Head Chef

Lodestone House; Greater London; On-site; GBP 41,000 - 50,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Contributory pension scheme

Career development programmes

Digital GP and wider healthcare

Travel discounts

Food shopping discounts

Cinema tickets discount

Cash rewards

Wellness and mindfulness classes

Family discounts

Job summary

Lodestone House, part of Compass Group UK & Ireland, is recruiting an experienced Head Chef to lead the catering team at Bute House Preparatory School for Girls. The role covers hands-on cooking, menu planning and managing food production, with a focus on fresh ingredients and high standards.

Working 40 hours per week during term time (42.6 weeks/year) Monday to Friday, with responsibilities including budgeting, promoting menus, and ensuring food safety and allergen controls are in place.

Qualifications

• Experienced Head Chef with passion for fresh food and innovative menu planning.
• Able to lead and manage a catering team.
• Knowledge of food safety, allergens, hygiene and kitchen safety.

Responsibilities

• Lead and motivate the catering team, creating a positive and supportive working environment.
• Hands-on cooking, food preparation and presentation.
• Plan and deliver varied, seasonal menus using fresh ingredients.
• Oversee food production and service across the operation.
• Drive sales and promotions in line with standards.
• Manage stock, purchasing and suppliers while minimising waste.
• Monitor food costs, budgets and margins to support commercial performance.
• Ensure kitchen processes and monitoring procedures are followed.
• Collaborate with the school to deliver excellent catering services.

Skills

Leadership

Cooking

Menu planning

Food costing

Allergen management

Hygiene

Communication

Tools

Computer literacy

Job description

Benefits

• Contributory pension scheme
• Grow your career with our Career Pathways and MyLearning programmes
• Quick access for you and your immediate family to a Digital GP, and wider healthcare benefits
• Exclusive travel discounts with TUI, Expedia, Booking.com and many more
• Save money on your food shop with discounts on Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons and many more
• Up to 44% off cinema tickets to enjoy your favourite blockbuster
• Receive cash rewards every time you spend and use them on a wide range of brands
• Un-wind with us with free wellness, mindfulness and exercise classes
• You can share all discounts and offers with your friends and families

HEAD CHEF | BUTE HOUSE PREPARATORY SCHOOL | £45,000

40 hours per week | Term time only, 42.6 weeks per year | Monday to Friday

Lodestone House, part of Compass Group UK & Ireland, is recruiting an experienced and passionate Head Chef to lead the catering team at Bute House Preparatory School for Girls.

What You'll Be Doing

• Leading and motivating the catering team, creating a positive and supportive working environment
• Taking a hands‑on approach to food preparation, cooking and presentation
• Planning and delivering varied, seasonal menus using fresh, quality ingredients
• Overseeing food production and service across the catering operation
• Driving sales and supporting menu promotions in line with company standards
• Managing stock, purchasing and suppliers while minimising waste
• Monitoring food costs, budgets and profit margins to support commercial performance
• Maintaining high standards of food safety, hygiene, allergen management, HSE and COSHH compliance
• Ensuring food monitoring procedures and kitchen processes are followed consistently
• Working collaboratively with the school to deliver an excellent catering service

WHO YOU ARE

• An experienced Head Chef with a passion for fresh food and innovative menu planning
• A confident leader who can inspire, develop and support a catering team
• Skilled in food preparation, cooking and presentation
• Organised, proactive and able to manage competing priorities in a busy environment
• Knowledgeable about food safety, allergens, hygiene and kitchen safety
• Commercially aware, with an understanding of purchasing, budgeting, food costing and profit margins
• Numerate and computer literate, with strong communication and interpersonal skills
• A team player who takes pride in delivering excellent food and customer service

About Us

As part of Compass you'll help to feed people, fuel progress and forge connections in around 6,000 venues. Join us to grow your career with the industry leader, and get competitive pay, great perks and unrivalled opportunities for learning and development, at one of the UK's biggest businesses.

Compass Group UK&I is committed to fostering an environment where every individual can truly be themselves at work and has equal opportunities to advance in their careers. We strive to build a culture that respects and celebrates the unique talents, beliefs, backgrounds, and abilities of all our team members. We want our colleagues to feel valued, empowered to reach their full potential, and to thrive - because diversity is our strength!