Chef Manager Monday-Friday - Darlington

Gather & Gather; Tees Valley; On-site; GBP 36,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Personal Development

Life Assurance

Pension

Holiday allowance

Wellbeing support

Healthcare app

Family friendly

Holiday purchase

Social events

Volunteering days

Recognition schemes

Long service awards

Discount vouchers

Job summary

Gather & Gather is recruiting a Chef Manager to lead day-to-day catering operations in a busy contract catering environment at our UK site. You will oversee front- and back-of-house teams, ensuring a memorable dining experience for staff and visitors.

You will deliver a high-quality breakfast and lunch service for about 50 covers per day, manage menus, control stock and food costs, uphold safety standards, and build strong client relationships through excellent service.

Qualifications

• Previous experience as a Chef Manager within contract catering, workplace dining, or a similar environment.
• Strong knowledge of back-of-house systems, including stock control, ordering, food safety and compliance.
• Hands-on, customer-focused approach with a passion for delivering great food and service.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead the day-to-day catering operation in a busy contract setting.
• Deliver breakfast and lunch for ~50 covers daily.
• Manage and support the General Assistant to maintain a positive team.
• Plan menus balancing traditional favourites with on-trend dishes.
• Own ordering, stock control, food costs and waste management.
• Maintain food safety, health and safety, hygiene and company standards.
• Build strong relationships with clients and customers to ensure service excellence.
• Oversee kitchen and front-of-house to ensure a high-quality dining experience.
• Demonstrate hands-on, customer-focused leadership and great communication.

Skills

Chef Management

Stock control

Food safety

Menu planning

Budgeting

Customer service

Job description

• Lead the day-to-day catering operation within a busy B&I restaurant environment.
• Deliver a high-quality breakfast and lunch offer, serving approximately 50 covers per day.
• Manage and support the General Assistant, creating a positive and efficient working environment.
• Plan and deliver a food offer that combines traditional favourites with on-trend dishes to meet customer expectations.
• Take ownership of ordering, stock control, food costs and waste management to ensure budget targets are achieved.
• Ensure all food safety, health & safety, hygiene and company standards are consistently maintained.
• Build strong relationships with clients and customers, focusing on service excellence and customer satisfaction.
• Oversee the smooth running of the kitchen and front-of-house service, ensuring a high-quality dining experience.
• Previous experience as a Chef Manager within contract catering, workplace dining, or a similar environment.
• Strong knowledge of back-of-house systems, including stock control, ordering, food safety and compliance.
• Proven ability to manage both the food offer and the commercial performance of a catering operation.
• Experience creating attractive menus that balance traditional dishes with modern food trends.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities.
• A hands-on, customer-focused approach with a passion for delivering great food and service.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
• Able to thrive in a fast-paced environment while maintaining high standards.
• Our passionate team of chefs, baristas, servers, nutritionists and much more, love nothing more than creating memorable moments that enrich the everyday. Come and join our award-winning teams - we are currently recruiting for a Chef Manager to join our team at Arla Foods Settle Creamery., 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.
• Working with Gather &Gather has its perks! People are at the heart of everything we do, so we've developed a range of benefits to keep you happy.
• Personal Development and Training opportunities
• Life assurance scheme
• Pension scheme
• Holiday allowance
• A great wellbeing strategy - including access to our Employee Assistance Programme, salary finance
• Access to Healthcare Support App which includes Annual health check, Digital GP, Mental Health Consultations, Nutritional Consultations, Second Medical Opinion
• Family friendly support
• A holiday purchase scheme
• Regular social events and communication with our leaders
• Volunteering days
• Recognition schemes and people award
• Long service awards
• Access to some great high street discount vouchers