Head Chef - Care Home

NHS; Banbury; On-site; GBP 38,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider is seeking a Head Chef to deliver high-quality meals while ensuring a balanced work-life schedule. This role offers autonomy in menu creation and team development, focusing on fresh produce and resident satisfaction.

Benefits

Rewarding Excellence bonus

Refer a Friend scheme

Retail and leisure discounts

Free access to medical specialists

Counselling and legal services

Tax Code Review Service

Monthly staff lottery

Qualifications

• Experience in leading, motivating and inspiring a team.
• Good understanding of nutrition and experience with fresh seasonal food.

Responsibilities

• Lead, motivate and inspire a kitchen team.
• Develop menus tailored around residents' needs.
• Ensure high-quality dishes and manage kitchen performance.

Skills

Team Leadership

Nutrition

Menu Development

HACCP

COSHH

Education

City & Guilds/NVQ/SVQ or equivalent

Job description

Job summary

This Head Chef role at Barchester Healthcare is an excellent opportunity for a passionate and qualified chef who is looking for a better work-life balance. The role offers the chance to deliver hotel/restaurant standards without the split shifts and long hours, with full autonomy in creating nutritious, flavoursome and well-balanced menus while also taking ownership of the kitchen and ongoing team development.

Main duties of the job

As a Head Chef at Barchester, you will be responsible for leading, motivating and inspiring a team, developing and upskilling where required. You will be involved in menu development, tailoring the menus around residents to ensure person-centred hospitality. You will work with fresh produce to deliver high-quality and wholesome dishes cooked to the highest standards, including baking fresh cakes, scones and breads from scratch. Additionally, you will assist the front of house team with setting up the dining areas, work within budget, complete regular audits and stock control, create a warm, efficient and fun environment, and manage the performance of the kitchen team and front of house.

About us

Barchester Healthcare is a leading provider of care homes and healthcare services in the UK. The company is driven by quality and high standards, and it offers a range of benefits and rewards to its employees, including a 'Rewarding Excellence' bonus, a refer-a-friend scheme, access to retail and leisure discounts, free access to medical specialists, counselling and legal services, and the option to join a monthly staff lottery.

Details Date posted

16 May 2025

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

£38,000 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time

Reference number

1304540526

Job locations

Barchester Healthcare

Banbury

OX17 2JL

Job description Job responsibilities

Are you a passionate and qualified Chef looking for a better work life balance? If you are keen to be part of a company that is driven by quality and high standards, Barchester is the place to be!

Your Benefits and Rewards

• Working days and alternate weekends only, across 4/5 days a week

• Rewarding Excellence' bonus where you will be financially rewarded up to £500* for a Good or Outstanding CQC inspection

• Unlimited access to our Refer a Friend' scheme, earning up to £500* per referral

• Access to a wide range of retail and leisure discounts with big brands, supermarkets and travel companies

• Free access to medical specialists, who are on hand for a second opinion if you need it

• Confidential and free access to counselling and legal services

• Tax Code Review Service to check you're on the right code and paying the right level of tax

• Option to join our monthly staff lottery alongside your colleagues nationwide

Your Experience and Qualifications

• A personable and warm approach with a genuine interest in the wellbeing of residents

• Hold City & Guilds/NVQ/SVQ or equivalent

• Experience in leading, motivating and inspiring a team

• Experience of working with fresh seasonal food with a good understanding of nutrition

• The ability to create a warm and welcoming environment within our homes

• Confidence engaging with residents to create appetising and nutritious menus

• Experience working with a front of house team to ensure the restaurants are set up to a high standard

• Good understanding of HACCP and COSHH

• Knowledge around modified diets using the IDDSI framework (If new to care, we will train and develop chefs on these techniques)

Your Role and Responsibilities

• Lead, motivate and inspire a team, develop and upskill where required

• Menu development, tailoring around residents to ensure we deliver person-centred hospitality

• Work with fresh produce to deliver high quality and wholesome dishes cooked of the highest standards

• Bake fresh cakes, scones and breads from scratch

• Assist the front of house team with setting up of the dining areas

• Work within budget, complete regular audits and stock control

• Create a warm, efficient and fun environment

• Ongoing recruitment and retention

• Managing the performance of the kitchen team and front of house

As a Head Chef at Barchester, you will have the chance to deliver hotel/restaurant standards without the split shifts and long hours. Our chefs have full autonomy in creating nutritious, flavoursome and well balanced menus, whilst also taking ownership of their kitchen and ongoing team development.

