Head Chef - Handcross

Lodestone House; Handcross; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free meals on duty

Contributory pension

Career development programmes

Healthcare for you and family

Car parking

Job summary

Brighton College Prep Handcross is seeking a passionate Head Chef to lead the kitchen operation, delivering exceptional food experiences for pupils and staff at our Sussex campus. You will inspire your team and ensure top-quality meals in a premium educational setting.

Excellent culinary skills, leadership, and a strong emphasis on food safety and cost control will help maintain high standards across all meals served to students and staff.

Qualifications

• Previous experience as a Head Chef or Senior Sous Chef within contract catering or premium hospitality & events.

Responsibilities

• Lead and inspire the kitchen team to consistently deliver exceptional food and service.

Skills

Head Chef experience

Menu costing

Leadership

Budgeting

Staff training

Communication skills

Food safety HACCP

Education

Level 3 Food Safety qualification

Tools

Catering management systems

Job description

At Compass, we recognise that our people are our greatest asset, so we offer a comprehensive benefits package including:

• Predominantly Monday to Friday daytime shifts (1 weekend in 3, working occasional bank holidays and late evenings for special hospitality events as per business requirements)
• Competitive salary
• Free meals on duty
• Car parking
• Outstanding working environment and facilities
• Opportunity to work alongside celebrity chefs at exclusive events
• Contributory pension scheme
• Career development through Career Pathways and MyLearning programmes
• Digital GP and healthcare benefits for you and your immediate family
• Exclusive employees' benefits
• Cash rewards programme across a wide range of retailers
• Friends and family referral scheme

Head Chef

Brighton College Prep Handcross - West Sussex

Full Time

Join an Award-Winning Team!

Brighton College Prep Handcross is a happy and vibrant day and boarding school for girls and boys aged 2 to 13, in Sussex. Set in 52 acres of idyllic Sussex countryside, the College offers an exciting, bright and buzzing family school, where we are well known for our welcoming atmosphere, high academic standards, outstanding teaching and exceptional care for every child. The College offers full, weekly and part-time boarding in a beautiful, home-from-home boarding house.

The Role

We have an exciting opportunity for a passionate and ambitious Head Chef to lead the kitchen operation at Brighton College Prep Handcross. This is a fantastic role for an experienced chef who thrives in a high-quality environment and enjoys creating exceptional food experiences using the finest seasonal ingredients. You'll lead from the front, inspire your team, and deliver outstanding food across for our pupils & staff

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and inspire the kitchen team to consistently deliver exceptional food and service.
• Plan, organise and oversee the preparation and delivery of food for our pupils & staff
• Drive food innovation by keeping up to date with current culinary trends and presenting dishes to the highest standard.
• Take full responsibility for food production using a hands-on leadership approach.
• Manage purchasing, production & waste management, stock control, food costs and labour budgets to achieve financial targets.
• Ensure compliance with all Food Safety, Health & Safety and COSHH legislation.
• Implement food monitoring procedures and maintain accurate records.
• Minimise waste through effective planning, ordering and production management.
• Develop, coach and motivate your team to achieve high standards and continuous improvement.
• Build strong working relationships with colleagues and stakeholders across the College.

About You

We're looking for an experienced hospitality chef who combines creativity with strong commercial awareness.

You Must Have

• Previous experience as a Head Chef or Senior Sous Chef within contract catering or premium hospitality & events
• Proven experience writing, costing and delivering seasonal menus.
• Outstanding culinary skills, allergens awareness and with exceptional attention to detail.
• Strong leadership experience with the ability to motivate and develop teams.
• Excellent organisational and communication skills.
• A proactive, positive and calm approach under pressure.
• Strong financial awareness, including budgeting, stock control, purchasing, waste management and food costing.
• Good IT skills and confidence using catering management systems.
• A genuine passion for outstanding food, hospitality events and customer service.
• Level 3 Food Safety qualification (or willingness to obtain).
• Knowledge of HACCP and food compliance standards, Health, Safety, Food Hygiene and COSHH regulations.
• Flexible work attitude to work occasional weekends/bank holidays and late evenings as per client/business requirements.
• Must be able to obtain an Enhanced DBS certificate and confirmation that they are not barred from working with children.
• Role holders will be required to understand safeguarding issues and know how to report and sustain any concerns that may arise (training will be provided).

About Us

As part of Compass you'll help to feed people, fuel progress and forge connections in around 6,000 venues. Join us to grow your career with the industry leader, and get competitive pay, great perks and unrivalled opportunities for learning and development, at one of the UK's biggest businesses.

Job Reference: com/1208/44224001/52825194/SU #Lodestone House

Compass Group UK&I is committed to fostering an environment where every individual can truly be themselves at work and has equal opportunities to advance in their careers. We strive to build a culture that respects and celebrates the unique talents, beliefs, backgrounds, and abilities of all our team members. We want our colleagues to feel valued, empowered to reach their full potential, and to thrive - because diversity is our strength!