Head Chef

Care Concern Group; Greater Manchester; On-site; GBP 22,000 - 23,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid Enhanced DBS

Uniform provided

Group life assurance cover

Wagestream - financial wellbeing & pay

Nutritious meal during shifts

GP Online for you and dependants

Discounts

Employee Assistance Programme

Learning & development

Career progression

Recognition initiatives

Job summary

Westwood Lodge Care Home in Greater Manchester is seeking a Head Chef to take full ownership of the kitchen, delivering nutritious and enjoyable meals while leading from the front. You will oversee menu planning, food preparation, stock control and compliance, ensuring dietary needs and safety standards are met.

The role emphasizes strong leadership, cost-consciousness, and quality control, with opportunities for ongoing training and career progression in a well-structured care environment.

Qualifications

• City & Guilds 706/1 and 706/2 or equivalent, or working towards
• Basic Food Hygiene Certificate
• Proven experience leading or managing a kitchen
• Strong leadership and organisational skills
• Good understanding of dietary requirements and food safety
• A proactive, reliable and quality focused approach

Responsibilities

• Lead kitchen operations, from menu planning to food preparation and stock control.
• Ensure meals meet dietary needs and food safety standards.
• Manage budgets, ordering and waste to minimise costs.
• Develop and lead a high-performing kitchen team.
• Maintain high standards of presentation and nutrition.

Skills

Leadership

Organisational skills

Dietary requirements understanding

Quality focus

Education

City & Guilds 706/1 and 706/2 or equivalent

Basic Food Hygiene Certificate

Job description

About Westwood Lodge Care Home Westwood Lodge Care Home is a 76 bed, purpose built care home located in a peaceful residential area of Wigan, Greater Manchester, providing nursing and palliative care. With comfortable living spaces, welcoming lounges and a large enclosed garden, the home offers a warm and supportive environment where Residents can feel truly at home. Our friendly and dedicated team works together to deliver high quality, person centred care, helping Residents feel valued, respected and supported every day.

About Westwood Lodge Care Home Westwood Lodge Care Home is a 76 bed, purpose built care home located in a peaceful residential area of Wigan, Greater Manchester, providing nursing and palliative care. With comfortable living spaces, welcoming lounges and a large enclosed garden, the home offers a warm and supportive environment where Residents can feel truly at home. Our friendly and dedicated team works together to deliver high quality, person centered care, helping Residents feel valued, respected and supported every day.

Head Chef Contract

• £16.20- £16.80 per hour
• Contracted to 40 hours per week
• Paid DBS, pension, uniform provided
• 5.6 weeks annual leave (based on a full time contract)

No late evenings or split shifts, offering a consistent working pattern and genuine work life balance, alongside ongoing training, development and clear opportunities for career progression within a well structured and supportive environment.

Role Overview

As Head Chef, you will take full ownership of the kitchen, leading from the front to deliver high quality, nutritious and enjoyable meals that are central to daily life. This is a role where your leadership and standards will shape the entire dining experience, creating meals that residents look forward to every day. You will drive all aspects of kitchen operations, from menu planning and food preparation to stock control, compliance and team performance. Working with fresh ingredients, you will ensure meals are tailored to individual dietary needs while maintaining consistently high standards of presentation, nutrition and food safety. With a strong focus on efficiency and cost control, you will manage stock, ordering and budgets effectively, minimising waste while ensuring quality is never compromised. Leading and developing your team, you will build a well organized, motivated and high performing kitchen. This role offers a rare opportunity to combine strong leadership, quality food and a better work life balance.

What We Are Looking For

• City & Guilds 706/1 and 706/2 or equivalent, or working towards
• Basic Food Hygiene Certificate
• Proven experience leading or managing a kitchen
• Strong leadership and organisational skills
• Good understanding of dietary requirements and food safety
• A proactive, reliable and quality focused approach

What We Offer

• Paid Enhanced DBS
• Uniform provided
• Group life assurance cover
• Wagestream - financial wellbeing support and flexible access to earned pay
• A nutritious meal during shifts of eight hours or more
• GP Online for you and your dependants under 16
• Access to more than 1,600 high-street and online discounts
• Free, confidential Employee Assistance Programme, available 24/7, 365 days a year
• Award-winning learning and development, with support to achieve recognised qualifications
• Clear opportunities for career development and progression
• Recognition initiatives and Long Service Awards

About Care Concern Group

Westwood Lodge is part of Care Concern Group, a family-owned, market-leading care provider with a strong and growing presence across the UK. We are committed to delivering high-quality care and creating supportive, rewarding workplaces where our colleagues can grow, develop and thrive. Our five values Trust|Respect|Passion|Kindness|Inclusivity shape how we care, how we work and how we support one another. If you want a role where your experience is valued, your character matters and your work has genuine purpose, we would love to hear from you.