Head Chef - Slough

Equipment Sales & Service Limited.; Usk; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Contributory pension scheme

Career Pathways & MyLearning

Digital GP access & wider healthcare

Travel discounts with partner brands

Food shopping discounts

Cinema discounts

Cash rewards program

Wellness and mindfulness classes

Family discounts & perks

Job summary

Compass Group UK&I, in partnership with Restaurant Associates, is seeking an experienced Head Chef to lead a busy, high-volume catering operation. You will own the kitchen, drive food quality, profitability, GP performance, stock and purchasing controls, and develop a high-performing team across a fast-paced site.

You will create a fresh menu, deliver exceptional guest experiences, ensure food safety and compliance, and foster a positive culture with a strong commercial focus.

Qualifications

• Strong leadership and people management skills.
• Proven experience delivering high-quality food standards in busy catering.
• Strong commercial acumen including GP, stock control, purchasing, waste management and cost control.
• Ability to analyse performance and implement profitability initiatives while maintaining quality and service.
• Experience in menu planning and delivering a fresh food offer.
• Excellent organisational skills in a fast-paced environment.
• Sound knowledge of food safety, health & safety and compliance.
• Experience in contract/workplace catering or high-volume hospitality.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the kitchen team to deliver exceptional dining experiences.
• Take full ownership of the kitchen operation, ensuring high standards and consistency.
• Drive GP performance, stock and purchasing controls, and waste management.
• Develop menus and innovations to sustain a fresh and engaging food offer.
• Ensure compliance with food safety and health & safety policies.

Skills

Leadership

Food quality

GP & cost control

Performance analysis

Menu planning

Organizational skills

Food safety compliance

Contract catering experience

Job description

We are seeking an experienced and driven Head Chef to lead a busy, fast-paced catering operation with a strong focus on food quality, customer experience, and operational excellence. This role requires a hands‑on leader who can consistently deliver exceptional food standards while driving team performance and maintaining commercial control across the kitchen operation. The successful candidate will have a proven track record of managing high‑volume catering environments whilst maintaining the highest standards of food quality, presentation, food safety, and compliance. They will be responsible for leading and developing the kitchen team, creating a positive culture, and ensuring the operation consistently performs at a high level.

Key Requirements

• Strong leadership and people management skills, with the ability to inspire, develop, and motivate a kitchen team.
• Proven experience delivering high-quality food standards in a busy commercial catering environment.
• Strong commercial acumen with experience managing Gross Profit (GP), stock control, purchasing, waste management, and cost control.
• Ability to analyse performance and implement initiatives that improve profitability whilst maintaining food quality and service standards.
• Experience in menu planning, innovation, and delivering a fresh and engaging food offer.
• Excellent organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Sound knowledge of food safety, health & safety, and all relevant compliance requirements.
• Experience working within contract catering, workplace catering, or a similarly high-volume hospitality environment.

Restaurant Associates provides brilliant hospitality through our food, drink and services.

We work with our partners and collaborate with our clients to achieve great things together.

Every day, our teams of passionate hospitality professionals strive for excellence in delivering employee dining and hospitality to some of the UK's leading workplace as well as inspiring exceptional experiences in iconic cultural and heritage destinations.

Job Reference: com/#####/67853001/52746490/SU #RA Group

Compass Group UK&I is committed to fostering an environment where every individual can truly be themselves at work and has equal opportunities to advance in their careers.

We strive to build a culture that respects and celebrates the unique talents, beliefs, backgrounds, and abilities of all our team members.

We want our colleagues to feel valued, empowered to reach their full potential, and to thrive - because diversity is our strength!

This is a key leadership position requiring a commercially focused Head Chef who can take full ownership of the kitchen operation.

We are looking for a strong leader with a proven track record of delivering excellent food standards, effectively managing GP performance, stock and purchasing controls, and developing a high-performing team capable of delivering consistently outstanding results.

We ensure you're rewarded for all your hard work, which is why we offer a comprehensive benefits package which includes but is not limited to:

• Contributory pension scheme
• Grow your career with our Career Pathways and MyLearning programmes
• Quick access for you and your immediate family to a Digital GP, and wider healthcare benefits
• Exclusive travel discounts with TUI, Expedia, Booking.com and many more
• Save money on your food shop with discounts on Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons and many more
• Up to 44% off cinema tickets to enjoy your favourite blockbuster
• Receive cash rewards every time you spend and use them on a wide range of brands
• Un-wind with us with free wellness, mindfulness and exercise classes
• You can share all discounts and offers with your friends and families