Chef

Lodestone House; St Albans; On-site; GBP 23,000 - 32,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare check (Aviva Digicare)

Employee Assistance Programme - mental

Perks at Work

Career training & development

Referral bonus (£500)

Pension & life assurance

Job summary

Lodestone House, part of Compass Group UK&I, is recruiting a Chef in St Albans to join our education-focused catering team. The role is full-time, 40 hours weekly, working day shifts Monday through Wednesday and Friday, with a 41.4-week per year contract.

You will prepare high-quality meals, adapt menus, and respond to client feedback to continuously improve our offering while ensuring stock control and hygiene standards are upheld.

Qualifications

• Hold City & Guilds 706/1 & 2 or NVQ equivalent.
• Have experience in a similar Chef role.
• Be a strong team player with good communication skills.
• Hold a Food Hygiene certificate.
• Have a flexible approach to working.

Responsibilities

• Preparing delicious, high-quality food that delights clients and customers
• Overseeing and implementing menu changes
• Listening and acting on customer feedback to keep improving our food
• Helping to create new menus and creative food concepts
• Monitoring stock to keep kitchens well stocked
• Overseeing kitchen cleaning and complying with Food Hygiene and Health & Safety standards

Skills

Team player

Good communication

Customer service oriented

Passion for great ingredients

Education

City & Guilds 706/1 & 2 or NVQ equivalent

Food Hygiene certificate

Job description

About Us

Part of Compass Group UK&I, Lodestone House is the leading provider of catering and support services to the education sector. For over a quarter of a century, Lodestone House has been focusing on helping those in education to build strong bodies, sharp minds and lead long healthy lives. Every week, Lodestone House serves millions of nutritious and delicious meals to pupils and students in primary and secondary schools, academies, independent schools, colleges, and universities across the UK.

About The Role

We're currently recruiting a Chef to join Lodestone House on a full time basis, contracted to 40 hours per week, working day shifts, Monday to Wednesday and Friday.

You'll create food people love, bringing your culinary skill, fresh ideas and a passion for great ingredients to every service.

Please note: This role is contracted to 41.4 weeks per year

What You'll Do

• Preparing delicious, high-quality food that delights our clients and customers
• Overseeing and implementing menu changes
• Listening and acting on customer feedback to keep improving our food
• Helping to create new menus and creative food concepts
• Monitoring stock to keep our kitchens well stocked
• Overseeing kitchen cleaning and complying with Food Hygiene and Health & Safety standards

What We Offer

We ensure you're rewarded for all your hard work, which is why we offer a comprehensive benefits package:

• Aviva Digicare - Free annual healthcare check
• Employee Assistance Programme - Mental health support, offering confidential advice and resources to help you navigate personal and professional challenges
• Perks at Work - Access to exclusive benefits and wellbeing resources
• Career training & development opportunities - Including Apprenticeships and Career Pathways
• Earn up to £500 when you refer a friend
• Comprehensive pension scheme and life assurance

About You

• Be passionate about great-tasting food and exceptional customer service
• Hold a City & Guilds 706/1 & 2 or NVQ equivalent
• Have experience in a similar Chef role
• Be a strong team player with good communication skills
• Hold a Food Hygiene certificate
• Have a flexible approach to working

Lodestone House is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expect all employees to share this commitment. Any offer of employment will be subject to successfully completing pre-employment checks, including an enhanced DBS disclosure and a Children's Barred List check. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and we ask applicants to declare all previous convictions and cautions in order to assess their suitability to work with children.

Job Reference: com/1011/97368001/52243285/BU #LodestoneHouse

Compass Group UK&I is committed to fostering an environment where every individual can truly be themselves at work and has equal opportunities to advance in their careers. We strive to build a culture that respects and celebrates the unique talents, beliefs, backgrounds, and abilities of all our team members. We want our colleagues to feel valued, empowered to reach their full potential, and to thrive - because diversity is our strength!