Head Chef - Care Home

NHS; Woking; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading care home provider in the UK is seeking a passionate Head Chef to deliver high-quality meals in a supportive team environment. You will create nutritious menus, lead a kitchen team, and ensure person-centred hospitality. The role offers a great work-life balance with no split shifts, along with competitive benefits. This is an excellent opportunity for chefs wanting to make a positive impact in a care setting.

Benefits

Rewarding Excellence bonus

Staff referral scheme

Retail and leisure discounts

Access to medical specialists

Free counselling and legal services

Qualifications

• Experience leading and motivating a kitchen team.
• Ability to create appetising and nutritious menus.
• Experience with fresh seasonal food and nutrition knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Lead and inspire the kitchen team.
• Ensure high-quality menu development and delivery.
• Work with the front of house to create a welcoming dining environment.

Skills

Team leadership

Menu development

Nutrition understanding

HACCP knowledge

Baking skills

Education

City & Guilds/NVQ/SVQ or equivalent

Job description

The Head Chef role at Barchester Care Homes offers a fantastic opportunity for an experienced and passionate chef to work in a high-quality, purpose-built care home environment. You will have the chance to deliver hotel/restaurant standards without the split shifts and long hours, with a focus on creating nutritious, flavoursome and well-balanced menus for the residents.

Main duties of the job

As a Head Chef at Barchester, you will lead, motivate and inspire a team, developing and upskilling where required. You will be responsible for menu development, tailoring 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. You will also assist the front of house team with setting up the dining areas, work within budget, complete regular audits and stock control, and create a warm, efficient and fun environment.

About us

Barchester is a leading provider of high-quality care homes in the UK, driven by a commitment to quality and high standards. The company offers excellent benefits and rewards, including a 'Rewarding Excellence' bonus scheme, a staff referral scheme, and access to a wide range of retail and leisure discounts, as well as free counselling and legal services.

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

Person Specification

Qualifications

• You will need to hold a City & Guilds/NVQ/SVQ or equivalent qualification, as well as experience in leading, motivating and inspiring a team. You should have experience of working with fresh, seasonal food with a good understanding of nutrition, and the ability to create a warm and welcoming environment within the care home. Knowledge around modified diets using the IDDSI framework is also required, or you will be trained and developed in 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.