Catering Manager

Compass Group PLC; Greater London; On-site; GBP 52,000 - 72,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Contributory pension scheme

Career development and training

Digital GP and healthcare benefits

Retail, travel, and leisure discounts

Supermarket savings and employee perks

Cinema discounts

Health, wellbeing and fitness programs

Job summary

Compass Group PLC is seeking an experienced catering professional to lead hospital dining and retail catering operations. You will ensure safe, nutritious food for patients, visitors and staff while upholding NHS standards and exceptional service.

The role requires strong leadership, budget awareness, and a proven track record in healthcare or large-scale food service. You will manage teams, collaborate with NHS stakeholders, and drive continuous improvement across multiple sites.

Qualifications

• Proven management experience in healthcare or large-scale catering.
• Strong knowledge of HACCP and food hygiene regulations.
• Experience overseeing patient dining and retail catering operations.
• Excellent leadership, people management, and team development skills.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management abilities.
• Commercial awareness with budgets and KPIs.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and general IT systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day operation of patient dining and retail catering services.
• Ensure compliance with HACCP, food safety legislation, allergen management, and NHS food standards.
• Monitor food quality, temperature controls, cleanliness, and hygiene standards.
• Drive patient, visitor, and staff satisfaction through efficient service delivery.
• Recruit, train, develop, and motivate catering teams to achieve excellence.
• Build relationships with NHS clients, colleagues, and stakeholders.
• Manage staffing levels, resources, and rotas across multiple sites.
• Oversee retail performance, with attractive food offers and sales targets.
• Control food, labour, and costs to meet financial objectives.
• Ensure health and safety and infection prevention standards are met.
• Monitor KPIs, service standards, and customer feedback.
• Identify opportunities for continuous improvement and innovation.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Budgeting

Food safety knowledge

Tools

Microsoft Office

IT systems

Job description

This is an exciting opportunity for a catering professional with strong operational, food safety, retail, and people management experience. Working closely with NHS stakeholders, you will ensure patients, visitors, and staff receive safe, nutritious, and high-quality food and beverage services while maintaining the highest standards of compliance, hospitality, and customer service.,

• Lead the day-to-day operation of patient dining and retail catering services.
• Ensure compliance with HACCP, food safety legislation, allergen management, and NHS food standards.
• Monitor food quality, temperature controls, cleanliness, and hygiene standards across patient dining and retail outlets.
• Drive excellent patient, visitor, and staff satisfaction through efficient and consistent service delivery.
• Recruit, train, develop, and motivate catering teams to achieve operational excellence.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with NHS clients, colleagues, and key stakeholders.
• Manage staffing levels, resources, and rotas to support service delivery across multiple catering operations.
• Oversee retail performance, ensuring attractive food offers, excellent customer service, and achievement of sales targets.
• Control food, labour, and operational costs to achieve financial and commercial objectives.
• Ensure all health and safety, infection prevention, and company compliance standards are met.
• Monitor and report on key performance indicators (KPIs), service standards, and customer feedback.
• Identify opportunities for continuous improvement, innovation, and service development.
• Previous management experience within healthcare, hospital catering, retail catering, or large-scale food service operations.
• Strong knowledge of HACCP, food hygiene regulations, allergen management, and compliance requirements.
• Experience managing both patient dining services and retail catering operations.
• Excellent leadership, people management, and team development skills.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management abilities.
• Commercially aware with experience managing budgets, sales performance, and KPIs.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office and general IT systems.
• Passionate about delivering exceptional customer service and enhancing the catering experience for patients, visitors, and staff.
• Contributory pension scheme
• Career development and training opportunities
• Digital GP and healthcare benefits
• Retail, travel, and leisure discounts
• Supermarket savings and employee rewards
• Cinema discounts
• Health, wellbeing, and fitness programmes