Head Chef

Teaching Personnel; England; On-site; GBP 37,000 - 39,000; Full time

Job summary

A specialist college and training hotel in Minehead is seeking a Head Chef to lead kitchen operations and provide culinary training to students with learning disabilities. The role involves ensuring high standards in food preparation and safety, as well as planning educational cooking sessions to help students develop vital skills. This position offers a unique opportunity to positively impact young people's lives in a vibrant operational environment. Candidates must possess relevant culinary qualifications and have experience in leadership roles.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Child protection training

Qualifications

• Must possess relevant culinary and teaching qualifications.
• Experience in kitchen leadership roles is required.
• Knowledge of food safety and allergen management is essential.

Responsibilities

• Lead the day-to-day operation of the kitchen to high standards.
• Plan and deliver engaging cooking sessions for students.
• Collaborate with tutors to support students' learning.

Skills

Culinary skills

Leadership

Food safety compliance

Teaching experience

Education

Relevant culinary qualifications

Job description

Head Chef

Location: Minehead, Somerset
Salary: £37,752 - £38,730, Depending on experience and qualifications
Hours: 40 hours per week, 52 weeks

Teaching Personnel have an exciting opportunity to work with a specialist college and training hotel for young people with learning disabilities, situated in the friendly seaside town of Minehead. This is a unique opportunity to make a real difference to the lives of our young people in an operational hotel environment that supports our students to learn the skills, knowledge, and confidence they need to successfully shape their own future. The aim is to equip our young adults with the life and hospitality skills to become work ready, life ready.

Key responsibilities

Kitchen Leadership and Standards:

• Lead the day‑to‑day running of the kitchen, ensuring food is prepared and presented to exceptional standards, in line with hotel expectations and guest satisfaction.
• Set and maintain high standards for cleanliness, organisation, food safety, allergen management, and health & safety compliance across all kitchen areas.
• Manage kitchen stock control, ordering, storage, and waste reduction procedures.
• Ensure that the kitchen is always audit‑ready and compliant with all relevant legislation and internal protocols.
• Role model professionalism, teamwork, and a positive culture within the kitchen team.

Student Teaching and Support

• Plan, deliver, and assess engaging, inclusive, and practical cooking sessions that develop students’ culinary and employability skills.
• Provide ongoing feedback, encouragement, and challenge to help each student make progress in line with their individual goals.
• Work collaboratively with tutors and Learning Support Practitioners (LSPs) to ensure students are supported and engaged throughout every session.
• Use recognised frameworks such as RARPA to track, evidence, and review student progress effectively.

Collaboration and Quality Assurance

• Work with the Hotel Manager and senior leadership team to ensure a seamless link between hotel operations and the student learning experience.
• Support quality assurance processes across both hospitality and education functions.
• Contribute to curriculum planning, staff development, and team meetings to continuously improve outcomes for students and guests.
• Conduct risk assessments, planning for off‑site activities, and safeguarding reviews as needed.

If this opportunity is for you please send your CV to Abigail Simpson

All applicants will require the appropriate qualifications and training for this role. Please see the FAQ’s on the Teaching Personnel website for details.
All pay rates quoted will be inclusive of 12.07% statutory holiday pay. This advert is for a temporary position. In some cases, the option to make this role permanent may become available at a later date.
Teaching Personnel is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. We undertake safeguarding checks on all workers in accordance with DfE statutory guidance ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ this may also include an online search as part of our due diligence on shortlisted applicants.
We offer all our registered candidates FREE child protection and prevent duty training. All candidates must undertake or have undertaken a valid enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. Full assistance provided.
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