Catering Production Manager

Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Nhs Foundation Trust; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 29,000 - 37,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a dedicated Catering & Retail Manager to lead their team in delivering exceptional food services. This full-time role involves overseeing kitchen operations, ensuring compliance with health and safety standards, and managing a diverse team. You will play a crucial role in enhancing patient dining experiences while driving innovation in catering practices. Join a supportive environment that values collaboration and professional growth, where your contributions will make a meaningful impact on patient care and team success.

Benefits

Flexible working options

Wellbeing support

Professional development opportunities

Qualifications

• Experience in kitchen management and high-volume cooking.
• Knowledge of special diets and NHS catering operations.

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily operations of the catering department.
• Ensure compliance with food safety and hygiene standards.
• Manage team training and development.

Skills

Kitchen management

Food hygiene compliance

Budget management

Menu planning

Training and development

Education

Professional cooking qualification

NVQ Level 3 in Hospitality Leadership

GCSE Maths/English grade C or above

Tools

Cook chill systems

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point

Job description

Job summary

Main areaCateringGradeBand 5ContractPermanent: Cross sited between Royal Preston Hospital, Chorley Hospital, Preston Business Centre and Community Healthcare HubHoursFull time - 37.5 hours per weekJob ref438-PB2572EmployerLancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustEmployer typeNHSSiteRoyal Preston HospitalTownFulwoodSalary£29,970 - £36,483 Pro rata, per annumSalary periodYearlyClosing02/04/2025 23:59Interview date10/04/2025

Employer heading

Band 5

Job overview

Do you have a passion for working collaboratively in an environment thriving on positive change? If so, then this role of Catering &Retail Manager at LTHTR may be just the job for you!

Our team is just that – a team – all supporting each other and working together to achieve the best outcomes, and we are really proud of this. We cannot wait to welcome you to the team when you start and will have experienced management to help you along the way.

Our service is one where your passion, drive and motivation will genuinely make a real difference. Don’t just take our word for it, have a chat with Andrew Dunne, our Trust Catering Manager (contact details are at the end of advert)

We also have some fab videos of our Catering Assistants and Catering Supervisors , to give you an idea of what it will be like to work in our team (opens in new tab).

Main duties of the job

Line Manager for the Main Kitchen, Catering Administration and Stores Team. Supporting the Supervisors in their daily activities along with ensuring all staff are provided with training and development support which meets the legislative requirements and departmental needs.

Oversee the ordering, receipt, and storage of all food related products to the catering department, in line with the catering budget.

To provide leadership to the Main Kitchen team to produce all patient food effectively and safely. To provide robust management of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point to provide assurance relating to all aspects of food safety within their remit.

To assist with developing the Trusts Patient food offering in line with market trends and legislative requirements. This includes all aspects of patient feeding and requires a focus on allergen management, dysphagic requirements and the suitable provision of special diets, including, but not limited to, children’s and older adult specialist menus and other dietetic requirements of a large acute hospital.

The postholder will provide expert advice in relation to menu development and will manage the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point process in relation to all aspect of food production and storage. This will include the effective stock management of all food products.

To ensure the Trust meets the requirements in relation to external auditing such as Environmental Health Officer and Care Quality Commission.

Working for our organisation

We have 10000 fantastic people working hard to deliver quality services to our patients. Whatever your role, you help look after 370,000 people in our local area & give specialist care to 1.5 million people across Lancashire & Cumbria.

Working with us gives you the knowledge and sense of pride that every activity you do genuinely does make a difference to support our patients & staff, ensuring we keep thriving & delivering outstanding healthcare right across our local towns.

You’ll have access to varied development opportunities, learn new skills, meet fab people & do things you’d never have done. You’ll learn about working in a hospital, interacting with people from all different roles to build skills & enhance your career path.

You’ll make an impact, be challenged to think differently, be bold & help innovate to keep improving things. Everything we do centres around patient care and enhancing their experience which means your role is pivotal and something really to be proud of.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Effectively support the management team in the day to day running of the department, including Leading and Managing the team, Food Hygiene and Health and Safety compliance.

Deputise for the Trust Catering Manager in his/her absence in aspects of Catering Production Services, including the daily management of the department budgets.

Manage all HR Processes within the Production Service team.

Take the lead with the recruitment and selection processes within the department, liaising with the Quality Assurance Manager regarding induction and initial training.

Act as a role model, presenting a positive image of self, team, and organisation

Communicate all relevant information within the team and wider organisation as required.

Promote equality, recognising, respecting, and meeting the needs of individuals

Maintain and develop own professional competence and seek to extend the scope of personal knowledge and skill within the scope of the role. Respond to customer complaints and comments by thorough investigation, timely responses and initiating any actions to improve the service as stated in the departments’ customer complaints handling procedure As part of the management team assist with the development and implementation of departmental policies, procedures, and standards in relation to Catering Services.

Support the Quality Assurance Manager with the development and delivery of ad hoc training programmes, in order that the efficiency of the business can be maximised, and the potential of all employees can be fulfilled.

Manage the assets and resources of the department ensuring that adequate and appropriate security measures are in place to protect the Trust’s assets.

