Chef Manager

Blue Arrow; Northfleet; On-site; GBP 36,000 - 44,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

28 days holiday including bank hols

Your birthday off

Free meals on shift

Enhanced maternity and family leave

3 paid volunteering days

Apprenticeship and development

Pension and life assurance

Employee Assistance Programme

Wellbeing support hub

Cycle to Work Scheme

Perkbox discounts

Job summary

Blue Arrow in Gravesend is seeking an experienced Chef Manager to lead a high-volume kitchen operation in a contract catering setting. You will manage the team, develop menu concepts, and ensure top quality food and service while controlling costs and maintaining compliance.

The role requires strong people leadership, budgeting know-how, and a passion for delivering great food in a fast-paced environment. A stable site operation and excellent customer relations are essential.

Qualifications

• Previous experience as a Chef Manager, Catering Manager, or Head Chef within contract catering.
• Strong people management and leadership skills.
• Demonstrable experience managing kitchen budgets, stock, and food costs.
• Excellent culinary and menu development abilities.
• Good understanding of food safety and health & safety regulations.

Responsibilities

• Leading and developing a team of chefs, cooks, and front of house colleagues.
• Planning and delivering innovative, fresh, and engaging menus.
• Managing food preparation and presentation to the highest standards.
• Controlling food costs, stock levels, ordering, and kitchen budgets.
• Monitoring wastage and implementing cost-saving initiatives.
• Building strong relationships with customers and stakeholders.
• Ensuring full compliance with food safety, health & safety, and company standards.
• Driving customer satisfaction through excellent food and service delivery.
• Maintaining accurate operational and compliance records.
• Supporting continuous improvement and menu development initiatives.

Skills

People management

Leadership

Menu development

Communication

Customer service

Commercial awareness

Job description

Are you an experienced Chef Manager looking for your next challenge within a high-volume contract catering environment?

We're looking for a passionate and commercially minded Chef Manager to lead a successful catering operation in Gravesend. This is an excellent opportunity for an ambitious catering professional who combines strong culinary skills with proven leadership experience and a genuine passion for delivering exceptional food and service.

Working within a prestigious contract catering environment, you'll have full responsibility for the day-to-day management of the kitchen, team development, customer satisfaction, financial performance, and operational excellence.

The Role

As Chef Manager, you'll be responsible for:

• Leading and developing a team of chefs, cooks, and front of house colleagues
• Planning and delivering innovative, fresh, and engaging menus
• Managing food preparation and presentation to the highest standards
• Controlling food costs, stock levels, ordering, and kitchen budgets
• Monitoring wastage and implementing cost-saving initiatives
• Building strong relationships with customers and stakeholders
• Ensuring full compliance with food safety, health & safety, and company standards
• Driving customer satisfaction through excellent food and service delivery
• Maintaining accurate operational and compliance records
• Supporting continuous improvement and menu development initiatives

About You

To be successful in this role, you'll ideally have:

• Previous experience as a Chef Manager, Catering Manager, or Head Chef within contract catering
• Strong people management and leadership skills
• Demonstrable experience managing kitchen budgets, stock, and food costs
• Excellent culinary and menu development abilities
• A sound understanding of food safety and health & safety regulations
• Experience managing teams in a fast-paced catering environment
• Excellent communication and customer service skills
• A proactive and commercially focused approach

What's in It for You?

• Salary of 40,000 per annum
• 28 days holiday including bank holidays
• Your birthday off every year
• Free meals whilst on shift
• Enhanced maternity and family leave benefits
• 3 paid volunteering days
• Apprenticeship and development opportunities
• Pension and life assurance
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Wellbeing support hub
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• High street, travel and cinema discounts via Perkbox

Working Pattern

• 40 hours per week
• Operational site runs 7 days per week
• Flexibility to support both day and night shift operations as required

Blue Arrow is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer and is committed to helping find great work opportunities for great people.