Head Chef

White House Care Home; Watford; On-site; GBP 36,000 - 48,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid DBS

Pension

Uniform provided

5.6 weeks annual leave

Job summary

White House Care Home in the United Kingdom is seeking a Head Chef to lead the kitchen, delivering high quality, nutritious meals and shaping the daily dining experience for residents. You will manage menu planning, food preparation, stock control and compliance, while developing a motivated kitchen team and ensuring dietary needs are met.

The role offers 40 hours per week with a consistent pattern, an annual leave entitlement of 5.6 weeks, and opportunities for ongoing training and progression

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 all kitchen operations from menu planning to food prep and stock control.
• Ensure meals meet dietary needs and high presentation standards.
• Manage budget, purchasing, waste reduction and cost control.
• Develop and coach kitchen team to high performance.
• Maintain compliance with food safety and hygiene standards.

Skills

Leadership

Kitchen management

Dietary knowledge

Food safety

Education

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

Basic Food Hygiene Certificate

Job description

A purpose-built, luxury care home positioned within the quiet residential area of Letchworth Garden City. We provide Residential, Nursing, Respite and Dementia care for 50-residents.

Head Chef Contract

• £18.00 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 organised, 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

About us

White House Care Home is part of Care Concern Group, a family owned, market leading care provider with a strong and growing presence across the United Kingdom. We are committed to delivering high quality care and developing supportive, rewarding workplaces where our teams can thrive.

Our five core values Trust|Respect|Passion|Kindness|Inclusivity are at the heart of everything we do, shaping the care we deliver and the environments we create. If you share these values and want to build or develop your career in care, we would love to hear from you.