Head Chef - Didcot

Compass Group; East Hagbourne; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading catering company is seeking a Head Chef to oversee food production at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus. This role requires strong leadership and organizational skills, a passion for food, and excellent knowledge of food safety. Join a dynamic team focused on innovation and sustainability in catering operations.

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a Head Chef or Senior Sous Chef in a multi-site, high-volume or production kitchen environment.
• Strong leadership, organisational, and people management skills.
• Excellent knowledge of Food Hygiene, Health & Safety and allergen management.

Responsibilities

• Oversee food production from the Central Production Kitchen.
• Ensure consistent quality across five diverse contracts on campus.
• Lead a forward-thinking catering leadership team.

Skills

Leadership

Organisational skills

People management

Food hygiene knowledge

Passion for food

Job description

Head Chef - Didcot

£40,716 per annum

Monday - Friday role!

Harwell Science and Innovation Campus is home to over 200 organisations and a dynamic community of more than 7,000 scientists, engineers, and innovators. As the site rapidly expands towards 2028, we’re scaling our food operations to match - and we need a creative, organised, and passionate Head Chef to help lead the charge.

This is not just another kitchen role. It’s an opportunity to be part of a forward-thinking catering leadership team, where innovation, sustainability, and service excellence are at the heart of everything we do.

About the role

As Head Chef, you’ll oversee food production from our Central Production Kitchen, ensuring consistent quality across five diverse contracts on campus:

• Lightbox Café: Fresh grab-and-go breakfast, lunch, and daily soups
• M2 Café: Pre-packaged grab-and-go offerings
• SNAP: Full daily offer for approx. 120 people, including hot food, pastries, soups, and salad bar
• Hospitality Services: From lay and leave setups to bespoke high-end events.

Our ideal candidate

• Proven experience as a Head Chef or Senior Sous Chef in a multi-site, high-volume or production kitchen environment
• Strong leadership, organisational, and people management skills
• Passion for great food, seasonality, and fresh ingredients
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, evolving environment
• Excellent knowledge of Food Hygiene, Health & Safety and allergen management
• A collaborative mindset with a positive and proactive attitude

About Us

We connect workplaces to mindful, flavourful & planet-positive catering

At Eurest, we are the experts in workplace catering, operating in over 700 workspaces every day. We know that fuelling employees throughout the day can help to sharpen their thinking, nourish their bodies and minds and ultimately, motivate them to perform at their best. Our workplace food experiences are driven by our promise to live more sustainably and responsibly, working towards our goal of net zero by 2030.

We’re people-powered at Eurest