Chef Manager

Lodestone House; Macclesfield; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 40,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension scheme

Healthcare benefits

Career development programmes

Travel discounts

Grocery discounts

Cinema tickets

Wellness/mindfulness classes

Job summary

Compass Group UK&I is recruiting a Chef Manager for Lodestone House, Beech Hall School in Macclesfield. This hands-on leadership role combines kitchen management with strategic oversight of costs and service quality.

You will lead a team to deliver high-quality, well-presented meals, while maintaining safety and hygiene standards and driving continuous improvement across operations.

Qualifications

• Experience leading and managing a catering team.
• Experience in food production and kitchen operations.
• Strong communication and organisational skills.
• Commercial awareness and the ability to manage costs effectively.

Responsibilities

• Leading and motivating the catering team.
• Producing and delivering high-quality food.
• Maintaining excellent standards of food presentation and service.
• Managing food production, purchasing and stock.
• Controlling costs, labour and food waste.
• Ensuring the highest standards of food safety, hygiene and health & safety.
• Training, coaching and developing your team.
• Building strong relationships and delivering an excellent service.

Skills

Strong chef skills

Team leadership

Communication skills

Organisational skills

Cost control / commercial awareness

Job description

Salary: £36,000 per annum Are you a talented Chef Manager with a genuine passion for great food and leading a fantastic team?

Chef Manager – Lodestone House

Beech Hall School, Macclesfield

We’re looking for an experienced Chef Manager to join us at Lodestone House, Beech Hall School in Macclesfield. This is a fantastic opportunity for someone who loves being hands‑on in the kitchen but also has the leadership and commercial skills to manage a successful catering operation.

You’ll take responsibility for the day‑to‑day running of the kitchen, ensuring consistently high standards of food, service and presentation. You’ll lead, motivate and develop your team while effectively managing food costs, stock, labour and waste. These responsibilities reflect the core requirements within the relevant Chef and catering management role profiles.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Leading and motivating the catering team
• Producing and delivering high-quality food
• Maintaining excellent standards of food presentation and service
• Managing food production, purchasing and stock
• Controlling costs, labour and food waste
• Ensuring the highest standards of food safety, hygiene and health & safety
• Training, coaching and developing your team
• Building strong relationships and delivering an excellent service

What We’re Looking For

• Strong chef skills and a genuine passion for food
• Experience leading and managing a successful catering team
• Good knowledge of food production and kitchen operations
• Strong communication and organisational skills
• Commercial awareness and the ability to manage costs effectively
• A positive, hands‑on leadership style
• A commitment to delivering great food and excellent service

As part of Chartwells, you’ll be joining a business specialising in catering and support services within education.

Chartwells is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. The internal recruitment material states that offers are subject to pre‑employment checks, including an enhanced DBS disclosure and Children’s Barred List check.

Benefits

• Monday to Friday
• Term time only (43.6 weeks per year)
• 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

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.

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!