Head Chef – Hertford, England

Holroyd Howe; Hertford; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading contract catering firm is seeking a talented Head Chef for their prestigious environment in Hertford. The role involves leading a skilled team, creating innovative menus, and ensuring high standards of food safety. The ideal candidate has strong leadership skills and experience in high-volume catering. This is a full-time position offering a competitive salary and great benefits, including 28 days holiday and bespoke training opportunities.

Benefits

28 days holiday

3 volunteering days

Free meals on duty

Bespoke training and development

Career development opportunities

Qualifications

• Professional cookery qualification (e.g., NVQ Level 3 or equivalent) is essential.
• Level 3 Food Safety certification required.
• Proven experience as a Head Chef or Senior Sous Chef.
• Experience in contract catering or hospitality environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead and inspire a kitchen team to deliver excellent food daily.
• Plan, prepare, and present seasonal menus.
• Manage kitchen operations and ensure compliance with food safety regulations.
• Oversee hospitality catering for events and functions.

Skills

Team leadership

Menu planning

Food safety compliance

Budget management

Event catering

Education

Professional cookery qualification (NVQ Level 3 or equivalent)

Level 3 Food Safety certificate

Tools

Kitchen management software

Job description

Head Chef – Hertford, England

Company Description

Head Chef – Full-Time | Haileybury

Location: Haileybury School, Hailey Lane, Hertford
Salary: £45,000 per annum
Hours: 40 hours per week (5 out of 7 days)
Weeks: 52 weeks per year

Benefits Include:

• 28 days holiday

• 3 volunteering days

• 3 days grandparent leave

• 24 weeks enhanced maternity leave

• Bespoke training and development

• Pension and life insurance

• Perkbox discounts (high street, cinema, travel & more)

• Wellbeing hub and employee assistance programme

• Free meals on duty

• Career development opportunities

• HIT Apprenticeships for all levels

We’re on the lookout for a talented Head Chef with a passion for delivering exceptional food in a prestigious education environment.

Based at the renowned Haileybury School in Hertford, this is a high-profile, full-time role overseeing a diverse food offer across pupil and staff dining, as well as a busy hospitality calendar. The site operates breakfast, lunch, and supper services alongside regular high-end functions.

This is a fantastic opportunity to make a name for yourself in a well-resourced kitchen, leading a team and shaping a fresh, innovative food offer that’s both seasonal and engaging for a wide-ranging audience.

Why Join Us at Haileybury?

This is more than just a kitchen job – it’s a chance to lead within a respected, values-driven environment. Haileybury is a vibrant, diverse school community where food plays an essential role. You’ll have access to fantastic training, support, and the opportunity to shape a food offer that makes a difference.

Job Description

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and inspire a skilled kitchen team to deliver excellent food and service daily.

• Plan, prepare and present balanced, seasonal menus in line with school preferences and dietary requirements.

• Manage all kitchen operations, including compliance with food safety, health and hygiene regulations.

• Take the lead on hospitality and events catering, producing menus and dishes to a high standard for VIP functions, parent events, and school celebrations.

• Collaborate with the Director of Catering to manage budgets, ordering, and stock control efficiently.

• Develop and mentor the kitchen team, encouraging learning, development, and progression.

• Uphold high standards of kitchen cleanliness, food safety, allergen management and COSHH.

Qualifications

Qualifications & Experience:

• Professional cookery qualification (e.g. NVQ Level 3 or equivalent)

• Level 3 Food Safety certificate (essential)

• Health & Safety and Allergen Awareness trained (Level 2 or above desirable)

• Proven experience as a Head Chef or Senior Sous Chef in a high-volume, quality-led environment

• Background in contract catering, independent schools, hotels or hospitality venues

• Demonstrated ability to manage and develop a team, with strong leadership skills

• Experience planning and delivering event/hospitality catering to a high standard

• Knowledge of budgeting, stock control, ordering, and supplier management

• IT-literate with basic familiarity using kitchen systems (e.g. menu planning tools, procurement software)

Additional Information

Holroyd Howe is one of the UK’s leading contract caterers, providing fresh innovative food services solely to independent schools and colleges. We are a team of experienced professionals who tailor our catering service provision specifically to suit children of all ages in order to meet the bespoke requirements of each school.

To provide our teams with the right skills to succeed in their jobs, we invest in their training and development. Our exceptional teams of seasoned specialists customise our catering services to fit children of all ages and satisfy the unique needs of our clients.

We pride ourselves on:

Sustainability

Sustainability is at the heart of our thinking; always mindful of the ethics of our sourcing and how we prepare our meals.

Nutrition

We take nutrition seriously and understand the impact a healthy diet has on the fundamental years of development. Meals are always freshly prepared from scratch and packed with nutritious ingredients.

Food Innovation

We offer a wide portfolio of training opportunities and experiences, which attracts chefs who are passionate about culinary excellence and menu innovation to our team.

From tasting tables, theme days and food theatre, to chef demonstrations and supplier showcases, we create engaging and fun dining experiences for our students. We work together to make mealtimes exploratory, quirky, and fun for our pupils, helping them build strong and healthy relationships with food.

“Holroyd Howe is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expect all employees to share this commitment. All roles within Holroyd Howe are regarded as regulated activity, it is an offence to apply for a role in regulated activity if you are barred from working with children, therefore we will require an Enhanced DBS which includes a Barred List check for all successful applicants. We will also require shortlisted applicants to provide appropriate information regarding any criminal offences and shortlisted applicants will be subject to an online search of public available information on suitability to work with children.“

This appointment is offered on the return of satisfactory professional references.

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