Chef Manager - Pontefract

Compass Group UK; Knottingley; On-site; GBP 36,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Work-life balance

Career progression

Learning & development

Company pension

Employee discounts

Wellbeing support

Job summary

Compass Group UK & Ireland is seeking a Chef Manager to lead a catering operation in South Elmsall/Pontefract, delivering high-quality food and strong service standards. The role offers mainly daytime shifts with a 5-on/2-off pattern and a salary of £37,500 per annum.

You will develop kitchen and front-of-house teams, ensure safety compliance, and build lasting client relationships while driving innovation and commercial performance.

Qualifications

• Previous experience as Chef Manager, Head Chef, or Senior Chef in a high-volume catering environment.
• Strong leadership and team development skills.
• Passion for fresh food and delivering outstanding customer experiences.
• Experience managing food costs, budgets, and stock control.
• Excellent organisational and communication skills.
• Flexible with occasional evenings and weekends when required.

Responsibilities

• Lead kitchen and FOH teams with coaching and development.
• Prepare and serve fresh, high-quality food with creativity and consistency.
• Oversee day-to-day catering operation and service quality.
• Take ownership of budgets, food costs, stock control and labour.
• Ensure food safety, HACCP and health & safety standards.
• Build strong relationships with clients and stakeholders.
• Drive menu innovation and seasonal offers.
• Support the wider business with occasional evenings/weekends.

Skills

Leadership

Team development

Food cost management

High-volume catering

Communication

Flexibility

Job description

Chef Manager - Pontefract

£37,500 per annum | 5 Days over 7 | Mainly Day Shifts

Lead a kitchen where great food meets great leadership. Create better breaks with Eurest.

Are you an experienced Chef Manager who thrives on leading teams, delivering fantastic food, and running a successful catering operation? If you're looking for your next challenge with a business that values fresh ideas, commercial thinking, and people development, this could be the perfect role for you.

At Eurest, we're passionate about creating better breaks for people at work through delicious food, outstanding service, and memorable experiences. We're looking for an inspiring Chef Manager to take ownership of our catering operation in South Elmsall, leading from the front while driving quality, innovation, and performance.

What you'll be doing

As Chef Manager, you'll oversee the entire food operation, ensuring every service is delivered to the highest standards while maintaining a safe, efficient, and commercially successful kitchen.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Leading, motivating, and developing your kitchen and front-of-house teams.
• Preparing and serving fresh, high-quality food with creativity and consistency.
• Managing the day-to-day catering operation, ensuring exceptional customer experiences.
• Taking ownership of budgets, food costs, stock control, and labour management.
• Ensuring compliance with food safety, HACCP, and health & safety standards.
• Building strong relationships with clients and stakeholders.
• Driving innovation by introducing exciting menus and seasonal offers.
• Supporting the wider business when required, with occasional evening and weekend working.

What we’re looking for

We're looking for a confident and commercially minded leader who enjoys developing people and delivering exceptional food.

You’ll ideally have:

• Previous experience as a Chef Manager, Head Chef, or Senior Chef in a high-volume catering environment.
• Strong leadership and team development skills.
• A passion for fresh food and delivering outstanding customer experiences.
• Experience managing food costs, budgets, and stock control.
• Excellent organisational and communication skills.
• A flexible approach, with the ability to support occasional evenings and weekends when the business requires.

What’s in it for you?

As part of Compass Group UK & Ireland, you’ll benefit from:

• 5 days over 7 with mainly daytime working for a great work-life balance
• Career progression with the UK's leading food and support services provider
• Ongoing learning and development opportunities
• Company pension scheme
• Employee discounts and wellbeing support
• The chance to lead a talented team and make a real impact every day

Ready to lead the way?

If you’re a passionate foodie with strong leadership skills and a drive to create outstanding workplace dining experiences, we’d love to hear from you.

About Us

We connect workplaces to mindful, flavourful & planet-positive catering

At Eurest, we are the experts in workplace catering, operating in over 700 workspaces every day. We know that fuelling employees throughout the day can help to sharpen their thinking, nourish their bodies and minds and ultimately, motivate them to perform at their best. Our workplace food experiences are driven by our promise to live more sustainably and responsibly

We're people-powered at Eurest