Assist with the management, control, monitoring and reviewing of the procurement process relating to Catering Services ensuring standards, quality, cost effectiveness, stock control and public sector procurement practices are met.

Financial Management

Person specification

Knowledge and Experience

Essential criteria

Kitchen management experience

Knowledge and experience of cook chill systems and high-volume cooking.

Experience of delivering workplace training

Experience of managing large teams.

Desirable criteria

Experience of working within a large-scale NHS catering operation

Knowledge and experience of special diets within NHS catering

Experience of managing NHS budgets

Qualifications

Essential criteria

Professional cooking qualification, City and Guilds 7061 or 7062 (willingness to work towards within 12 months) or equivalent demonstrable experience

NVQ Level 3 in Hospitality Leadership and Supervision (willingness to work towards within 12 months)or equivalent experience managing a large catering team.

GCSE Maths/English grade C or above or equivalent qualification

Advanced Food Hygiene Certificate (willingness to work towards within 12 months)

Level 2 Certificate in Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (willingness to work towards within 12 months)

Level 2 Certificate in Allergen Awareness (willingness to work towards within 12 months)

Desirable criteria

Aware of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points techniques.

Member of Hospital Caterers Association.

Training and/or assessment qualification.

Qualification in Health and Safety

Institution of Occupational Safety and Health

Skills & Abilities

Essential criteria

Ability to organise a range of operations simultaneously, managing competing demands

Ability to monitor and manage budgets.

Menu planning skills

Food production planning

Thanks for taking the time to view this advert; we’re looking forward to receiving your application. You should be aware that the vacancy may close earlier than the published date if sufficient applications are received so it would be best to apply as soon as you can. We’ll contact you by e-mail to update you on the progress of your application so please check the e-mail account that you applied from (including spam/junk) regularly.

Here

To support you in your application process we’ve created a What we can offer you guide that shows what you can expect when you join our hospitals. The guide includes links to our strategic aims and objectives as well as our values, development support and rewards and benefits. To help you get the best from your application we’ve also put together two guides to help you make your application the best it can be. Just click here and here to go through them, or have them open as you complete your application.

We recognise that the recruitment process may present barriers for some and you may need personal adjustments to enable you to participate in our recruitment process. Please make contact with the recruitment team at the earliest opportunity to ensure that measures can be put in place to enable your application for this post.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) when writing job applications

If you choose to use AI or other tools to assist in writing your application, it's essential to personalise this information, particularly your supporting information section. While AI can help streamline the writing process, these tools cannot fully grasp the context or requirements of the job you’re applying for. There is also a risk that it can generate false or misleading information. AI-generated job applications can often be generic, impersonal and may not accurately reflect your qualifications, knowledge, skills, and experiences. It is crucial that you personalise your supporting statement by articulating these in your unique voice. Relying solely on AI to write your application or supporting information section is not advocated by Lancashire Teaching Hospitals and could negatively impact your chances of success in the application process.

We have added a disclaimer to our application process advising that the use of AI is monitored and if applicants have used it then they are required to declare this.

Supporting Information

The supporting information section is an opportunity for you to showcase how your qualifications, knowledge, skill and experiences align with the requirements and criteria outlined in the job description and person. Our recruiting managers score applications based on the criteria listed in the person specification. They will be looking for evidence of how you meet these criteria. To increase your chances of securing an interview, provide examples of how you have applied your skills and knowledge in real-life situations. Share work-related successes and challenges you’ve navigated that align with the criteria. These could be from various aspects of your life, including work, education, and personal experiences. Consider structuring your supporting information section with clear headings or bullet points. This approach will help both you and the recruiting manager navigate through your application more effectively.

Working Smarter pledge

We are reminded everyday of how important life is, so as part of our Working Smarter pledge we offer a variety of flexible working options and wellbeing support to enable our people to find and maintain the right work-life balance.

Secondments

[email protected]

Young People

Please note a young person must be in part-time education or training until they’re 18. therefore if you are under 18 we are unable to employ you on a full time basis, unless it is in an apprenticeship role.

Disclosure and Barring Service checks

If the role you’ve applied for requires a Disclosure and Barring Services (DBS) check we will administer this on your behalf and the cost will be recovered from your salary, either as a one-off payment, or over 3 months. The level of check required depends on the role that you have been offered. Currently the charges are - Basic DBS check £26.40 Standard DBS check £26.40 and Enhanced DBS check £54.40. You should be aware that if you are successful in obtaining a position that requires a DBS check but later withdraw your application, you may be required to reimburse the cost of the DBS check. DBS checks remain free of charge for volunteer positions. The DBS Code of Practice can be accessed here .

In line with guidance from United Kingdom Health Security Agency, all staff and volunteers are required to comply with Trust Infection Prevention and Control processes in relation to safe working. This includes mask wearing and adherence to social distancing at all Trust sites.

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For more information about the Trust take a look at our Application Guide or visit our website www.lancsteachinghospitals.nhs.uk You can also keep up to date with us on FacebookTwitter, Linked In , a Instagramnd .

We look forward to hearing from you soon!

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Applicant requirements

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.