Head Chef - Reading

Equipment Sales & Service Limited.; Reading; On-site; GBP 52,000 - 66,000; Full time

Job summary

Compass Group UK is seeking an ambitious Head Chef to lead the food operation at a high-end contract catering site in Reading. Take ownership of daily kitchen management, delivering an exceptional restaurant, hospitality and coffee bar offer while driving a strategic food program.

You will oversee menu engineering, cost control, and a skilled kitchen team, ensuring top service standards across restaurant, hospitality and events, with strong emphasis on sustainability and quality.

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a Head Chef within contract catering, hospitality or events.
• Strong leadership and people management skills.
• Commercial acumen with food costing and menu engineering.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management.
• Commitment to food safety and hygiene standards.

Responsibilities

• Lead the day-to-day running of a high-quality contract catering operation.
• Own kitchen operations, processes, standards and service delivery.
• Oversee the food offer across restaurant, hospitality and coffee bar.
• Manage hospitality and events with exceptional food and service.
• Control food costs, purchasing, stock, labour and financial performance.
• Lead menu engineering, pricing and commercial development.
• Create innovative, seasonal, commercially focused menus.
• Collaborate with client and management to deliver a food strategy.
• Inspire and develop the kitchen team and set high standards for quality.
• Maintain food safety, hygiene and health & safety standards.

Job description

We're looking for an ambitious Head Chef to lead the food operation at a high-end contract catering site in Reading, delivering an exceptional restaurant, hospitality and coffee bar offer. This is a fantastic opportunity for a chef who wants to put their own stamp on an operation, develop an exciting food strategy and lead a talented kitchen team. About the role As Head Chef, you'll take ownership of the day-to-day running of the kitchen and food operation, ensuring consistently high standards across restaurant service, hospitality and events. You'll be responsible for:

• Leading the day-to-day running of a high-quality contract catering operation.
• Taking ownership of kitchen operations, processes, standards and service delivery.
• Leading the food offer across the restaurant, hospitality and coffee bar.
• Overseeing hospitality and events, delivering exceptional food and service for a wide range of requirements.
• Managing food costs, purchasing, stock, labour and overall financial performance.
• Leading menu engineering, pricing and commercial development across the operation.
• Creating innovative, seasonal and commercially focused menus across all food service areas.
• Working closely with the client and wider management team to develop and deliver an ambitious food strategy.
• Leading, motivating and developing the kitchen team.
• Setting high standards for food quality, presentation, consistency and service.
• Ensuring food safety, hygiene and health & safety standards are maintained.
• Bringing new ideas and fresh thinking to the operation while responding to customer trends and expectations.

We're looking for an experienced Head Chef who is passionate about food and enjoys working in a fast-paced, high-quality environment.

Ideally, you'll have:

• Proven experience as a Head Chef within contract catering, hospitality, events or a similarly complex food operation.
• Strong experience across hospitality and service delivery.
• A genuine passion for sustainability, innovation and modern food concepts.
• Strong commercial knowledge, including food costs, purchasing, menu engineering and financial management.
• Proven experience leading, developing and inspiring a kitchen team.
• Excellent communication skills and the confidence to present ideas and food strategy to senior stakeholders.
• A creative mindset with the confidence to challenge the status quo and bring fresh ideas to the operation.
• A strong understanding of current food trends and customer expectations.
• The ability to balance creativity with commerciality and operational delivery., If you're a creative Head Chef with commercial awareness and a passion for delivering outstanding food and hospitality, we'd love to hear from you.

At Compass Group UK, we're passionate about great food, great people and creating exceptional experiences. This is an opportunity to join a forward-thinking operation where you'll have the freedom to influence the food offer, develop your team and make a real impact.