Chef Manager - Guildford

Holroyd Howe; Guildford; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading catering company in Guildford seeks an experienced Chef Manager to oversee kitchen operations at a prestigious independent school. You will craft imaginative menus, manage a dedicated team, and ensure exceptional dining experiences while adhering to high standards of food quality and safety. Ideal candidates will have proven experience in quality-focused culinary environments and strong leadership skills.

Benefits

28 days holiday including bank holidays

3 volunteering days

Bespoke training and development opportunities

Pension and life insurance

Discounts via Perkbox

Free meals while on shift

Career development opportunities

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a Chef in a high-volume, quality-focused environment.
• Experience managing, training, and supporting a team.
• Ability to prioritize multiple projects in a fast-paced environment.
• Meticulous organizational abilities and high attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Craft imaginative and nutritionally balanced menus for students.
• Oversee the day-to-day operations of the kitchen.
• Maintain high standards of food quality and service.
• Ensure compliance with health and safety regulations.

Skills

Creativity

Leadership

Communication

Organizational skills

Analytical skills

Team management

Job description

As our Chef Manager your focus is to work closely with your teams to develop a great work relationship and together provide the best customer service. As well as having an excellent presentation, organisational and communication skills, you will be able to demonstrate a real passion for food & service and possess bags of enthusiasm.

Role overview

We have an exciting opportunity for a motivated and ambitious professional to take the lead at Tormead School in Guildford, a prestigious independent school catering for 120 day pupils with morning break, lunch, supper service, and hospitality events, operating 51 weeks a year.

Responsibilities

• Craft imaginative and nutritionally balanced menus that cater to diverse tastes, dietary preferences, and nutritional needs of our students.
• Oversee the day-to-day operations of the kitchen, ensuring high standards of food quality and service.
• Maintain strict adherence to health and safety regulations, ensuring a clean and organised kitchen environment.
• Are you a seasoned, inspirational, and creative Chef looking to step into a Junior Chef Manager role? Do you have a passion for creating exceptional dining experiences and driving culinary excellence?

Qualifications & Experience

• Proven experience as a Chef in a high-volume, quality-focused environment.
• Experience managing, training, and supporting a team.
• Financially astute, analytical, and proven at creating and maintaining budgets and driving commercial performance.
• Excellent coaching, delegation and influencing skills.
• Ability to prioritise multiple projects in a fast-paced, multi-faceted, creative environment and thrive under pressure.
• Meticulous organisational abilities and a high attention to detail.
• Empathetic, clear, and highly effective verbal and written communication.
• Ability to adapt to challenges and opportunities with a solution-oriented perspective.
• Excellent strategic thinking and critical reasoning skills.

We pride ourselves on Sustainability. Sustainability is at the heart of our thinking; always mindful of the ethics of our sourcing and how we prepare our meals. Nutrition matters; we take it seriously and understand the impact of a healthy diet on the fundamental years of development. Meals are always freshly prepared from scratch and packed with nutritious ingredients. Food Innovation: We offer a wide portfolio of training opportunities and experiences, which attracts chefs who are passionate about culinary excellence and menu innovation to our team. From tasting tables, theme days, and food theatre, to chef demonstrations and supplier showcases, we create engaging and fun dining experiences for our students. We work together to make mealtimes exploratory, quirky, and fun for our pupils, helping them build strong and healthy relationships with food.

Benefits

• 28 days holiday including bank holidays.
• 3 volunteering days.
• 3 days grandparent leave.
• 24 weeks' enhanced maternityli>
• Bespoke training and development opportunities.
• Pension and life insurance.
• Discounts via Perkbox app (high street shops, holidays & cinema).
• Wellbeing hub & employee assistance programme.
• Free meals while on shift.
• Career development opportunities.
• HIT Apprenticeships available for all experience levels.