Chef

Sodexo Group; Guildford; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 36,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Meal on shift

Uniform provided

Mental health resources

Employee Assistance Programme

Free health app

Discounts on high street brands

Retirement savings plan

Life insurance

Full training and protective uniform

Cycle to Work scheme

Flexible working

Competitive pay

Job summary

Sodexo Group is seeking a Chef at Nuffield Health Guildford Hospital to manage a kitchen section and prepare high-quality meals that support patient wellbeing.

You will work in a fast-paced environment, ensuring all dishes meet high standards and dietary requirements, while leading a team and maintaining food safety and quality. This permanent role offers shift patterns and Sodexo benefits.

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a Chef in high-volume catering or healthcare settings.
• Ability to lead and support kitchen teams and deputise for management when required.
• Experience working with menus, recipes, production schedules and portion control.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and cook fresh, high-quality meals for patients, staff and hospitality.
• Follow daily and seasonal menus, ensuring portion sizes and nutritional standards.
• Prepare dishes including special diets and nutrient requirements, with allergen controls.
• Lead kitchen team to maintain high standards of food and service.
• Ensure food safety, hygiene, HACCP and COSHH compliance across all activities.
• Manage production schedules, stock, ordering and wastage within budgets.
• Complete kitchen checks and support audits and cross-team collaboration.

Skills

Chef experience

Leadership

High-volume kitchen

Menu & recipes

Education

Intermediate Food Hygiene qualification (Level 3)

Job description

Chef

Nuffield Health Guildford Hospital, GU2 7RF

Healthy outcomes start with positive patient experiences.

• 37.5 Hours per week
• 5 days out of 7 | 5x 7.5 h shifts between hours of 7 am and 8 pm
• £15.09 per hour + Sodexo Benefits
• permanent contract
• meal on shift / uniform provided

Check your local transport links here: Plan Your Journey | Traveline - the destination you should input is: GU2 7RF

Please take the time to read the attached job description

Job Introduction

Bring your passion to the plate. Make a difference every day.

As a Chef at Sodexo in Nuffield Health Guildford Hospital, you’ll play a vital role in preparing high-quality meals that support patient wellbeing and enhance the overall dining experience. You’ll be responsible for managing your own section of the kitchen, ensuring every dish meets our high standards. If you’re passionate about food, thrive in a fast-paced environment, and want to be part of a purpose-driven team — this is the role for you. Join Sodexo and be part of something greater. You belong in a team where you can act with purpose and thrive in your way.

What you’ll do:

• Prepare and cook fresh, high-quality meals from fresh ingredients for patients, staff and hospitality services, following agreed menus, recipes, production methods and specifications to ensure consistency, quality and excellent presentation.
• Follow daily and seasonal menus accurately, ensuring meals meet required portion sizes, nutritional standards, dietary requirements and presentation specifications.
• Prepare a varied range of dishes and special diets, including allergen, texture-modified and nutritional requirements, ensuring recipes and ingredient controls are followed precisely.
• Lead and support the kitchen team to deliver consistently high standards of food and service, including deputising for management when required.
• Ensure all food preparation, cooking, storage and service complies with food safety, hygiene, HACCP, COSHH, allergen management and private hospital standards.
• Manage production schedules, stock, ordering, portion control and food wastage effectively, ensuring meals are prepared on time and fresh ingredients are used efficiently within agreed budgets.
• Complete required kitchen checks and documentation, supporting audits while working closely with hospitality and wider teams to deliver an excellent patient, visitor and staff experience

What you bring:

• Proven experience as a Chef, ideally at Sous Chef, Chef de Partie or shift-lead level, within a high-volume catering, healthcare, hospitality or similar professional kitchen environment.
• Strong culinary skills and demonstrable experience of cooking from fresh ingredients, with a passion for quality, consistency and well-presented food.
• Experience working accurately to menus, recipes, specifications and production schedules, with excellent attention to detail and the ability to consistently reproduce dishes to the required standard.
• Experience preparing food for special diets, allergies, nutritional and texture-modified requirements, with a strong understanding of allergen controls.
• Experience leading, supporting and developing a kitchen team, with the ability to organise workloads, motivate others and lead by example.
• Good knowledge of food safety, hygiene, allergens, special diets and food labelling, with an Intermediate Food Hygiene qualification; Level 3 is desirable.
• Strong organisational and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively under pressure and demonstrate a positive, flexible and professional approach to patient care, hospitality, teamwork and continuous improvement.

What we offer:

Working at Sodexo isn’t just a job — it’s a chance to make a difference every day. You'll be part of a supportive team, act with purpose, and thrive in a role where your work matters. We also offer a range of benefits to support you and your loved ones:

• Mental health and wellbeing resources
• Employee Assistance Programme (including financial/legal advice & personal support)
• Free health & wellbeing app with 24/7 virtual GP access
• Discounts on high street brands for you and your family
• Salary finance tools and financial wellbeing resources
• Retirement savings plan and life insurance
• Full training and protective uniform provided.
• Opportunities to gain experience through learning and development.
• Cycle to Work scheme & volunteering opportunities.
• Flexible working and a dynamic team environment
• Competitive pay

We may close this advert early if we receive a high number of applications - so don’t wait!

About Sodexo

At Sodexo, our purpose is to create a better every day for everyone to build a better life for all. As the global leader in services that improve the Quality of Life, we operate in 55 countries, serving over 100 million consumers each day through our unique combination of On-Site Food and FM Services, Benefits & Rewards Services and Personal & Home Services.

We are committed tobeingan inclusive employer. We are a forces friendly employer. We welcome and encourage applications from people with a diverse variety of experiences, backgrounds, and identities. We encourage our employees to get involved with our Employee Networks such as Pride, Sodexo Parents & Carers, Sodexo Disability, Ability network, So Together, Generations and Origins.

We’re a Disability Confident Leader employer. We’re committed to changing attitudes towards disability, and making sure disabled people have the chance to fulfil their aspirations. We run a Disability Confident interview scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria for the job.

Click here to read more about what we do to promote an inclusive culture.

Sodexo Disability, Ability network, So Together, Generations and Origins.