Assistant Head Chef

Stockport; Stockport; Hybrid; GBP 22,000 - 26,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual leave 27–33 days

Cycle to work

Salary sacrifice schemes

Stockport Credit Union

Job summary

Stockport NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an Assistant Head Chef (Band 3) to supervise a large production kitchen that serves patients and staff with traditional, homemade meals.

The role requires experience leading a busy kitchen, motivation, and a commitment to high-quality service. We value teamwork, adaptability and strong food hygiene standards in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• City and Guilds 7061/2 or NVQ level 2 is required.
• Level 2 Food safety certificates or working towards.
• Good standard of secondary education.

Responsibilities

• Understand statutory food hygiene requirements and HACCP principles.
• Lead a catering team to high standards and act as a role model.
• Prepare and cook traditional homemade meals for patients and staff.
• Work 37.5 hours per week, 5 days out of 7, rota including bank holidays.

Skills

Team leadership

Customer service

Food safety

Cooking skills

Instruction and delegation

Education

City and Guilds 7061/2 or NVQ level 2

Level 2 Food safety certificates

Secondary education

Job description

From the exceptional opportunities we offer, to the remarkable care we provide for our patients, we think there is something special about working here.

There are lots of good reasons to choose to come and work at Stockport NHS Foundation Trust. A dynamic integrated Trust with integrity and vision. Exactly the same qualities you’ll see in yourself. Stockport NHS Foundation Trust aims to be the organisation of choice for patients and an employer of choice for staff. In order to continually improve all aspects of our patient experience, we rely upon having a highly skilled, motivated, diverse, productive and patient focused workforce.

Stockport Foundation Trust is one of four ‘specialist’ hospital sites in Greater Manchester. Being a ‘specialist’ hospital will enhance our general surgery, anaesthetics, critical care and emergency medicine for the benefit of people in Stockport, High Peak, Cheshire and across Greater Manchester.

In your application for this post, please describe how your experience and skills align with 'Our values-based behaviours' ( see additional documentation) and provide examples.

Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment

As well as recognising previous NHS service, Stockport NHS Foundation Trust is a member of the Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment. If you are currently employed by Greater Manchester Local Authority, Combined Authority, GMFRS, TfGM as well as other public service organisations, Stockport NHS Foundation Trust will recognise your previous service for sickness and maternity/paternity/adoption entitlement and also for annual leave purposes (providing there has been no break in service). If you currently work for one of the above organisations and successfully apply for a post with Stockport NHS Foundation Trust, please ensure the Recruitment team are aware so that this service is reflected in your contract of employment.

Job overview

Assistant Head Chef - Band 3

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a passionate and talented chef supervisor to produce traditional, home-made food in a large production kitchen. The kitchen produces meals for patients and staff.

We as a team have received a number of national and regional awards over the last 2 years including winners of the NHS England NHS Chef of the year 2022, Public Sector Catering Hospital Catering Award 2022.

The vast majority of our food is produced freshly in house using our state of the art facilities including Rational and MKN cooking equipment.

We are constantly delivering new and innovative menu ideas and themed events for our patients and staff and are an advocate of the Love British Food fortnight event showcasing the best of British produce.
Applicants will have previous experience of working in a busy kitchen, must be motivated and committed to providing a high quality service and be an outgoing, hardworking, enthusiastic individual that is able to work as part of a team or on their own initiative.

In return we will look to invest in you as a person and for the right applicant look to offer you a career path within our operation.

Main duties of the job

Understanding statutory requirements on food hygiene, allergens, storage and temperature control and an excellent knowledge of food hygiene and food preparation are essential.

The ability to lead a team cook to the highest standards and to be a role model are prerequisites for this position.

If you have a passion for great food and service we want to hear from you.

Basic numeracy and literacy skills are also required.
Hours of work will be 37.50 per week working 5 days out of 7 on a rota basis Monday to Sunday between the hours of 6.00am and 8.00pm and will also include Bank Holidays.

The shift pattern offers a great work life balance compared to restaurant and hotel positions.

Working for our organisation

We hold a unique position in the Stockport community as the provider of healthcare and we are one of its largest employers.

We believe that the best organisations are those that reflect the communities they serve. We are therefore seeking to improve the diversity of our workforce to make it truly representative of our local population.

We actively encourage applications irrespective of race, age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage & civil partnership, or pregnancy or maternity. Recognising those communities that are underrepresented within our workforce, we would particularly welcome applications from you.

If you require support with your application please contact a member of the recruitment team, who can discuss alternative application methods.

We recognise that flexible working is important. We take requests for flexible working seriously, consider any request we receive and try to work with you, so we can explore if your request may fit with the needs of the service.

Benefits we offer to you:

• Between 27-33 days of annual leave plus bank holidays
• Salary sacrifice schemes for lease cars, home electronics and more, to make your salary go further
• Cycle to work scheme
• Salary finance – for loans, savings, budget planning and tips on managing debt
• Stockport Credit Union– for local financial advice

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The job description gives an overview of the main tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specifications focusses on the qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge required. These documents are attached on the page and can be downloaded.

The person specification below is not the full person specification, but outlines the criteria against which your application form will be assessed.

Person specification

Education & Qualifications

• City and Guilds 7061/2 or NVQ level 2
• Level 2 Food safety approved certificates in basic food hygiene and food safety or working towards
• Good standard of secondary education.

Experience

• Previous experience leading a catering team.
• Previous experience working in a fast-paced catering environment.

Knowledge

• Knowledge of food safety and safety principles including all elements of departmental HACCP requirements.

Skills

• Able to take instruction and delegation.
• Ability to prepare and cook traditional homemade meals.
• Able to complete tasks on time.
• Able to lead and motivate a team.
• Able to train a team in the safe use of equipment.
• Demonstrate customer service skills.

Applicants are encouraged to read the documents attached to this vacancy before applying, including the job description and person specification and the information for applicants which includes useful information to assist you in completing your application.

Stockport NHS Foundation Trust is committed to promoting and championing a culture of diversity, fairness and equality for all applicants and employees. Applications are welcomed from all backgrounds and we strive to reflect the community we serve in our diverse workforce. Our "two tick" kite mark guarantees a candidate with a disability, who fulfills the essential criteria, an interview at the Trust. We can make reasonable adjustments, and offer support and advice in a variety of ways on request.

At the Trust we always adhere to the UK Visas and Immigration rules pertaining to right to work; candidates who do not hold UK or Republic of Ireland (RoI) citizenship are required to obtain a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) to be eligible to apply for either a Health and Care visa or Skilled Worker visa which allows them to work in the UK, unless they have eligibility to work in the UK via another route.

To avoid disappointment, candidates wishing to apply for a role at the Trust who do not hold UK or Republic of Ireland citizenship and who would require a CoS from an employer, should carry out a self-assessment process to identify the likelihood of obtaining CoS by visiting Work in the UK.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
If you choose to use AI when writing a job application, it is essential to personalise the content, particularly the supporting statement. AI cannot fully understand the specific context or requirements of a role and may generate inaccurate or misleading information. Over – reliance on AI can reduce an applicant’s chances of success, as it cannot effectively demonstrate how individual knowledge, experience, and skills meet the job criteria. Applicants should ensure their statements reflect a personal voice and avoid a generic or robotic tone.
Please note that we monitor the use of AI in applications. Applicants who use AI are required to declare this as part of the application process.