Chef

OCS; Thurrock; On-site; GBP 17,000 - 21,000; Full time

Job summary

OCS UK & Ireland is recruiting a dedicated Chef to join our Catering team. You will deliver outstanding food and drink offerings to clients and site visitors, ensuring quality and consistency across menus.

You will manage stock, control budgets, maintain hygiene, and support the Senior Chef when needed. A strong customer-service focus and teamwork will be essential.

Qualifications

• Right to work in the UK.
• Autonomous yet able to work well in a team.
• Food handling certificate preferred but not required.
• Contract catering background preferred but not essential.
• City & Guilds 706/1 and 706/2 or Level 2 Diploma in Professional Cookery.

Responsibilities

• Ensure top quality and taste of food.
• Manage stock inventory and order raw materials.
• Control budgets and minimise wastage.
• Maintain kitchen health and hygiene standards.
• Prepare and cook for clients and customers.
• Support the site in the absence of the Senior Chef.

Skills

Food preparation

Stock management

Health & safety

Customer service

Team player

Education

City & Guilds 706/1 and 706/2 or Level 2 Diploma in Professional Cookery

Job description

Monday - 11:00 to 20:00
Saturday & Sunday 07:00 to 18:00 We are currently recruiting for a dedicated and driven Chef to join our Catering team.

About The Role

We are currently recruiting for a dedicated and driven Chef to join our Catering team. The successful candidate will be responsible for delivering our outstanding food and drink offering to our clients and site visitors.

Your key responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

• Ensuring food quality and taste are of the highest standard.
• Managing inventory of stock and ordering raw materials.
• Controlling budgets and minimising wastage.
• Maintaining health and hygiene in the kitchen.
• Prepare and cook for clients and customers.
• Supporting the site in the absence of the Senior Chef

The ideal candidate should meet the following criteria

• Applicants must have the right to work in the UK
• Someone who is willing to attain the highest standards possible.
• We are looking for an employee that is autonomous in their approach but also happy to work well in a team.
• Ideally, you will have your food handling certificate – but don’t worry if you don’t, we can help you achieve this!
• A background in contract catering would be ideal but not essential.
• Ideally City & Guilds 706/1 and 706/2 or level 2 diploma in Professional Cookery (or equivalent), but we are happy to talk to those also qualifying for their professional qualifications.
• Excellent knowledge of health and safety and food safety.
• Excellent communication and customer service skills as you will be interacting with the customer base and onsite clients.
• A real passion for food and service, with the ability to prepare and cook good quality seasonal food.

About The Company

OCS UK & Ireland is a leading facilities management company with 50,000+ colleagues and a turnover in excess of £2bn. We deliver innovative, award-winning services within facilities management, hard services, cleaning, security and catering.

Our mission is to make people and places the best they can be for our colleagues, customers and the communities we serve. Our commitment to doing business the right way is rooted in our TRUE values - Trust, Respect, Unity, and Empowerment.

Additional Requirements

Due to the nature of this role, you will need access to a smartphone that can support our approved work applications for tasks such as clocking in and out (if you are required to use our time and attendance system for your role), viewing schedules, completing training and receiving work-related communications.

Why Work for OCS?

• Award-Winning Employer: Ranked 36th on Glassdoor’s Best Companies to Work For 2025 — we value and motivate our people.
• Digital Learning: The OCS Academy offers digital courses and resources to help you build skills and grow your career.
• Retail Perks With our Hapi app, you can gain access to exclusive discounts, rewards and wellbeing resources.
• Professional Growth: 600+ live learners across UK&I — Empowering colleagues with further development and qualifications!
• Flexible Pay: Access a portion of earned wages before payday with our Wagestream App! (Contract Specific)

We are an equal opportunities employer and rely on a diverse workforce with a broad range of knowledge, skills, and backgrounds to deliver our goals. We offer an inclusive and welcoming environment and actively encourage applications from all individuals regardless of race, gender, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or age.