the latest food trends, we encourage creativity and excitement in every kitchen.

Our commitment to quality care for both clients and children has fueled rapid growth, and we are looking for passionate people like you to join our journey.

The role

As an Area Chef in one of our schools, 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!

37.5 hours per week

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

£28,000 per annum

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.