Chef Manager

John Lewis Partnership; Binfield; On-site; GBP 33,000 - 51,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free meals on duty

Chef whites provided

Job summary

John Lewis Partnership is seeking a Team Manager at the Bracknell Distribution Site to lead catering teams, ensuring outstanding service and a high-quality food offer. You will balance nutrition, profitability and price while driving continuous improvement across operations.

The role features shift-based hours and a 37.5-hour week, with a permanent contract and a competitive salary. Relevant City & Guilds qualifications are preferred.

Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years supervising catering teams.
• Strong understanding of sales, stock, and wastage management.
• Ability to lead by example and adapt to other departments when required.
• Proficient IT and administrative task management.

Responsibilities

• Lead a catering team to deliver outstanding customer service.
• Develop menus fit for purpose and manage food prep balancing nutrition and profitability.
• Ensure compliance with food safety and hygiene regulations.
• Coordinate with chefs, front-of-house and vending teams to meet targets.

Skills

Supervisory Experience

Food Expertise

Commercial Awareness

Leadership Qualities

IT Literacy

Intermediate Food Hygiene Certificate

Recognised Food Production Certificate

Food Production experience

Education

Intermediate Food Hygiene Certificate

City & Guilds 706 1 & 2 or equivalent

Tools

Ordering systems

Job description

About the role

Role known internally as Team Manager.

Salary: £32,700 - £51,200 per annum - (dependent on skills and experience)

Contract type: Permanent

Working pattern:

• The Hours: Shift-based Mon & Tues 12:00 - 19:30, Wed & Thurs 16:00 - 23:30 and Fri 19:30 - 3:00 - 37.5 hours per week
• Predictability: We believe in planning ahead; all rotas are pre-scheduled and shared well in advance, giving you the visibility you need to balance your professional and personal life.

Location: Bracknell Distribution Site, West Warehouse

Key Responsibilities

• Create a menu which is fit for purpose, meets the needs of Partners and provides food inspiration.
• Lead the delivery of outstanding and consistent customer service in catering and vending to maximise Partner Dining Room sales.
• Lead the food preparation process ensuring the right balance between nutrition, profitability and price.
• Identify, explore and develop opportunities for continuous improvement and greater efficiency
• To ensure the teams develop a great food offer which exceeds commercial targets, delights customers and leads market / competitor trends.
• Managing and working closely with other Chefs of all levels
• Managing and working closely with front of house and Vending teams
• Determining food inventory needs, stock requirements and ordering.
• Responsible for ensuring the kitchens meet all regulations including the highest standards of food safety and hygiene legislation as well best practises
• Being responsible for Food Production health and safety.
• Set the standards for the administration of Food preparation to accurately record management information and food safety requirements.
• Lead the full compliance with JLP Catering policies and legislation
• Lead the full compliance with Health and Safety Regulations
• Carry out due diligence tasks and keep accurate due diligence checks and recordsli>
• Act as an exemplar operator leading and coaching your team to success
• Develop self and team’s capability and capacity to create career and succession strength .

Benefits of the Role

• Free meals whilst on duty
• Chef whites provided

Essential Skills/Experience You’ll Need

• Supervisory Experience: A minimum of 3 year’s experience in supervising catering teams.
• Food Expertise: Experience working with all food types and a genuine passion for hospitality.
• Commercial Awareness: A strong understanding of how to manage sales, stock, and wastage to protect the bottom line.
• Leadership Qualities: The ability to lead by example, foster trust within a team, and remain flexible to support other departments when required.
• IT Literacy: Proficient computer skills to manage administrative tasks and ordering systems.
• Intermediate Food Hygiene Certificate.
• Recognised Food Production Certificate. City & Guilds 706 1 & 2 or equivalent
• Food Production experience

Desirable Skills/Experience You May Have

• Advanced Food Hygiene Certificate Level 3
• Experience working in a high-pressure, customer-facing selling or service environment.
• Previous experience in a dedicated administration or logistics function.

Mon & Tues 12:00-19:30, Wed & Thurs 16:00 - 11:30 Fri 19:30 - 03:00

The partnership

We’re the largest employee owned business in the UK and home of our cherished brands, John Lewis and Waitrose. We’re not just employees, we’re Partners, driven by our purpose to build a happier world. As we look to our future, there’s never been a more exciting time to join us.

We’re ruthlessly focused on being brilliant at retail. We continue to innovate, adapt and diversify. Never Knowingly Undersold on price, quality and service in John Lewis and passionately serving food-lovers in Waitrose.

As Partners we all share the responsibility of ownership and in its rewards. We use our voices to contribute to our success, working together through the good and challenging times, holding true to our behaviours and treating everyone with kindness and respect.

We all own making the Partnership somewhere we belong. Embracing our differences and creating an environment where we’re free to be ourselves and can THRIVE. Growing ourselves individually, and as a collective.

As Partners, we make all the difference. And, we all own it.

Important points to note:

It’s important to note that some of our roles are subject to pre-employment vetting (which may include DBS checks for successful candidates). If required, you’ll be informed and provided with information about vetting during the recruitment process and we encourage you to complete any vetting documents quickly to avoid delays. Any DBS checks required will be carried out by a third-party registered body and financial probity checks may also be required for some of our roles.

We occasionally close vacancies early in the event we receive a high volume of applications, and therefore, we recommend you apply early. If you require a reasonable adjustment due to a disability which means you may need longer to complete your application.

We want all of our Partners to have a good work-life balance and we support flexible working. This might mean flexible or compressed hours, job sharing or shorter hour contracts, where possible. Please discuss this further with the hiring manager during your interview.