Head Chef

Elysium Healthcare; Wellington; On-site; GBP 34,000 - 35,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual leave

Career development

Wellbeing support

Pension contribution

Free meals

Job summary

Elysium Healthcare is seeking a Head Chef to lead the kitchen team at Wellesley Hospital in Wellington. This role offers no evening shifts and a firm five-day work week, allowing for a balanced work-life experience.

You will oversee the kitchen operations, develop creative menus, and ensure the delivery of nutritious meals for both staff and patients. The role includes mentoring the team and managing a calm, engaging kitchen environment.

Qualifications

• Previous experience in a similar environment.
• Experience in delivering a service on mass.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate the day-to-day management of the catering team.
• Ensure catering meets nutritional and dietary needs.
• Manage menu planning and prepare varied dishes.
• Oversee hospital café and shop operations.
• Respond to complaints and assist with investigations.
• Maintain health, safety, and hygiene requirements.

Skills

GCSE or equivalent English

Catering Diploma

Management Qualification

Menu Planning

Stock Control

Education

Health & Safety and Food Hygiene Certificates

City & Guilds 706/1 and 2

Job description

Ever imagined being a Head Chef and still having a social life? Experience the blend of being a Head Chef while maintaining a vibrant life outside of work.

This role offers a refreshing change from the typical culinary demands- no evenings, a five-day work week and keeping the stress levels low.

You will be leading an established kitchen team atWellesley HospitalinWellingtonoverseeing the preparation oflarge-scale meals for the staff and service users. Your role extends beyond the kitchen, as you provide guidance and training to support your team.

There are regular activities, events and special occasions throughout the year which you’ll also cater for – world food day, Christmas, Easter, family day etc. In other words, plenty of chance to be creative and do something different.

It’s a calm and pleasurable working environment, where you’ll be able to manage your workload and enjoy creating delicious meals. There’s a great social aspect to this role where you can interact with people outside the kitchen regularly.

You and your catering team will run the kitchen to hotel/restaurant standards, ensuring a smooth operation with a clean kitchen, tasty menu and happy ‘customers’.

Just imagine… great job satisfaction, home in time for dinner every night and two days off a week. Now that’s a recipe for a balanced work-life combo.

As a Head Chef you will be:

• Coordinating the day-to-day management of the catering team to run an efficient food production service.
• Ensuring that the catering service meets the nutritional and dietary needs of the service users.
• Ensuring the catering service provides meals to staff and company visitors in accordance with the Company policies and procedures.
• Taking the lead in the production of a menu plan, providing a varied diet within budgetary restraints.
• Take responsibility for the effective management of the hospital café and shop, ensuring staffing arrangements, stock ordering and control, cleaning schedules, and all relevant health, safety, and hygiene requirements are consistently maintained.
• Ensuring that any maintenance and servicing of catering equipment or the environment is reported to Facilities Manager/maintenance.
• Seek feedback, develop and standardise seasonal menu items to ensure nutritious and high-quality food is produced.
• Responding to any reported complaints or incidents, assisting with investigation and referring any unresolved complaints
• Responsible for stock management and equipment in the production areas, reporting issues or concerns.
• Managing efficient staff rotas, plan agency and overtime cover and ensure absences are covered within agreed budgets.
• Assisting in the completion of monthly audits of the catering provision to ensure standards are maintained.

To be successful in this role, you will have:

• GCSE or equivalent English
• Catering Diploma (City & Guilds/BTEC) and Health & Safety and Food Hygiene Certificates
• City & Guilds 706/1 and 2 (or equivalent) Basic Food Preparation Cooking
• Basic Food Hygiene (essential)
• Previous experience in a similar environment
• Management/Supervisory Qualification
• Previous experience in delivering a service on mass
• Menu Planning, costing, ordering, stock control and budgetexperience

Where you will be working:

Location: Westpark 26, Chelston,Wellington, Somerset,TA21 9FF

You will be working at Wellesley Hospital, a purpose built 101 bed hospital in Wellington (Somerset) for men and women with Mental Health needs.

There are6wards for people with Mental Health needs and 1 ward for people with Learning Disabilities and Autism.

The Wellesley Hospital built in 2017 works alongside Devon Partnership NHS Trust, Avon and Wiltshire Foundation Trust, Cornwall Foundation Trust, 2gether Foundation Trust, and Livewell to deliver the best possible environment for patients with Mental Health issues.

What You’ll Get

• Annual base salary of £33,600-£34,269 DOE
• The equivalent of 33 days annual leave (including bank holidays) – plus your birthday off and the option to buy additional annual leave, in our annual selection window.
• Career development and training to help you achieve your professional goals
• Access to our Rewards & Benefits platform Ely-Vate; Your one-stop destination for everyday savings, exclusive benefits, and wellbeing hub!
• Wellbeing support and activities to help you maintain a healthy work-life balance
• Access to Blue Light Card, which provides a range of exclusive offers and discounts
• Life Assurance, for added peace of mind
• Stream – instant access to earned wages when you need it, plus access to save, directly from your wages, alongside financial wellbeing support.
• 24/7 GP service and second medical opinion, to ensure you are the best you can be
• Enhanced Maternity Package, so you can truly enjoy this special time
• Pension contribution, to help secure your future
• Free/subsidised meals and onsite/local free parking

About your next employer:

Elysium Health care has over 8,000 employees and a unique approach to the delivery of care. With a network of over 80 services across England and Wales covering Mental Health, Neurological, Learning Disabilities & Autism, Children & Education, there is opportunity for you to grow and move.

Elysium Healthcare is part of Ramsay Health Care with a global network that extends across 10 countries and employs over 86,000 people globally.

Elysium Healthcare follows safer recruitment of staff for all appointments and is a Disability Confident employer, committed to inclusive and accessible recruitment. It is a requirement that all staff understand it is each person’s individual responsibility to promote and safeguard the welfare of service users. All candidates will be subject to a DBS disclosure