Head Chef

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust; Hawkesley; On-site; GBP 36,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is seeking a Head Chef to lead our hospital production kitchen, delivering high-quality meals to patients, staff and visitors daily.

This hands-on leadership role oversees a busy catering operation and a team of four chefs, five kitchen assistants and a storeman, ensuring consistency in food safety, portion control and service standards.

Qualifications

• Experience as a chef in healthcare catering and familiarity with Cook Chill procedures.
• Proven leadership in a busy kitchen with staff management and rota planning.
• Commitment to food safety, HACCP compliance and patient-focused service.

Responsibilities

• Day-to-day management of a busy hospital production kitchen, ensuring safe, efficient and cost-effective preparation of high-quality meals.
• Provide leadership and supervision to a dedicated catering team, maintaining high standards of food quality, safety, hygiene and service.
• Plan staffing resources including rota management, annual leave and sickness cover for seven-day service continuity.
• Ensure compliance with legislation, Trust policies, HACCP procedures and food safety standards across operations.
• Contribute to service development and continuous improvement initiatives within Catering, Facilities and the wider Trust.

Skills

Leadership

Healthcare catering

Menu development

Education

Level 3 in Food Safety & Hygiene

Level 4 Certificate in Food Safety & Hygiene

Job description

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

Head Chef

The closing date is 24 November 2026

Are you a passionate and experienced chef looking to make a real difference? We are seeking an enthusiastic Head Chef to lead our busy hospital production kitchen, delivering high-quality meals to patients, staff and visitors every day.

This is a rewarding leadership role where you will be responsible for overseeing food preparation and production, ensuring compliance with food safety legislation, maintaining exceptional standards of quality, and managing resources effectively within budget. You will lead and inspire a dedicated team of 4 chefs, 5 kitchen assistants and a storeman, creating a positive and supportive working environment that encourages professional development and continuous improvement.

Working as part of the NHS, you will play a vital role in supporting patient care through the provision of safe, nutritious and appetising meals. You will have the opportunity to influence menu development, drive service improvements and contribute to the ongoing success of a progressive catering operation.

If you are an organised and motivated leader with a passion for food, quality and customer service, we would love to hear from you. Join our team and help us deliver an outstanding catering service that makes a difference to patients, staff and visitors every day.

Main duties of the job

Main duties of the job

We are looking for an experienced and motivated Head Chef to lead our hospital production kitchen, ensuring patients, staff and visitors receive high-quality, nutritious meals every day. This is a hands‑on leadership role where you will oversee a busy catering operation, manage and develop a dedicated team, and play a key part in maintaining exceptional standards of food quality, safety and service.

Working within a healthcare environment, you will have the opportunity to influence service improvements, support staff development, and contribute directly to patient experience. If you are passionate about food, enjoy leading teams, and thrive in a fast‑paced environment where no two days are the same, this role offers a rewarding opportunity to make a real difference within the NHS.

About us

Overview of your organisation

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is a large acute and specialised hospital trust that provides a range of local acute services to the residents of Worcestershire and more specialised services to a larger population in Herefordshire and beyond.

The Trust operates hospital-based services from three sites in Kidderminster, Redditch and Worcester

Our workforce is more than 7,000 strong, and our caring staff are recognised as providing good and outstanding patient-centred care. You could be one of them.

We are committed to recruiting the best people to work with us. Our values, which we ask all staff to demonstrate, underpin our everyday work and remain firmly at the heart of all we do.

Being open and honest

Ensuring people feel cared for

Showing respect to everyone

We are committed to developing a culture of continuous improvement by embedding the principles of our Improvement System.

We are proud to have achieved Timewise accreditation - this means we are committed to embedding flexible working within our organisation as a flex positive employer.

DBS Checks and Costs

Any applicants who are offered posts requiring a DBS check as part of their employment check will have the cost of this check (at the current rate) deducted from their salary. Please see link in Supporting Information section for more details on DBS checks and costs.

Job responsibilities

As Head Chef, you will be responsible for the day-to-day management of a busy hospital production kitchen, ensuring the safe, efficient and cost-effective preparation of high-quality meals for patients, staff and visitors.

You will provide leadership and supervision to a dedicated catering team, leading by example to maintain high standards of food quality, food safety, hygiene and customer service. The role requires effective planning and organisation of staffing resources, including rota management, annual leave and sickness cover, to ensure service continuity seven days a week.

Working within a regulated healthcare environment, you will ensure compliance with all relevant legislation, Trust policies, HACCP procedures and food safety standards. You will oversee food production, storage and distribution processes, monitor quality standards, and ensure accurate completion of operational records and documentation.

The successful candidate will play a key role in staff development through training, mentoring and performance management, helping to create a positive and supportive team culture. You will also contribute to service development, continuous improvement initiatives and departmental objectives, working closely with colleagues across Catering, Facilities and the wider Trust.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced chef with strong leadership skills to join a progressive NHS catering service and make a meaningful contribution to patient care through the delivery of safe, nutritious and appetising meals.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Level 3 in Food Safety & Hygiene. City & Guilds 706.1 & 2. (147,151) or NVQ level 3 in Catering & Hospitality or equivalent.
• Level 4 Certificate in Food Safety & Hygiene.

Experience

• Relevant or demonstratable experience as Chef within Healthcare Catering. Experience of Cook Chill production procedures.
• Experience as chef other than healthcare in a leadership role.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer name

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust