Head Chef

Marie Curie; Elmdon Heath; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 31,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

27 days annual leave + public holidays

CPD and professional development

Industry training programmes

Pension with employer contributions

Eye care support

Discounts via Benefit Hub

Blue Light Card

Life assurance

Job summary

Marie Curie is recruiting an experienced Head Chef to lead the catering service at the West Midlands Hospice. You will oversee nutritious meals for patients, staff, volunteers and visitors, ensuring high standards of food safety, hygiene, and presentation.

You will bring proven catering experience, strong food hygiene knowledge and the ability to lead a busy kitchen team with confidence and care.

Qualifications

• Experience leading a busy hospice kitchen.
• Proven catering experience with food safety knowledge.
• Ability to lead a team and motivate staff.
• Willingness to work towards higher-level qualification.
• Experience supervising up to ten staff members.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily hospice catering, ensuring high-quality meal preparation and service.
• Plan nutritious, well-presented meals for patients, staff, volunteers and visitors.
• Maintain high standards of food safety, hygiene and safe practices.
• Support and motivate the kitchen team to promote teamwork.
• Monitor stock use and service quality to ensure efficient delivery.

Skills

Catering leadership

Food safety

Menu planning

Food presentation

Team motivation

Shift supervision

Education

City & Guilds 706/1 & 706/2

Level 3 food handling

Level 4 professional cookery

Advanced food hygiene certificate

Healthcare/care experience desirable

Job description

• Compensation: GBP 28392 - GBP 31157 - yearly

Company Description

Marie Curie is the UK's leading end-of-life charity. We are the largest non-NHS provider of end-of-life care in the UK, the only provider across all 4 nations, delivering community nursing and hospice care across the country, while providing information and support on all aspects of dying, death, and bereavement. Our leading research pushes the boundaries of what we know about good end-of-life, and our campaigns fight for a world where everyone gets to have the best possible quality of life while living with an illness, they are likely to die from.

The care and support we provide is highly valued by the people we care for and their loved ones, but at present we are only reaching around 10% of dying people at the end of life.Right now, one in four people in the UK with a terminal illness, do not get the care or support they deserve at the end of their lives.We want a different society than the one we live in now. Our mission for the next five years is to close the gap in the number of people missing out on what they need at the end-of-life.

Job Description

Your role in our mission

We are looking for an experienced Head Chef to lead the catering service at Marie Curie West Midlands Hospice. You will oversee the preparation of high-quality, nutritious meals for patients, staff, volunteers and visitors, while maintaining excellent standards of food safety, hygiene and presentation.

You will bring proven catering experience, strong food hygiene knowledge and the ability to lead a busy kitchen team with confidence and care.

Key responsibilities:

• Lead daily hospice catering, ensuring high-quality meal preparation and service.
• Plan and oversee nutritious, well-presented meals for patients, staff, volunteers and visitors.
• Maintain high standards of food safety, hygiene, cleanliness and safe working practices.
• Support and motivate the kitchen team, promoting effective teamwork.
• Monitor standards, stock use and service quality to support efficient delivery.

Contract Type: Full-time, 37.5 hours per week

Working Pattern:

• Shift patterns: 11:00 am to 7:00pm
• Working on a rota basis, five days per week, Monday to Sunday, including Bank Holidays
• Agenda for Change Band 4, £28,392 - £31,157 Per Annum
• Enhanced rates of pay apply for hours worked on Sundays and Bank Holidays, with an additional payment of up to 60% of the basic hourly rate, in accordance with Marie Curie terms and conditions

Location:

• Relevant professional cookery qualification, such as City & Guilds 706/1 and 706/2, or equivalent
• Minimum Level 3 food handling certificate, with intermediate food hygiene knowledge
• Willingness to work towards a higher-level qualification
• Relevant previous experience in a catering service environment
• Experience supervising or managing a team of up to ten people
• Level 4 or equivalent professional cookery qualification, such as NVQ Level 4, HND or equivalent
• Advanced food hygiene or higher-level food handling certificate
• Experience in a similar Head Chef role or within a similar organisation, such as healthcare, hospice or care services

What's in it for you:

• Annual leave allowance 27 days plus 8 public holidays (pro-rated)
• Competitive Policy for parental/sick Leave
• Continuous Professional development (Marie Curie supports and encourages personal and professional development)
• Industry leading training programmes
• Defined contribution schemes for Pension(the charity will match your contributionup to 7.5%)
• Support with eye care costs (terms apply)
• Discounts via the Benefit Hub Scheme
• Entitled to Marie Curie Blue Light Card
• Life assurance

Application Process

• Closing date for applications:21September2026

This role will be subject to receiving an enhanced DBS criminal record check.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early.

At Marie Curie, our values are central to everything we do. They guide how we care for people, how we work together, and how we make decisions every day. We are committed to creating a workplace that is safe for everyone - staff and volunteers alike - supportive, inclusive and rewarding. We take stringent steps to ensure that anyone who joins our organisation are suitable for their roles and are committed to safeguarding all our people from harm. We actively consider our impact on the planet, embedding sustainability into everyday decisions to create a lasting, positive difference for the individuals we care for and the world we share.

We believe everyone should have the opportunity to thrive and fulfil their potential. Marie Curie is deeply committed to diversity, equity and inclusion, recognising both the social justice imperative and the strength a diverse workforce brings. We actively encourage applications from people of all cultures, perspectives and lived experiences.

We are happy to make reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process. If you require any support, please contact us at [emailprotected].

Every application we receive is personally reviewed by a member of our Talent Acquisition team, and in return, we ask that your application authentically reflects you — your experience, perspective and voice.