Catering Team Leader- Head Chef | East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust

East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust; Rother; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A UK Healthcare Provider in Rother is seeking a Catering Team Leader to oversee the catering department and ensure high-quality meal service for patients and visitors. You will lead a team while planning menus and maintaining food safety standards. This role offers regular hours and various staff benefits including development opportunities and onsite parking.

Benefits

Staff development opportunities

NHS pension scheme

Access to onsite nurseries

Free psychological support

Qualifications

• Experienced in catering management or senior chef roles, ideally within a healthcare environment.
• Knowledgeable about food safety, allergen management, and HACCP systems.
• Organisational skills and attention to detail are essential.

Responsibilities

• Lead and support the catering team to deliver outstanding food and service.
• Plan and prepare balanced, appealing menus.
• Oversee day-to-day running of the restaurant and meal service.

Skills

Catering management experience

Food safety knowledge

Leadership skills

Menu design

Teamwork

Job description

You will take the lead in hands‑on cooking, menu design, dish costings, and daily kitchen operations, ensuring that all catering services meet the highest standards of quality, safety, and compliance with food hygiene and health & safety legislation.

Responsibilities

• Lead, motivate and support the catering team to deliver outstanding food and service.
• Plan and prepare balanced, appealing menus for patients, staff, and visitors, ensuring dietary and cultural needs are met.
• Oversee the day‑to‑day running of the staff & visitor restaurant and patient meal service.
• Manage food production and portion control, ensuring cost‑effective use of resources.
• Ensure all catering operations are fully compliant with current food safety, hygiene, and health & safety legislation.
• Support team training and development, fostering a positive and professional working environment.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues to continually improve catering standards and customer satisfaction.
• If you're a motivated catering professional who takes pride in great food and great teamwork, we'd love to hear from you.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and experienced Catering Team Leaderto join our busy and friendly Hospital Catering Department. This is a hands‑on leadership role where you'll play a vital part in providing nutritious, high‑quality meals to both patients and visitors, while leading a team committed to delivering excellent service across our hospital site.

Qualifications

• Food‑focused with a genuine passion for creating nutritious, tasty meals.
• Positive and proactive, with excellent organisational and leadership skills.
• Experienced in catering management or senior chef roles, ideally within a healthcare or large‑scale catering environment.
• Knowledgeable about food safety, allergen management, and HACCP systems.
• Creative and detail‑oriented, with the ability to design menus that balance quality, cost, and variety.
• A team player, eager to contribute to a department with great potential and a shared commitment to achieving excellent results.

EEO Statement

Disability Confident: A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high‑volume, seasonal and high‑peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non‑disabled people. For more details please go to .

Benefits

A wide range of staff benefits are available to our staff including staff development, enrolment in the NHS pension scheme, auto‑enrolment to our Temporary Workforce Service, access to onsite nurseries, staff restaurants and accommodation. In addition to an internal Occupational Health department, all staff also have access to free psychological support through our confidential Employee Assistance Programme.

• Regular working hours - mainly Monday to Friday, with no late nights.
• The opportunity to make a real difference in the experience and wellbeing of our patients, staff, and visitors.
• Ongoing training and development opportunities within a growing catering service.
• Onsite parking is available from only £50 a year.