Catering Line Manager

NHS Professionals; Reading; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 44,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive Pay Rates

First choice of placements at over 50%

Dedicated consultants

Flexible working options

Free DBS and free training

Holiday allowance

24/7 support

Pension scheme

Job summary

NHS Professionals invites applications for a Catering Line Manager at Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading. The role leads daily catering operations, supports staff, and ensures safe, high-quality patient and staff meals within a busy healthcare setting.

The post requires a background in catering or hospitality, people management skills, and a commitment to food safety. Flexible multi-site coverage and hospital teamwork are integral to the role.

Qualifications

• Experience in catering, hospitality or food service environment.
• Ability to lead a team and deliver high service standards.
• Strong focus on food safety and customer service.

Responsibilities

• Oversee day-to-day catering operations and staff
• Supervise and motivate catering staff across shifts
• Assist with staff rotas and staffing levels
• Monitor food preparation, temperatures and presentation
• Ensure compliance with food hygiene, safety and hospital procedures
• Support stock control and storage of catering supplies
• Respond to customer queries and escalate complex issues
• Support induction and training of catering staff
• Improve customer experience and service standards
• Provide cover across catering areas when needed

Skills

Customer service

Team supervision

Food safety

Communication skills

Organisational skills

Education

C&G Level 2 in Catering

Advanced level food hygiene certification

Job description

Job Description:

Catering Line Manager

Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading, RG1 5AN

Band 5 - £19.97/hr (Weekdays), £25.96/hr Saturdays & £31.95/hr Sundays & Bank Holidays

Up to 37.5 hours per week

Working flexibly: usually Monday to Friday between core hours, but with flexibility to cover if required.

The Role

We are seeking an experienced and motivated Catering Line Manager to support the day-to-day delivery of catering services at Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone with a background in catering, hospitality or food service who enjoys leading a team, maintaining high standards and ensuring customers receive an excellent service in a busy healthcare environment.

Working as part of the wider catering management team, you will oversee daily catering operations, support catering staff and help ensure that food is prepared and served safely, efficiently and to the required standard. You will play an important role in supporting the delivery of patient meals and catering services for hospital staff and visitors.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee the day-to-day running of allocated catering areas, ensuring services operate efficiently and meet required standards.
• Supervise, support and motivate catering staff, providing clear direction and guidance throughout each shift.
• Assist with staff rotas, work allocation and ensuring appropriate staffing levels to meet service requirements.
• Monitor food preparation, presentation and service to ensure meals are delivered to the required quality and standard.
• Ensure compliance with food hygiene, health and safety, infection prevention and control, and other relevant hospital procedures.
• Carry out routine checks on food temperatures, cleanliness, equipment and storage areas, addressing any issues promptly.
• Support stock control, deliveries and the appropriate storage and handling of food and catering supplies.
• Help maintain efficient working practices and minimise food waste.
• Respond professionally to customer queries and complaints, escalating more complex issues to the appropriate manager.
• Support the induction and training of catering staff, including food hygiene and safe working practices.
• Assist with monitoring service standards and identifying opportunities to improve the customer experience.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues across the catering and wider hospital teams to ensure a reliable and responsive service.
• Provide operational cover across catering areas when required and support the wider management team during busy periods or staff absences.

About You

You will be a practical, organised and approachable individual with experience in a catering, hospitality or food service environment. You will be confident supporting a team, maintaining high standards and ensuring daily tasks are completed efficiently.

You should be comfortable working in a fast-paced environment where priorities can change, with a strong focus on customer service, food safety and teamwork.

Essential Requirements

• Previous experience in a catering, hospitality or food service environment.
• C&G Level 2 in Catering as a minimum.
• Advanced level food hygiene certification.
• Experience supervising, coordinating or supporting a team.
• Good knowledge of food hygiene, safe food handling and workplace health and safety.
• Knowledge of stock control, food temperature monitoring and catering equipment safety.
• Experience supporting staff training and maintaining service standards.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• A customer-focused approach and the ability to deal with queries professionally.
• Good organisational skills and the ability to prioritise tasks in a busy environment.
• A flexible and proactive approach to work, with the ability to adapt to changing service demands.
• A willingness to work across different catering areas and on any day of the week as required.

Desirable Requirements

• Experience working in a hospital, healthcare or other high-volume catering environment.

In return for your hard work commitment NHS Professionals (NHSP) can offer you some fantastic benefits:

• Competitive Pay Rates - work this week, get paid next week!
• First choice of placements at over 50 NHS Trusts in England
• Dedicated consultants
• Flexible working options
• Free DBS and free training
• Build holiday allowance.
• Support when you need it - 24/7 365 days.
• Stakeholder pension scheme

Who are NHS Professionals?

NHS Professionals (NHSP), owned by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), works in partnership with hospital trusts to provide a bank of highly skilled temporary workers who want to work flexibly within the NHS.

Working through the NHSP bank means Trusts do not have to rely on expensive agencies. Right now, we have over 130,000 members registered on our bank from various roles, grades, and specialities, saving the NHS over £70 million each year. This money is then reinvested back into the NHS.