Head Chef - School Dining Leader (42 Weeks)

Suffolk County Council; Ipswich; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 37,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free lunch

Pension scheme

Staff gym and swimming pool access

Job summary

Ipswich School is seeking a Head Chef to lead its busy Catering Department, serving over 1100 lunches daily for pupils and staff. You will line-manage Assistant Chefs and oversee Senior, Prep, and Boarding House kitchens, ensuring high standards for all school functions and events.

The role requires delivering a 3-week termly menu, controlling budgets, and maintaining food safety, hygiene, and welfare policies across all sites.

Qualifications

• Relevant qualification such as NVQ Level 3/City and Guilds 706/1 and 2 or equivalent.
• Manual driving licence for the use of our catering vehicles.
• Experience of leading a busy kitchen team.
• Experience of catering in a large and busy institution.
• A demonstrable passion for food and customer service.
• Ability to work calmly under pressure.
• Good interpersonal skills, with the ability to relate well to pupils, colleagues, staff and visitors.

Responsibilities

• Manage kitchen staff on all sites, complete performance reviews, and coordinate chef cover for daily ops, evenings and weekends.
• Lead the Senior School kitchen and assist with breakfast/lunch/dinners and events as required.
• Take the lead on purchasing for the Senior School and liaise with suppliers as needed.
• Develop termly menu cycles for the senior school, accounting for allergies and dietary needs.
• Support preparation of breakfast and lunch per daily/weekly menus and delegate tasks.
• Control the catering budget to balance cost and customer expectations.
• Manage stock levels to minimise waste and ensure cost efficiency.
• Collaborate with the Catering Director on summer camps and out-of-term lettings.
• Ensure catering for events in collaboration with Hospitality Manager.
• Place orders before cutoff times and ensure on-site delivery of ingredients.
• Assist in stocktakes and breaks during high-activity periods.
• Drive catering vehicles when required to ensure supplies are in the right place.

Skills

Kitchen leadership

Staff management

Food safety

Catering in schools

Customer service

Staying calm under pressure

Education

NVQ Level 3/City & Guilds 706/1 & 2

Job description

Ipswich School is seeking a Head Chef to lead its busy Catering Department, serving over 1100 lunches daily for pupils and staff. You will line-manage Assistant Chefs and oversee Senior, Prep, and Boarding House kitchens, ensuring high standards for all school functions and events.

The role requires delivering a 3-week termly menu, controlling budgets, and maintaining food safety, hygiene, and welfare policies across all sites.