Head Chef

Compass Group UK; Greater London; On-site; GBP 36,000 - 44,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Contributory pension

Career Pathways

MyLearning programmes

Digital GP access

Healthcare benefits

Travel discounts

Grocery discounts

Cinema discounts

Cash rewards

Wellness classes

Share discounts with family

Job summary

Lodestone House at Compass Group UK&I is recruiting a Head Chef for Alleyn’s Hampstead Senior in London. You’ll lead the food operation, produce high‑quality meals, and drive excellent standards across multiple catering outlets. This hands‑on role emphasizes food production, menu development and team leadership.

The ideal candidate has extensive Head Chef experience, strong food safety knowledge, and a commercial mindset for purchasing and budgeting in a busy school catering environment.

Qualifications

• Seasoned Head Chef with leadership of a busy kitchen and multi-outlet catering.
• Strong focus on fresh, high-quality food and seasonal menu development.
• Experience leading, motivating and developing a kitchen team.
• Solid knowledge of Food Safety, HSE and allergen requirements.
• A commercial mindset with budgeting and cost control experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead the food production across catering outlets.
• Direct preparation and cooking of nutritious meals.
• Manage kitchen team and develop staff.
• Develop menus and support central menu plans.
• Control purchasing, stock, waste and food costs.
• Ensure food safety, cleanliness and regulatory compliance.

Skills

Head Chef experience

Fresh high-quality food

Menu development

Kitchen team leadership

Food safety knowledge

Purchasing & budgeting

Job description

We ensure you're rewarded for all your hard work, which is why we offer a comprehensive benefits package which includes but is not limited to:

• 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 | Alleyn’s Hampstead Senior | £40,320

40 hours per week | Term time only, 42 weeks per year | Monday to Friday

Lodestone House, part of Compass Group UK & Ireland, is recruiting for an experienced Head Chef to lead the food operation atAlleyn’s Hampstead Senior, a prestigious independent school in London.

This is an exciting opportunity for a passionate and innovative Head Chef to lead a talented team within a busy, multi-faceted catering environment. You will take a hands‑on approach to food production while driving high standards across multiple food and catering outlets.

WHAT YOU'LL BE DOING

• Leading the food production operation across a range of catering outlets
• Planning, organising and directing the preparation and cooking of fresh, nutritious food
• Taking a hands‑on approach to cooking and maintaining consistently high food standards
• Leading, motivating and developing the kitchen team
• Developing exciting menus and supporting centrally driven menu plans and promotions
• Identifying opportunities to improve the food offer and customer experience
• Managing purchasing and working with preferred suppliers
• Controlling stock, waste and food costs to achieve agreed budgets
• Implementing and maintaining effective food monitoring and safety procedures
• Ensuring full compliance with Food Safety, HSE, COSHH and allergen requirements
• Maintaining excellent standards of kitchen cleanliness, organisation and presentation
• Building strong relationships with customers, clients and the wider school team
• Supporting continuous improvement across the catering operation

WHO YOU ARE

• An experienced Head Chef with a strong professional kitchen background
• Passionate about fresh, high-quality food and innovative menu development
• Excellent culinary and food presentation skills
• Experienced leading, motivating and developing a kitchen team
• Confident working in a busy, complex and multi‑outlet catering environment
• Strong knowledge of Food Safety, HSE, COSHH and allergen requirements
• Commercially aware with a strong understanding of purchasing, budgeting, food costing and profit margins
• Numerate and confident using IT and catering systems
• Highly organised with excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Forward‑thinking, with a focus on reducing waste and improving efficiency
• Energetic, positive and passionate about delivering high standards
• A strong team player who leads by example

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!