Chef

Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust; Frimley; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A reputable healthcare organization in the United Kingdom is seeking an experienced chef to produce high-quality, homemade meals for patients and staff. Key responsibilities include preparing dishes from fresh ingredients, ensuring excellent food presentation, and maintaining high standards of kitchen hygiene. Ideal candidates will have experience in catering, strong organizational skills, and a commitment to food quality and safety. This role fosters a collaborative environment and encourages flexible work arrangements to cater to staff and patient needs.

Qualifications

• Experience working as a chef in a high-quality catering setting.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to work efficiently in a fast-paced environment.
• A commitment to excellent food quality, safety, and presentation.
• Confidence in using your judgement to resolve day-to-day operational issues.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and cook dishes from fresh ingredients, following Trust recipes for patients and staff.
• Ensure every dish is cooked correctly and well-presented.
• Support function and event catering as needed.
• Work closely with the Head Chef to accommodate special dietary requirements.
• Maintain excellent communication with patients and colleagues.
• Contribute to menu planning and development.
• Carry out audits and surveys relevant to the role.
• Uphold exemplary kitchen hygiene and food safety standards.
• Manage stock effectively and ensure correct storage of goods.
• Promote efficient use of Trust resources.

Job description

Overview

This is an exciting opportunity for someone who takes pride in producing high-quality, traditional, homemade meals using fresh and, wherever possible, locally sourced ingredients. Working within a large production kitchen, you will play a key role in delivering nutritious and appealing meals that make a real difference to patient care and staff wellbeing.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and cook dishes from fresh ingredients, following Trust recipes and menu plans for patients and staff.
• Ensure every dish is cooked correctly, well-presented, and produced in line with forecasted requirements and portion control standards.
• Support function and event catering as needed.
• Work closely with the Head Chef and Assistant Head Chef to accommodate special dietary requirements.
• Maintain excellent communication with patients, visitors, colleagues, suppliers, and wider Trust teams.
• Contribute to menu planning and development.
• Carry out audits and surveys relevant to the role.
• Uphold exemplary kitchen hygiene, food safety and cleaning standards in line with current legislation.
• Record food temperatures and follow all departmental procedures.
• Manage stock effectively, ensuring correct rotation, storage, and security of goods.
• Promote efficient use of Trust resources and ensure financial procedures are followed.

Qualifications

• Experience working as a chef in a high-quality catering setting.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to work efficiently in a fast-paced environment.
• A commitment to excellent food quality, safety and presentation.
• Confidence in using your judgement to resolve day-to-day operational issues.

About Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust

Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust is committed to being an inclusive and disability confident employer and has been awarded the Gold for the Armed Forces Employment Recognition Scheme. We provide first class development opportunities for all staff and have a wide range of professional, management and leadership, and clinical skills training available. Here at Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, we know how important it is to have a healthy work life balance; this benefits not only individuals but the patients we care for too. We encourage applications from people who wish to work on a flexible basis, recognising that flexibility may mean a range of different working patterns and hours, we do our utmost to work with our staff to meet their needs and the needs of our service and its users.

Additional information

Frimley Health Trust benefits on Vimeo, A positive, courteous and professional approach. Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust (FHFT) is proud of its strong reputation, record of achievement and ambition for the future. We serve a population of over 900,000 people across Berkshire, Hampshire, Surrey and South Buckinghamshire, and remain committed to improving the health and wellbeing of our communities. Our new organisational strategy - FHFT 2030 - sets out our ambition to be the best place to receive care and the best place to work in the NHS. Underpinned by our Trust values - Committed to Excellence, Working Together, Facing the Future, and being a modern, compassionate, Healthcare Organisation - we are creating a culture where our people can thrive and patients always come first. We continue to invest heavily in our services and facilities, including the development of a new hospital at Frimley Park and major capacity expansions. We are also committed to sustainability and the NHS Net Zero ambition, embedding sustainable practices across all areas of care and operations. Everything we do is guided by our values, shaping how we care for patients, support colleagues, and build a sustainable future for healthcare together.