Head Chef - Manchester

Compass Group UK; Manchester; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 34,000; Full time

Job summary

Compass Group UK is seeking a Head Chef for the Virgin Media site in Manchester. This is a Monday to Friday role in a busy catering operation, leading the kitchen and delivering fresh, high-quality food while supporting the wider catering operation.

You will take ownership of day-to-day kitchen operations, ensure high standards, and drive improvements in food quality and service. Previous Head Chef or senior Sous Chef experience is preferred.

Qualifications

• Previous experience as Head Chef or experienced Sous Chef ready for the next step.
• Experience in busy catering, hospitality or contract catering environments.
• A passion for great food and delivering excellent service.

Responsibilities

• Planning, organising and directing the preparation and cooking of food.
• Leading and motivating the kitchen team to deliver an outstanding food offer.
• Maintaining consistently high standards of food quality and presentation.
• Working with centrally driven menus and promotions to maximise sales and customer satisfaction.
• Ensuring compliance with preferred suppliers and agreed purchasing processes.
• Managing stock control, ordering and regular stock counts.
• Ensuring full compliance with Health & Safety, Food Hygiene and COSHH regulations.
• Delivering a food service offer that meets the needs of our clients and customers.
• Taking responsibility for the WELL Programme, ensuring you understand the requirements and remain compliant at all times.
• Supporting the Catering Manager and stepping up to cover the operation when they are not on site.
• Taking responsibility for the weekly bookwork and ensuring it is completed accurately when covering the Catering Manager.
• Building positive relationships with customers, clients and the wider site team.
• Looking for ways to continually improve the food offer, service and overall customer experience.

Skills

Leadership

Team management

Food safety

COSHH

Stock control

Menu planning

Commercial awareness

organisation

Job description

Head Chef - Manchester

£30,784 per annum | Monday to Friday

Are you a passionate Head Chef who loves creating great food, leading a team and delivering an excellent customer experience?

Eurest is looking for an experienced and enthusiastic Head Chef to join our team at the Virgin Media site in Manchester. This is a fantastic Monday to Friday opportunity where you’ll take the lead in the kitchen, delivering fresh, high-quality food while supporting the wider catering operation.

What you’ll be doing

As Head Chef, you’ll take ownership of the day-to-day kitchen operation, ensuring consistently high standards across food quality, presentation and service.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Planning, organising and directing the preparation and cooking of food.
• Leading and motivating the kitchen team to deliver an outstanding food offer.
• Maintaining consistently high standards of food quality and presentation.
• Working with centrally driven menus and promotions to maximise sales and customer satisfaction.
• Ensuring compliance with preferred suppliers and agreed purchasing processes.
• Managing stock control, ordering and regular stock counts.
• Ensuring full compliance with Health & Safety, Food Hygiene and COSHH regulations.
• Delivering a food service offer that meets the needs of our clients and customers.
• Taking responsibility for the WELL Programme, ensuring you understand the requirements and remain compliant at all times.
• Supporting the Catering Manager and stepping up to cover the operation when they are not on site.
• Taking responsibility for the weekly bookwork and ensuring it is completed accurately when covering the Catering Manager.
• Building positive relationships with customers, clients and the wider site team.
• Looking for ways to continually improve the food offer, service and overall customer experience.

What we’re looking for

We’re looking for someone who is passionate about food, confident leading a kitchen and commercially aware.

You’ll ideally have:

• Previous experience as a Head Chef or experienced Sous Chef ready for the next step.
• Experience working within a busy catering, hospitality or contract catering environment.
• A genuine passion for producing great food and delivering excellent service.
• Strong leadership and team management skills.
• Good understanding of food safety, Health & Safety and COSHH.
• Experience with stock control, ordering and financial/bookwork processes.
• Good organisation skills and the ability to manage priorities effectively.
• A positive, hands‑on approach and the confidence to take ownership of the kitchen operation.

Why join Eurest?

At Eurest, we’re all about creating great food and great experiences. You’ll be joining a supportive team within a well-established workplace catering environment, with the opportunity to make your mark on the food offer at a fantastic client site.

If you’re a Head Chef looking for a great Monday to Friday role in Manchester, we’d love to hear from you.