College Chef Supervisor

Nelson and Colne College Group; Nelson; On-site; GBP 22,000 - 27,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Access to workplace pension scheme

Generous annual leave

Enhanced occupational sick pay

Health and wellbeing benefits

Staff recognition scheme

Free on-site parking

Job summary

Nelson and Colne College Group is seeking a College Chef Supervisor to lead the catering team on site. The role focuses on preparing and serving nutritious meals, developing menus, and maintaining high standards of hygiene and cost control for learners and staff.

You will support the Catering Manager, supervise the kitchen during service, and help organise college events and hospitality with a focus on quality, speed, and customer satisfaction.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 4 GCSE qualifications (or equivalent) including grade C/4 in Maths and English and a basic food hygiene certificate.
• NVQ Level 2 (or equivalent) Catering qualification.
• Strong preparation and cooking skills within a fast-paced catering environment.
• Experience of managing stock control, including monitoring levels, ordering supplies and ensuring adequate stock availability.
• Excellent customer service skills.
• Comprehensive understanding of COSHH and food hygiene requirements.
• Competent IT skills.
• Suitability to work with children, young people and/or vulnerable adults.

Responsibilities

• Work alongside the Catering Manager to help improve and grow the college Refectory offer for learners and staff.
• Oversee daily food preparation, ensuring high standards of taste, presentation, and nutritional value.
• Prepare and cook high-quality food, while developing and refreshing menus ideas that reflect current food trends, to enhance the learner experience while catering for any dietary requirements.
• Ensure the kitchen operates efficiently during service, with strong teamwork and communication.
• Oversee the day to day running of the kitchen in the absence of the Catering Manager.
• Assist with the organisation and delivery of college events and hospitality.
• Lead and assist the Catering Team with the preparation, cooking and service arrangements within the Refectory.

Skills

GCSEs and core maths/English (C/4)

Food preparation

Cooking

Stock control

Customer service

COSHH and food hygiene

IT skills

Children/vulnerable groups suitability

Education

GCSEs (including Maths & English)

NVQ Level 2 Catering

Job description

The Vacancy

College Chef Supervisor

Salary: Up to £24,187.64 per annum (£27,604.26 full time equivalent), depending on experience

Hours: 35 per week

Working Weeks: 42 per year

Contract Type: Permanent

Site: Nelson & Colne College

Closing Date: Midnight - Tuesday 15 September 2026

Interview Date: Friday 25 September 2026

'Together, Let's Be Extraordinary'

Our Organisation

This role is advertised by ELLG Professional Services. Part of East Lancashire Learning Group, ELLG Professional Services provides expert business support services to the wider Group.

Part of East Lancashire Learning Group, Nelson and Colne College has a national reputation for educational success and is seen within the Further Education sector as a beacon of excellence for teaching and learning. We offer an outstanding range of A Levels, vocational courses, Apprenticeships and Higher Education provision and generations of families have benefited from an exceptional education at Nelson and Colne College.

The Exciting Role

As a key member of the Catering Team, you will play a vital role in delivering an outstanding food service experience for learners, staff and visitors. Working closely with the Catering Manager and Refectory Team Leader, you'll play a pivotal role in preparing and serving high=quality, nutritious food, developing exciting and contemporary menus, and bringing fresh ideas inspired by current food trends. As a Supervisor, you'll support and motivate the Catering Team, ensuring the kitchen runs smoothly, efficiently and safely while maintaining the highest standards of food quality, presentation and hygiene.

The role will be based at our Nelson & Colne College campus however, travel across sites may be required.

What You Will Be Doing:

• Work alongside the Catering Manager to help improve and grow the college Refectory offer for our learners and staff.
• Oversee daily food preparation, ensuring high standards of taste, presentation, and nutritional value.
• Prepare and cook high-quality food, while developing and refreshing menus ideas that reflect current food trends, to enhance the learner experience while catering for any dietary requirements.
• Ensure the kitchen operates efficiently during service, with strong teamwork and communication
• Oversee the day to day running of the kitchen in the absence of the Catering Manager.
• Assist with the organisation and delivery of college events and hospitality.
• Lead and assist the Catering Team with the preparation, cooking and service arrangements within the Refectory.

What We Are Looking For:

• Minimum of 4 GCSE qualifications (or equivalent) including grade C/4 in Maths and English and a basic food hygiene certificate
• NVQ Level 2 (or equivalent) Catering qualification
• Strong preparation and cooking skills within a fast-paced catering environment
• Experience of managing stock control, including monitoring levels, ordering supplies and ensuring adequate stock availability.
• Excellent customer service skills
• Comprehensive understanding of COSHH and food hygiene requirements
• Competent IT skills
• Suitability to work with children, young people and/or vulnerable adults

What We Offer in Return:

• Access to a workplace pension scheme - with generous employer contributions
• Generous annual leave allowance including a two-week closure over the Christmas period
• Enhanced occupational sick pay scheme and access to family friendly policies and benefits
• A range of health and wellbeing benefits and support
• Staff recognition scheme, including long service awards
• Free on-site parking on all College sites

Please visit our 'working for us' section of our website for a full list of our benefits http://www.eastlancslearning.ac.uk/

Further Questions?

Please contact our friendly HR Team [e-mail]

All of our posts are subject to an enhanced DBS check due to working with vulnerable adults and children. Should you wish to discuss this further, please get in touch with the HR team.

East Lancashire Learning Group

East Lancashire Learning Group (ELLG) is comprised of Nelson and Colne College, Accrington and Rossendale College, Lancashire Adult Learning and ELLG Professional Services. Together we exist to transform lives through education, skills, and opportunity. Across the Group, we are home to 2,400 A Level and technical students aged 16 to 18, 16,500 adult learners, 1,300 apprentices, and 400 higher education students, all taking confident steps into high-value professional and technical careers through skills and higher education.

We are deeply rooted in our communities and proud to work alongside hundreds of local employers, shaping a skilled, adaptable, and ambitious workforce that drives growth and opportunity across our region. Our commitment goes beyond teaching; we offer personalised support, real-world experiences, and pathways that raise aspirations and strengthen social mobility for learners of all backgrounds.

Rated Outstanding by Ofsted for 20 consecutive years - the only college in the country to achieve this - ELLG combines excellent teaching and learning, driven by evidence-based pedagogies and practice, with innovation and employer partnership to meet the evolving needs of learners, industry, and society. Our drive towards research and development in teaching and learning underpins our practice, supporting our colleges to achieve sector-leading outcomes in English and maths, exceptional A level progress, and high satisfaction in higher education through the National Student Survey. In doing so, we create opportunities that strengthen our region, support employers, and open doors for every learner to achieve their potential.

The Benefits

Pay & Conditions

Rewards & Recognition

Facilities & Working Environment

Professional Development

Health & Wellbeing

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion