Head Chef - Lead Kitchen, Fresh Menus, Balanced Schedule

Barchester Healthcare; Bath; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

4/5 day work week

Bonus up to £500 for inspections

Refer a Friend scheme up to £500

Discounts with major brands

Access to medical specialists

Counselling and legal services

Tax code review service

Monthly staff lottery

Job summary

Barchester Healthcare is seeking a Head Chef to lead our kitchen teams with a focus on nutrition, quality, and resident wellbeing. You will develop menus, supervise a front-of-house team, and ensure meals meet high standards using seasonal produce.

Featuring a strong focus on training through our Chef Academy, you will have autonomy to craft nutritious, flavoursome menus and manage kitchen operations within care home settings.

Qualifications

• Personable and warm approach with genuine interest in resident wellbeing.
• Hold City & Guilds/NVQ/SVQ or equivalent.
• Experience leading, motivating and inspiring a team.
• Experience with fresh seasonal food and nutrition understanding.
• Ability to create a welcoming environment within homes.
• Confidence engaging with residents to design appetising, nutritious menus.
• Experience working with front-of-house to maintain high dining standards.
• Good understanding of HACCP and COSHH.
• Knowledge of modified diets using IDDSI framework; training provided if new to care.

Responsibilities

• Lead, motivate and inspire a kitchen/FOH team.
• Develop and tailor menus for resident-centred hospitality.
• Source and use fresh produce to maintain high quality dishes.
• Bake fresh cakes, scones and breads from scratch.
• Assist FOH with dining area setup.
• Manage budgets, audits and stock control.
• Create a warm, efficient, and fun environment.
• Oversee recruitment and retention.

Skills

Team leadership

Menu development

Nutrition knowledge

HACCP

COSHH

Staff training

Resident engagement

Budget awareness

Education

City & Guilds/NVQ/SVQ or equivalent

Job description

Barchester Healthcare is seeking a Head Chef to lead our kitchen teams with a focus on nutrition, quality, and resident wellbeing. You will develop menus, supervise a front-of-house team, and ensure meals meet high standards using seasonal produce.

Featuring a strong focus on training through our Chef Academy, you will have autonomy to craft nutritious, flavoursome menus and manage kitchen operations within care home settings.