Head Chef

Connaught Care Collection

Bishop's Stortford

On-site

GBP 42,000 - 64,000

Full time

3 days ago

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Benefits offered by this job

Bank Holiday pay improvements

Free on-site meals

Free uniform

Free DBS check

Annual pay reviews

Training and progression opportunities

Annual health checks

Salary sacrifice schemes

Financial well-being platform

24/7 GP access

Enhanced EAP with counselling

Life insurance 4x salary

YuLife rewards

Extra birthday leave

Additional leave days via salary sac

Job summary

Connaught Care Collection in Bishop's Stortford is seeking an experienced Head Chef to lead the culinary vision for our luxury care home group. You’ll inspire and supervise the kitchen team, ensuring restaurant-quality dining that supports residents’ memory, identity and joy.

You will design seasonal menus, uphold food safety and allergen compliance, and collaborate with care teams to deliver memorable experiences from themed events to daily meals.

Qualifications

Proven experience as a Head Chef or Senior Sous in hospitality, fine dining, or high-end care.
Strong leadership skills and the ability to nurture a happy, high-performing kitchen team.
Thorough understanding of dietary requirements, food safety, and allergen compliance.

Responsibilities

Lead the kitchen team in delivering exceptional, high-quality meals tailored to a range of tastes, needs, and specialist diets.
Design seasonal, nutritious menus that reflect both flavour and dignity—working closely with residents to ensure meals feel personal and familiar.
Champion kitchen excellence: managing hygiene, food safety, stock, and allergen protocols to the highest standard.
Coach and mentor your team to maintain a smooth, efficient, and calm working environment.
Collaborate with the General Manager and care teams to create memorable dining experiences.

Skills

Leadership

Menu design

Dietary knowledge

Food safety

Creativity

Communication

Tools

HACCP

Job description

Some chefs create dishes. You create belonging, dignity, and comfort—beautifully plated, three times a day.

We’re looking for an experienced, inspiring Head Chef to lead the culinary vision at Connaught Care—a luxury, all-inclusive care home group where dining is not a service... it’s a signature, and something that gets people talking!

With six elegant homes already open and six more in development, Connaught is one of the UK’s most ambitious hospitality-led care providers. Our residents don’t just eat—they enjoy restaurant-quality dining in a setting where food is memory, identity, and joy.

As Head Chef, you’ll bring creativity, leadership and a deep understanding that every plate you send out is more than just a meal—it’s an act of care.... an experience.

What You’ll Be Doing:

Lead the kitchen team in delivering exceptional, high-quality meals tailored to a range of tastes, needs, and specialist diets

Design seasonal, nutritious menus that reflect both flavour and dignity—working closely with residents to ensure meals feel personal and familiar

Champion kitchen excellence: managing hygiene, food safety, stock, and allergen protocols to the highest standard

Coach and mentor your team (Sous Chef, Chef de Partie, Kitchen Assistants) to maintain a smooth, efficient, and calm working environment

Collaborate with the General Manager, other Heads of Departments and care teams to create memorable dining experiences—from themed events to afternoon teas and family occasions

Build a kitchen culture of care, consistency, pride, and people-first thinking

What You’ll Bring:

Proven experience as a Head Chef or Senior Sous in hospitality, fine dining, or high-end care

Passion for using food to enhance wellbeing, create comfort, and build connection—especially in later life

Strong leadership skills and the ability to nurture a happy, high-performing kitchen team

A thorough understanding of dietary requirements, food safety, and allergen compliance

Creativity, organisation, and an eye for detail—along with the humility to know it’s often the simple things done well that matter most

Why Connaught?

Because we believe that a great meal can change someone’s whole day. And we know you do too. It can be nostalgic. It can be empowering. We understand better than anyone that food is more than just something you eat.

We don't hire experts and then tell them how to do their job in a micromanage-y way. At Connaught, you’ll have the freedom to lead with heart, the tools to deliver excellence, and a team that sees food as part of the care plan. You’ll work in a beautifully designed, well-equipped kitchen—without the pressures of late-night service or frantic turnaround.

Here, you’ll be supported to Live a Life More Extraordinary, too—with career development, wellbeing initiatives, and a deep appreciation for what you bring to the table (literally and metaphorically). Oh, and also, we'll pay you really well!

If you’re a chef who leads with pride, cooks with purpose, and believes that food should always feel like home—we’d love to hear from you.

Benefits Include:

Pay enhancements for Bank Holidays
Free on-site meals
Free uniform
Free DBS check
Annual Pay Reviews
Continuous training and progression opportunities
Annual Health Checks for all staff
Salary sacrifice schemes including Pension, Childcare, Grocery, EV, and more.
A personalised financial well-being platform
Access to a 24/7 GP
An enhanced EAP with up to 10 free counselling sessions
Life insurance of up to 4X your salary
Access to digital cognitive behavioural therapy
Personalised Life and Leadership coaching
YuLife rewards - get rewarded to meditate, do puzzles, and exercise
An extra day of annual leave for birthdays
The option to purchase up to five additional days of annual leave through our salary sacrifice scheme