Catering Supervisor / Cook

Teaching Vacancies; Rugeley; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A local educational organization in Rugeley is offering a unique hybrid role as a Cook and Area Supervisor. This position allows you to work in the kitchen while developing your management skills across seven schools. Responsibilities include preparing meals, ensuring food standards, negotiating with suppliers, and leading kitchen staff. Perfect for experienced cooks looking to step into management, this role also requires a valid driver's license for site visits. Competitive training and progression opportunities are included.

Benefits

Career progression opportunities

Training in business aspects of catering

Qualifications

• Confident cook with experience in volume catering.
• Ability to manage multiple sites and their staffing needs.
• Valid driver's license and own vehicle for site visits.

Responsibilities

• Prepare fresh meals and manage school kitchen services.
• Oversee menu compliance and ensure all schools meet standards.
• Negotiate with suppliers and monitor food costs.
• Lead cooks at other sites, providing training and maintaining standards.
• Coordinate emergency cover for absent cooks.

Skills

Kitchen Expertise

Organizational Flair

Problem Solvers

Mobility

Job description

What skills and experience we're looking for

Combine your culinary skills with a new career in management.

Are you an experienced cook ready for your next challenge? We are offering a unique "hybrid" role that allows you to keep your hands in the kitchen while taking your first professional step into Catering Management.

This role is split into two parts: you will be a Cook at one of our primary schools for four days a week, and use the remaining time (6 hours) to act as the Area Supervisor for our MAT of 7 local schools. Days worked in each role can be fairly flexible, we are happy to discuss this.

The Package

• Cook (School Based): 20 hours per week (9.30am - 2.30pm). Catering Supervisor (Multi‑Site): 6 hours per week. Total: 26 hours per week term time only.

Your Dual Responsibilities

1. In the Kitchen (Cook) You will be the heart of one of our school kitchens, responsible for preparing fresh, nutritious meals and managing the daily service for pupils and staff.
2. Across the Trust (Supervisor) For 6 hours of your week, you will take off the apron and step into a leadership role to oversee all 7 schools in our MAT:
   • Menu & Compliance: Create and deliver menus, ensuring all schools are meeting School Food Standards and managing allergens correctly.
   • Budgeting & Supply: Negotiate with suppliers and monitor food costs to keep the budget on track.
   • Staff Leadership: Act as line manager to the cooks at our other sites, delivering training, appraisals and ensuring high standards in food quality and cleanliness.
   • Operational Resilience: A key part of your role will be coordinating emergency cover. If a cook at another site is absent, you will work to ensure a solution is in place so that no child goes without a hot meal.

Who is this for?

This is the perfect "stepping stone" for a Lead Cook, Sous Chef or Catering Assistant who wants to move into area management but isn't ready to leave the kitchen entirely.

We are looking for:

• Kitchen Expertise: You are a confident cook who understands volume catering.
• Organizational Flair: You can keep track of 7 different sites, their stock levels, and their staffing needs.
• Problem Solvers: You are the person who stays calm when a staff member calls in sick and can quickly arrange a backup plan.
• Mobility: You must have a valid driver’s license and vehicle to visit the other schools during your supervisor hours.

Why Apply?

• Career Progression: We will train you in the "business side" of catering—budgeting, auditing, and multi‑site logistics.
• The Best of Both Worlds: Keep the joy of cooking while building a high‑level management CV.

Interview dates will be advised.

Please note our term dates differ from Staffordshire, see our website for more information.

The role is initially fixed term until the end of Summer Term 2026 pending a review of our catering services, but may be made permanent following this.

Commitment to safeguarding

Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff, volunteers and trustees to share this commitment. Our recruitment process follows the keeping children safe in education guidance. Offers of employment may be subject to the following checks (where relevant): childcare disqualification Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) medical online and social media prohibition from teaching right to work satisfactory references suitability to work with children You must tell us about any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.