Head Chef

Accent Catering; Leatherhead; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free meals on duty

Free parking on site

Career development opportunities

Pension scheme, life insurance

Job summary

Accent Catering Services Ltd in Leatherhead is seeking a proactive Head Chef to lead a busy kitchen at our independent school site. You will drive menu development, uphold food quality, manage stock, and mentor a team to deliver high-end hospitality for students and events.

The role requires strong craft skills, team leadership, budget awareness and a passion for creative dining. Alignment with health & safety standards and allergen management is essential.

Qualifications

• Proven track record leading and developing a kitchen team.
• Experience delivering themed dining events and large-scale functions.
• Strong craft skills with a passion for quality and presentation.

Responsibilities

• Oversee menu planning, food quality, compliance, stock control, and team performance.
• Deliver themed days, pop-up concepts and high-end hospitality for events.
• Inspire and develop the kitchen team with creativity and energy.

Skills

Kitchen management

Team leadership

Menu development

Budget awareness

Food safety

Allergen management

High-end hospitality

Job description

Are you looking for a rewarding Head Chef role that offers career development, creativity, and a genuine work/life balance?

Scroll down the page to see all associated job requirements, and any responsibilities successful candidates can expect.

HEAD CHEF - LEATHERHEAD KT22

£44,000 per annum DOE per annum

40 hours per week Monday to Friday term-time only (42 working weeks plus holiday)

People are at the heart of everything we do, and we’re looking for a talented Head Chef with strong craft skills and a passion for leading and developing teams to join our fantastic independent school site in Leatherhead, Surrey.

This is an opportunity to make a real impact through food. We play an important role in students’ learning and wellbeing by providing nutritious, delicious meals that encourage healthier lifestyles and positive food experiences every day.

Reporting into the Group Manager, you will be responsible for creating an outstanding food offer while overseeing menu planning, food quality, compliance, stock control, and team performance. We’re looking for someone with experience in delivering themed dining events, high-end hospitality, and large-scale functions who can also inspire a team, deliver high standards and bring creativity and energy to a busy school environment.

Our company has a passion for food quality and people development, so this is a great place for you to progress a career in the food industry. If you’re looking for an employer that will invest in your career and support your progression,

Benefits of working with Accent as a Head Chef

• Competitive salaries with yearly reviews
• Free meals on duty
• Free parking on site
• Career development opportunities
• Multiple Discounts on our Accent Engage platform - shops, restaurants, gifts, leisure and more!
• HIT apprenticeships for all experience levels
• Team events, awards and competitions throughout the year - we like to reward our staff for a job well done!
• Pension scheme, life insurance and company sick pay
• Work life balance
• Access to our Employee Assistance Programme for mental health and financial support

As our ideal Head Chef you will:

• Have excellent craft skills and the ability to manage your own kitchen
• Have proven experience of managing, training and leading a team
• Have creativity in developing themed days and pop ups, as well as high-end hospitality and large events
• Have a proven track record of continually improving standards
• Have excellent customer service skills and the ability to build strong relationships
• Be passionate about food with excellent culinary skills and a great eye for detail
• Have financial and budget awareness, business acumen and proven experience in controlling food costs.
• Have a solid understanding of food safety, health & safety, and allergen management

The ideal candidate will also have the flexibility to work overtime as required.

Who are Accent Catering?

Accent Catering Services Ltd are one of the UK’s leading contract caterers, providing innovative food service solutions to a variety of schools and businesses.

We are a talented team of professionals who create bespoke catering provisions tailored to each contract - no two are the same. As an independently owned company, you’ll never be just another number to us. Our people are at the heart of everything we do, and we take pride in recognising every individual’s contribution.

Accent Catering is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all employees to share this commitment. Please note that an enhanced DBS disclosure is required for this role.

Accent Catering has regularly been recognised in The Caterer’s prestigious awards as one of the best places to work in hospitality. Don’t miss your chance to become part of our award-winning team!

The Company treats personal data collected during the recruitment process in accordance with its data protection policy. Information about how your data is used and the basis for processing your data is provided in the Company's privacy notice which can be found on our website

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