Head Chef - Care Home

Integrated Care System; Taunton; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading care provider seeks a Head Chef for their Taunton care home. This role offers a great work-life balance, allowing you to develop creative, nutritious menus while managing a dedicated kitchen team without split shifts. Ideal candidates are passionate chefs with experience in team leadership and a strong commitment to quality and care.

Benefits

Rewarding Excellence bonus

Refer a Friend scheme

Retail and leisure discounts

Access to medical specialists

Free counselling and legal services

Tax Code Review Service

Monthly staff lottery

Qualifications

• Personable and warm approach with interest in residents' wellbeing.
• Experience working with fresh seasonal food and understanding of nutrition.
• Confidence in engaging with residents and tailoring menus.

Responsibilities

• Lead and motivate kitchen team to deliver high-quality meals.
• Develop nutritious, flavorsome menus tailored to resident needs.
• Assist front-of-house team to create an efficient dining environment.

Skills

Leadership

Nutrition

Customer Service

Education

City & Guilds/NVQ/SVQ or equivalent

Job description

This Head Chef role at Barchester Healthcare's care home in Taunton offers a great work-life balance with regular working hours and weekends off. You will have the opportunity to deliver high-quality, nutritious meals while leading and developing a talented kitchen team. Barchester is committed to providing excellent care and hospitality, and this role is crucial in ensuring residents enjoy delicious, freshly prepared meals.

Main duties of the job

As the Head Chef, you will be responsible for leading, motivating, and inspiring a team to deliver hotel/restaurant standards without the split shifts and long hours. You will have full autonomy in creating nutritious, flavorsome, and well-balanced menus, while also taking ownership of the kitchen and ongoing team development. The role also involves assisting the front-of-house team with setting up the dining areas, working within budget, and creating a warm, efficient, and fun environment.

About us

Barchester Healthcare is a leading provider of high-quality care and support services in the UK. They operate a network of care homes and retirement communities, delivering exceptional care and hospitality to their residents. Barchester is committed to investing in their employees and providing opportunities for professional development.

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

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Person Specification

Qualifications

• You will need to hold a City & Guilds/NVQ/SVQ or equivalent qualification, and have experience in leading, motivating, and inspiring a team. A personable and warm approach with a genuine interest in the wellbeing of residents is essential, as is experience working with fresh, seasonal food and a good understanding of nutrition.

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.