Chef Manager

Impact Food Group; Taplow; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Work-life balance

Daytime hours

Holidays off

Free meals on shift

Uniform provided

Career development

Free qualifications

Staff discounts

Monthly incentives

Job summary

Impact Food Group is seeking a Chef Manager to run a high-volume school kitchen, delivering fresh, seasonal meals to hundreds of students daily. This hands-on leadership role requires motivating your catering team, maintaining high standards, and ensuring smooth service from prep to finish.

You'll plan menus, manage stock and budgets, uphold food hygiene and safety standards, and build strong relationships with onsite clients.

Qualifications

• Experience in managing a kitchen, preferably in schools or high-volume catering environments.
• Proven ability to cook fresh, seasonal food at high volumes.
• Strong people management and team leadership skills.
• Experience managing kitchen operations, stock and compliance.
• Excellent organisational and communication skills.
• Proactive hands-on approach maintaining high standards.

Responsibilities

• Lead, motivate and develop the catering team.
• Prepare and serve fresh, seasonal meals at high volume.
• Plan menus, manage stock and control budgets.
• Ensure food hygiene, safety and compliance standards.
• Build relationships with onsite clients and stakeholders.
• Oversee service from prep to finish.

Skills

Leadership

Team motivation

High-volume catering

Menu planning

Stock management

Budget control

Food hygiene

Safety compliance

Relationship building

Communication

Organisational skills

Proactive hands-on

Education

Relevant catering qualification

Tools

Kitchen operations software

Job description

As a Chef Manager, you'll take full responsibility for running a high-volume kitchen, serving fresh, seasonal meals to hundreds of students every day. This is a hands-on, leadership role where you'll manage your team, maintain high standards, and ensure smooth, efficient service. Your responsibilities will include:

• Leading, motivating, and developing your catering team
• Preparing and serving fresh, seasonal meals at high volume
• Planning menus, managing stock, and controlling budgets
• Ensuring all food hygiene, safety, and compliance standards are met
• Building strong relationships with onsite clients and stakeholders
• Overseeing the smooth running of service, from prep to finish
• We're looking for an experienced Chef Manager with a passion for high-volume catering and strong leadership skills.
• Previous experience managing a kitchen, ideally in schools or high-volume catering environments
• Proven ability to cook fresh, seasonal food at high volumes
• Strong people management and team leadership skills
• Experience managing kitchen operations, stock, and compliance
• Excellent organisational and communication skills
• A proactive, hands-on approach and pride in maintaining high standards

If you thrive in fast-paced environments and enjoy leading teams to deliver great food, this could be the role for you.

Impact Food Group (IFG) is one of England's fastest-growing school food providers, serving around one million students every day across more than 1,500 schools. We are dedicated to delivering high-quality, nutritious meals that support student wellbeing and enjoyment.

We offer a fantastic work-life balance:

• Daytime hours, no evenings or weekends
• All school holidays off
• Free meals on shift and uniform provided

Plus, you'll benefit from:

• Ongoing training, development, and career progression opportunities
• Access to free qualifications
• Staff discount scheme across 850+ retailers
• Monthly team incentives with the chance to win shopping vouchers

This is your opportunity to lead a high-volume kitchen, develop your career, and make a real difference in students' lives.