We are exceptionally proud of our Barchester Chef Academy, where chefs have the opportunity to learn new techniques and further develop their skills, whilst also sharing their knowledge to support the growth of others across the business. This fantastic academy experience is held throughout the year and is offered to all of our chefs.

Our internal Learning and Development team also offer industry recognised apprenticeships and further qualifications to chefs and hospitality team members who are looking to build upon and/or develop their skills.

Interested? If you are a motivated and dedicated chef who is ready to be part of something special, apply today!

*Terms & conditions apply

8765 #TJ

Job description Job responsibilities

Are you a passionate and qualified Chef looking for a better work life balance? If you are keen to be part of a company that is driven by quality and high standards, Barchester is the place to be!

Your Benefits and Rewards

• Working days and alternate weekends only, across 4/5 days a week

• Rewarding Excellence' bonus where you will be financially rewarded up to £500* for a Good or Outstanding CQC inspection

• Unlimited access to our Refer a Friend' scheme, earning up to £500* per referral

• Access to a wide range of retail and leisure discounts with big brands, supermarkets and travel companies

• Free access to medical specialists, who are on hand for a second opinion if you need it

• Confidential and free access to counselling and legal services

• Tax Code Review Service to check you're on the right code and paying the right level of tax

• Option to join our monthly staff lottery alongside your colleagues nationwide

Your Experience and Qualifications

• A personable and warm approach with a genuine interest in the wellbeing of residents

• Hold City & Guilds/NVQ/SVQ or equivalent

• Experience in leading, motivating and inspiring a team

• Experience of working with fresh seasonal food with a good understanding of nutrition

• The ability to create a warm and welcoming environment within our homes

• Confidence engaging with residents to create appetising and nutritious menus

• Experience working with a front of house team to ensure the restaurants are set up to a high standard

• Good understanding of HACCP and COSHH

• Knowledge around modified diets using the IDDSI framework (If new to care, we will train and develop chefs on these techniques)

Your Role and Responsibilities

• Lead, motivate and inspire a team, develop and upskill where required

• Menu development, tailoring around residents to ensure we deliver person-centred hospitality

• Work with fresh produce to deliver high quality and wholesome dishes cooked of the highest standards

• Bake fresh cakes, scones and breads from scratch

• Assist the front of house team with setting up of the dining areas

• Work within budget, complete regular audits and stock control

• Create a warm, efficient and fun environment

• Ongoing recruitment and retention

• Managing the performance of the kitchen team and front of house

As a Head Chef at Barchester, you will have the chance to deliver hotel/restaurant standards without the split shifts and long hours. Our chefs have full autonomy in creating nutritious, flavoursome and well balanced menus, whilst also taking ownership of their kitchen and ongoing team development.

We are exceptionally proud of our Barchester Chef Academy, where chefs have the opportunity to learn new techniques and further develop their skills, whilst also sharing their knowledge to support the growth of others across the business. This fantastic academy experience is held throughout the year and is offered to all of our chefs.

Our internal Learning and Development team also offer industry recognised apprenticeships and further qualifications to chefs and hospitality team members who are looking to build upon and/or develop their skills.

Interested? If you are a motivated and dedicated chef who is ready to be part of something special, apply today!

*Terms & conditions apply

8765 #TJ

Person Specification Qualifications Essential

• The successful candidate will hold a City & Guilds/NVQ/SVQ or equivalent qualification, have experience in leading, motivating and inspiring a team, and demonstrate a good understanding of nutrition and experience working with fresh seasonal food. They will also have confidence engaging with residents to create appetising and nutritious menus, experience working with a front of house team, and a good understanding of HACCP and COSHH. Knowledge around modified diets using the IDDSI framework is preferred, and if the candidate is new to care, they will be trained and developed on these techniques.

Person Specification Qualifications Essential

• The successful candidate will hold a City & Guilds/NVQ/SVQ or equivalent qualification, have experience in leading, motivating and inspiring a team, and demonstrate a good understanding of nutrition and experience working with fresh seasonal food. They will also have confidence engaging with residents to create appetising and nutritious menus, experience working with a front of house team, and a good understanding of HACCP and COSHH. Knowledge around modified diets using the IDDSI framework is preferred, and if the candidate is new to care, they will be trained and developed on these techniques.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer details Employer name

Barchester Healthcare

Address

Barchester Healthcare

Banbury

OX17 2JL

Employer's website

https://www.barchester.com/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details Employer name

Barchester Healthcare

Address

Barchester Healthcare

Banbury

OX17 2JL

Employer's website

https://www.barchester.com/ (Opens in a new tab)