Head Chef

Chartwells Independent; Manchester; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 50,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Contributory pension

Career development opportunities

Healthcare benefits

Travel discounts

Discounts on groceries

Cinema discounts

Cash rewards

Wellness and mindfulness classes

Job summary

Restaurant Associates in Manchester is recruiting a Contract Catering Head Chef to lead a high-volume kitchen at a newly mobilised site. You’ll own menu development, standards and delivery across a busy staff dining operation with hands-on leadership.

This role offers the chance to shape the operation from day one, mentoring your team and driving exceptional food and service in a fast-paced corporate environment.

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a Senior Sous Chef, Head Chef or similar senior kitchen position.
• Ideally a minimum of 2 years' experience at Head Chef level.
• Experience in B&I, corporate or contract catering.
• Strong experience in high-volume kitchen environments.
• Excellent leadership, communication and team management skills.
• Passion for high-quality food and creative menu development.
• Knowledge of healthy eating and contemporary food trends.

Responsibilities

• Take overall responsibility for a full production kitchen within a busy staff dining environment.
• Lead the kitchen team, set high standards and create a positive culture.
• Manage hospitality, events and functions with high-quality service.
• Deliver exceptional food standards across a high-volume operation.
• Develop and mentor your team and support progression.
• Create fresh, healthy and innovative menus reflecting trends.
• Be hands-on across all kitchen areas when required.
• Drive consistency, efficiency and food quality.
• Collaborate with the wider team to mobilise and ensure site success.

Skills

Senior kitchen leadership

Head Chef experience

High-volume kitchen

Menu development

Team mentoring

Food quality standards

Strong communication

Ownership mindset

Job description

Contract Catering Head Chef – Newly Mobilised Manchester Site | Up to £50,000

This is an exciting opportunity to join a newly mobilised contract catering site in Manchester and take ownership of a high-performing, fast-paced kitchen operation.

As Head Chef, you’ll lead from the front, combining strong culinary skills with hands‑on leadership to deliver exceptional food, hospitality and service standards across a busy corporate environment.

You’ll have the opportunity to make your mark from the outset — helping shape menus, develop your team, establish operational standards and build a kitchen operation you can truly take ownership of.

What you’ll be doing as Head Chef:

• Taking overall responsibility for a full production kitchen within a busy staff dining environment
• Leading the kitchen team, setting high standards and creating a positive, motivated culture
• Managing hospitality, events and functions, ensuring consistently high-quality service
• Delivering exceptional food standards across a high-volume operation
• Developing and mentoring your team, supporting their progression and development
• Creating fresh, healthy and innovative menus that reflect current food trends
• Getting hands‑on across all areas of the kitchen operation when required
• Driving consistency, efficiency and excellent food quality
• Working closely with the wider team to ensure the smooth mobilisation and ongoing success of the site

What you need to succeed:

• Proven experience as a Senior Sous Chef, Head Chef or similar senior kitchen position
• Ideally a minimum of 2 years' experience at Head Chef level, although ambitious Senior Sous Chefs ready for their first step into the role will be considered
• Experience within B&I, corporate or contract catering
• Strong experience working within high-volume kitchen environments
• Excellent leadership, communication and team management skills
• A genuine passion for high-quality food and creative menu development
• Good knowledge of healthy eating and contemporary food trends
• The confidence and drive to take ownership of a kitchen and make a new site your own

What’s in it for you?

• You’ll be rewarded for your hard work with a comprehensive benefits package, including:
• Contributory pension scheme
• Excellent career development opportunities through Career Pathways and MyLearning programmes
• Digital GP and wider healthcare benefits for you and your immediate family
• Exclusive travel discounts with TUI, Expedia, Booking.com and more
• Discounts on your weekly food shop at Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and more
• Up to 44% off cinema tickets
• Cash rewards when you spend, redeemable across a wide range of brands
• Free wellness, mindfulness and exercise classes
• Discounts and offers that can be shared with friends and family

Joining a newly mobilised Manchester site gives you the chance to establish your kitchen, influence the operation from the beginning, develop your team and put your own stamp on the food and service proposition.

About Us

Restaurant Associates provides brilliant hospitality through our food, drink and services. We work with our partners and collaborate with our clients to achieve great things together.Every day, our teams of passionate hospitality professionals strive for excellence in delivering employee dining and hospitality to some of the UK's leading workplace as well as inspiring exceptional experiences in iconic cultural and heritage destinations.

Job Reference: com/1509/45179001/52821940/R/SU #RA Group

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!