Chef Manager Summary

Aspens Services Ltd; Kenn; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading school catering company in Kenn is seeking a Chef Manager responsible for overseeing the school's catering facility. The ideal candidate will have experience in a similar environment and a passion for quality food and service. This role offers 40 hours per week with no late nights, supporting both career growth and personal time. A dedicated L&D team will aid your skill development in this fast-growing environment.

Benefits

40 hours per week

No late nights

Working during school term time

Support for personal development

Qualifications

• Passion for delivering exceptional food and service.
• Ability to lead and train a kitchen team.
• Experience managing catering operations.

Responsibilities

• Lead, develop, coach, and motivate your kitchen team.
• Manage stock, food, and labour costs.
• Ensure high standards of food and service.

Skills

Craft-based experience using fresh ingredients

Knowledge of health and safety practices

Financial understanding of gross profit management

Line management experience

Experience within a similar environment

Education

OND or HND qualified

Job description

As the Chef Manager, you will have full operational and financial responsibility for your school's catering facility, focusing on delivering the highest quality of food and service as well as having the flair, originality and the ability to make this one of the best school catering offers in the area. Your responsibilities will include:

• Leading, developing, coaching, training, and motivating the team in your kitchen
• Having full control of the catering operation, including stock, food, and labour costs
• Ensuring consistency of food and service standards delivered to the students and staff
• Driving sales through monthly promotions and added‑value events
• Managing and improving all controllable costs
• Overseeing menu development
• Maintaining company systems & procedures, and legislation
• Carrying out regular audits to ensure standards are being met

We need someone who shares our passion for delivering exceptional food and service to our schools along with the following skills and experience:

• OND or HND qualified (not a deal‑breaker, but would be advantageous)
• Craft‑based experience using fresh ingredients
• Knowledge of health and safety practices
• Financial understanding of gross profit management and achieving sales targets
• Line management experience
• Experience within a similar environment

Aspens Services Ltd is a market‑leading contract catering company specialising in school food. By combining our understanding of the education sector and our knowledge of what's on trend in the food world, we encourage creativity and excitement in our kitchens, allowing our teams to do what they do best and provide fantastic food experiences for the children. By providing excellent care and services to both clients and children, we have ensured the successful growth of the company, and to keep up with the rapid pace of this growth, we are now looking for an experienced Chef Manager to join the team.

Firstly, fantastic hours. You'll work Monday to Friday during school term time, meaning more time with friends and family and no working at Christmas! This role is:

• 40 hours per week, with no late nights
• Working 40 weeks per year based around term time – what could you do with all that time off?
• £17.50 per hour
• Working for a fast‑growing, ambitious company. There is no ceiling here in terms of where you can take your career
• A dedicated L&D team to support you in developing your skills, including apprenticeships and training courses that are available for everyone. Please note, we do expect all staff to share our commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children/young people, and an enhanced DBS disclosure will be sought by the company.