Chef Manager

Lodestone House; Liverpool; On-site; GBP 27,000 - 33,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Contributory pension scheme

Digital GP and wider healthcare

Exclusive travel discounts

Discounts on groceries

Cinema ticket discounts

Cash rewards on purchases

Free wellness and fitness classes

Share discounts with family andFriends

Job summary

Lodestone House, part of Compass Group UK & Ireland, seeks an experienced Chef Manager to lead the school catering operation at Merchant Taylors’ School in Liverpool. 40 hours per week, term-time only, serving around 200 pupils aged 5–11.

You will manage a team of four, oversee daily kitchen operations, and handle all aspects of menu planning, fresh meal preparation, and paperwork, ensuring high standards of food and safety.

Qualifications

• An experienced Chef Manager with school catering background.
• Two years' catering management experience.
• Strong chef skills with passion for fresh, high-quality food.
• Knowledge of Food Safety, HACCP, allergen, Health & Safety requirements.
• Commercial awareness with food cost, stock and labour control.

Responsibilities

• Manage day-to-day catering operations and ensure high standards of food and service.
• Lead, motivate, train and develop a small team of four.
• Oversee food preparation, cooking and service for the primary school.
• Plan and deliver fresh, nutritious meals to agreed standards.
• Manage food ordering, purchasing, stock control and waste.
• Monitor labour and food costs to meet financial targets.
• Complete catering administration, paperwork and reporting.
• Ensure compliance with Food Safety, HACCP, allergen and safety policies.
• Maintain a clean, safe, and well-organised kitchen.
• Build relationships with the school, pupils, staff and visitors.
• Drive continuous improvement across the catering service.
• Support senior site with hospitality functions when required.

Skills

School catering experience

Team management

Food Safety knowledge

Allergen awareness

Budget & cost control

Microsoft Office

Education

Level 2 Food Hygiene or equivalent

Job description

Benefits

We ensure you're rewarded for all your hard work, which is why we offer a comprehensive benefits package which includes but is not limited to:

• Monday to Friday
• Contributory pension scheme
• Grow your career with our Career Pathways and MyLearning programmes
• Quick access for you and your immediate family to a Digital GP, and wider healthcare benefits
• Exclusive travel discounts with TUI, Expedia, Booking.com and many more
• Save money on your food shop with discounts on Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons and many more
• Up to 44% off cinema tickets to enjoy your favourite blockbuster
• Receive cash rewards every time you spend and use them on a wide range of brands
• Un-wind with us with free wellness, mindfulness and exercise classes
• You can share all discounts and offers with your friends and families

CHEF MANAGER | MERCHANT TAYLORS’ SCHOOL, LIVERPOOL | £30,000

40 hours per week | Term time only, 41.4 weeks per year | Monday to Friday

Lodestone House, part of Compass Group UK & Ireland, is recruiting for an experienced Chef Manager to lead the catering operation at Merchant Taylors’ School in Liverpool.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced Chef Manager with a background in school catering and team management to take responsibility for a small, close-knit catering operation serving approximately 200 pupils aged 5–11.

You will lead a team of four, take responsibility for the day-to-day running of the kitchen and be hands‑on with the preparation and cooking of fresh, nutritious meals. You will also be responsible for the administration and paperwork associated with managing the catering unit.

What You'll Be Doing

• Managing the day-to-day catering operation and ensuring consistently high standards of food and service
• Leading, motivating, training and developing a small team of four
• Taking responsibility for all food preparation, cooking and service within the primary school
• Planning and delivering fresh, nutritious meals to agreed standards and specifications
• Managing food ordering, purchasing, stock control and waste
• Monitoring labour and food costs to achieve financial and commercial targets
• Completing all required catering administration, paperwork and reporting
• Ensuring full compliance with Food Safety, HACCP, allergen, Health & Safety and company procedures
• Maintaining a clean, safe and well‑organised kitchen
• Building strong relationships with the school, pupils, staff and visitors
• Driving high standards and continuous improvement across the catering service
• Supporting the senior site with hospitality functions and events when required

Who You Are

• An experienced Chef Manager with proven school catering experience
• Strong chef skills with a genuine passion for fresh, high-quality food
• Proven experience managing a catering operation and leading a small team
• At least two years' catering management experience
• Confident training, developing and supporting team members
• Strong knowledge of Food Safety, hygiene, Health & Safety and allergen requirements
• Commercially aware with experience managing food costs, stock and labour
• Highly organised with strong administrative and paperwork skills
• Excellent communication and relationship‑building skills
• Customer‑focused with a commitment to delivering high standards
• Good IT skills and confident using Microsoft Office and catering systems
• Level 2 Food Hygiene or equivalent

If you are an experienced Chef Manager with a strong background in school catering and team management, and you are looking for a Monday‑to‑Friday, term‑time‑only opportunity, we would love to hear from you.

About Us

As part of Compass you'll help to feed people, fuel progress and forge connections in around 6,000 venues. Join us to grow your career with the industry leader, and get competitive pay, great perks and unrivalled opportunities for learning and development, at one of the UK's biggest businesses.

Job Reference: com/0110/97507001/52816216/R/SU #Lodestone House

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!