Chef Manager - Smitham Primary School

Olive Dining Ltd; Coulsdon; On-site; GBP 23,000 - 29,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Family-Friendly Hours

Weekends Off

Supportive Team Culture

Free Meals on Duty

Wellbeing Programme

Employee Assistance Programme

Job summary

Olive Dining Ltd is seeking a Chef Manager for a primary school. The role runs Monday to Friday, 7am–3pm (40 hours), term-time only (42 weeks), with a salary of £26,000. You will lead a team in school kitchens, ensuring fresh, nutritious meals and smooth operations while engaging with children, staff and parents.

The role focuses on allergens, stock control, ordering, and maintaining high food hygiene and safety standards in a supportive, family-run environment.

Qualifications

• Hands-on approach.
• Understanding of good food hygiene and health and safety.
• Sous chef or Chef Manager previous experience within education (preferred, not essential).

Responsibilities

• Chef Manager to feed 500 children a day.
• Lead and motivate a team of 5 in the kitchen.
• Build rapport with children, staff and parents.
• Manage day-to-day kitchen operations, including allergens, stock and ordering.

Skills

Hands-on approach

Food hygiene

Health and safety

Education sector experience

Team leadership

Allergen management

Job description

If you're passionate about food, love working in a team, and thrive in a fast-paced environment with purpose, this could be the perfect role for you.

Who We Are:

At Olive Dining, we believe great food brings people together and there's no better place to do that than in schools, where young minds are growing every day.

We're a dedicated school catering company serving fresh, nutritious meals to students across London, Kent, Surrey, and Essex. Now, we're on the lookout for a Chef Manager to help us create delicious dishes and keep our kitchens running smoothly, with plenty of smiles along the way in the kitchen. We offer,Family-Friendly Hours, WeekendsOff (Yes, really)Supportive Team Culture, You're never just a number here.Free Meals on Duty, Because Chefs should never work hungry!Wellbeing First, Access to an Employee Assistance Programme including free CBT, health, and financial support.Room to Grow, We believe in promoting from within and helping our people thrive.

The Role:

• Chef Manager - Primary School
• Monday to Friday
• 7am - 3pm ( 40 Hours )
• Term time only ( 42 weeks )
• Salary: £26,000

Job details:

• Chef Manager to core feed 500 children a day.
• Chef Manager to lead and motivate a team of 5
• Chef Manager to build rapport with children, staff and parents.
• Chef Manager to manage the day to day of the kitchen, including allergens, stock and ordering.

What You'll Need:

• Hands on approach.
• Understanding of good food hygiene and health and safety.
• Sous chef or Chef Manager previous experience within education. (preferrednot essential )

This Role Is Perfect If You:

• Love working with fresh, quality food
• Enjoy being part of a family-run business
• Take pride in what you do.
• Are a positive, reliable person who enjoys working as part of a team.
• Like a role where every day is a little different.
• Want to work somewhere that values its people.
• Career progression, development and training plans - Grow with us.

Are ready to bring your ideas, creativity, and energy to the table???