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

ESHT; St Leonards; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare provider in St Leonards is seeking an enthusiastic Catering Team Leader to oversee kitchen operations, menu design, and food service for patients and visitors. The ideal candidate will have experience in catering management and a passion for creating nutritious meals. This role offers a supportive environment with no late nights, ongoing training, and various staff benefits.

Benefits

Staff development opportunities

NHS pension scheme enrollment

Access to onsite nurseries

Discounted parking

Qualifications

• Proven experience in catering management or senior chef roles.
• Knowledgeable about food safety, allergen management, and HACCP systems.
• Ability to design menus that balance quality and cost.

Responsibilities

• Lead and support the catering team to deliver outstanding food and service.
• Plan and prepare appealing menus for diverse dietary needs.
• Manage day-to-day restaurant and patient meal service operations.

Skills

Food-focused

Leadership skills

Catering management experience

Knowledge of food safety

Creativity

Organisational skills

Job description

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.

About You

We’re looking for someone who is:

• 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.

Why Join Us?

• A supportive and collaborative team environment.
• 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.

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.

• 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.

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. Onsite parking is available from only £50 a year.

There has never been a better time to join East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, submit your application today.

Statement on the Use of AI We value the individuality that each candidate brings to the application process. While we understand that AI tools are widely available, we strongly discourage applicants from using AI-generated content when applying for jobs with us. We believe that your application should reflect your true skills, experiences, and motivations, which are best conveyed through your own words and unique perspective. Using AI for your application may not accurately represent your knowledge, skills, and experience and may result in a disconnect between your qualifications and our assessment of your application. We encourage applicants to take the time to thoughtfully complete your applications; by doing so, you allow us to better understand your true potential and ensure a fair and transparent evaluation of your application. Over reliance on AI-generated content may diminish your chance of success.

This advert closes on Wednesday 10 Dec 2025.