Head Chef – Monday – Friday (term-time) – London, England

Holroyd Howe; London; On-site; GBP 36,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading contract caterer in London seeks an experienced Head Chef to lead their kitchen at a prestigious school. You will manage a team, develop healthy menus for up to 800 students and staff, and ensure compliance with safety regulations. The role offers competitive salary and term-time benefits, ideal for maintaining a great work-life balance.

Benefits

28 days holiday including bank holidays

Bespoke training and development opportunities

Pension and life insurance

Access to employee assistance programme

Career development opportunities

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a Head Chef or in a similar senior culinary role.
• Strong leadership skills and ability to manage a team in a busy kitchen.
• Excellent culinary skills with a focus on healthy, nutritious meals for children.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the kitchen team to produce high-quality, balanced meals.
• Plan and develop termly menus that cater to various dietary needs.
• Ensure compliance with food hygiene and health & safety regulations.

Skills

Leadership

Culinary skills

Budget management

Team management

Healthy meal preparation

Job description

Head Chef – Monday – Friday (term-time) – London, England

Company Description

Title: Head Chef – Monday – Friday (term-time only)

Location: Eaton House School Manor (Prep)

Salary: Up to £36,000 per annum

Benefits:

• 28Days holiday including bank holidays
• 3 volunteering days
• 3 days grandparent leave
• 24 week’s enhanced maternity leave
• Bespoke training and development opportunities
• Pension and life insurance
• Discounts available on our HAPI app; high street shops, holidays & cinema
• Wellbeing hub
• Access to employee assistance programme
• Free meals whilst at work
• Career development opportunities
• HIT Apprenticeships for all experience levels

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced Head Chef to lead our kitchen team at Eaton House School Manor, a prestigious prep school located in the heart of South West London. With a passion for creating high-quality, nutritious meals, you will be responsible for feeding up to 800 pupils and staff, ensuring that the food service reflects the standards and ethos of our school.

• Working Hours: Monday to Friday, 07:30 AM – 4:00 PM (40-hour week)
• Salary: £36,000 per annum (term-time only)
• Term-Time Role: Enjoy the benefits of working within the school calendar, allowing for an excellent work-life balance.
• Team: Lead a dedicated team of 11 staff members, including two chefs, and ensure efficient kitchen operations.
• Hospitality Requirements: Primarily focused on daily service, with occasional hospitality for school events.

This is a fantastic opportunity for a skilled Head Chef to make a lasting impact on the culinary experience at one of the region’s most prestigious schools, contributing to the overall wellbeing and development of young minds.

Job Description

Responsibilities:

• Lead and manage the kitchen team to produce high-quality, balanced meals in line with the school’s healthy eating policies.
• Plan and develop termly menus that are nutritious, diverse, and cater to various dietary needs and preferences.
• Ensure strict compliance with food hygiene and health & safety regulations.
• Monitor inventory, manage ordering, and work within budgetary constraints.
• Organize and oversee hospitality catering for occasional school functions.
• Maintain a positive, collaborative working environment, fostering teamwork and professional development.

Qualifications

What We’re Looking For:

• Proven experience as a Head Chef or in a similar senior culinary role.
• Strong leadership skills and ability to manage a team in a busy kitchen.
• Excellent culinary skills with a focus on healthy, nutritious meals for children.
• Experience in managing menus and budgets, ensuring efficiency without compromising quality.
• A genuine passion for food service within an educational environment.

Additional Information

Holroyd Howe is one of the UK’s leading contract caterers, providing fresh innovative food services solely to independent schools and colleges. We are a team of experienced professionals who tailor our catering service provision specifically to suit children of all ages in order to meet the bespoke requirements of each school.

To provide our teams with the right skills to succeed in their jobs, we invest in their training and development. Our exceptional teams of seasoned specialists customise our catering services to fit children of all ages and satisfy the unique needs of our clients.

We pride ourselves on:

Sustainability

Sustainability is at the heart of our thinking; always mindful of the ethics of our sourcing and how we prepare our meals.

Nutrition

We take nutrition seriously and understand the impact a healthy diet has on the fundamental years of development. Meals are always freshly prepared from scratch and packed with nutritious ingredients.

Food Innovation

We offer a wide portfolio of training opportunities and experiences, which attracts chefs who are passionate about culinary excellence and menu innovation to our team.

From tasting tables, theme days and food theatre, to chef demonstrations and supplier showcases, we create engaging and fun dining experiences for our students. We work together to make mealtimes exploratory, quirky, and fun for our pupils, helping them build strong and healthy relationships with food.

“Holroyd Howe is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expect all employees to share this commitment. All roles within Holroyd Howe are regarded as regulated activity, it is an offence to apply for a role in regulated activity if you are barred from working with children, therefore we will require an Enhanced DBS which includes a Barred List check for all successful applicants. We will also require shortlisted applicants to provide appropriate information regarding any criminal offences and shortlisted applicants will be subject to an online search of public available information on suitability to work with children.“

This appointment is offered on the return of satisfactory professional references.

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