Hospitality & Events Lead Chef

Manchester Metropolitan University; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

Manchester Metropolitan University is seeking an ambitious Lead Chef - Hospitality & Events to steer the delivery of exceptional food experiences across our hospitality, conferencing and events services on campus.

You will lead a team of chefs, develop seasonal menus, ensure top-quality food safety standards, and collaborate with internal partners to deliver memorable dining experiences for conferences and VIP events.

Qualifications

• Proven track record in hospitality, events, conferences or catering.
• Strong leadership of kitchen teams and operations.
• Comfort with budget controls and food cost targets.

Responsibilities

• Lead food production across hospitality, conferencing and events.
• Develop innovative, seasonal, sustainable menus.
• Ensure high quality, presentation and consistency of dishes.
• Lead and develop chefs and kitchen staff to high performance.
• Manage stock, purchasing and food cost controls to meet financial targets.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to deliver successful events.
• Support university functions including evenings and weekends as required.

Skills

Culinary expertise

Team leadership

Menu development

Food safety & HACCP

Budgeting & stock control

Event catering experience

Planning under pressure

Allergen management

Education

Professional chef qualification

Level 3 Food Hygiene certification

Job description

About the Role:

Manchester Metropolitan University is seeking an ambitious and talented Lead Chef - Hospitality & Events to lead the delivery of exceptional food experiences across our hospitality, conferencing and events.

This is an exciting opportunity for a passionate culinary professional to play a key role in shaping and developing the University's hospitality offer. Leading a team of chefs and kitchen staff, you will be responsible for the planning, preparation and delivery of high-quality food for conferences, VIP functions, formal dinners, corporate events and wider hospitality services across campus.

Working closely with operational managers, you will drive innovation in menu development, ensure the highest standards of food quality and presentation, and create memorable dining experiences that exceed customer expectations.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead all aspects of food production across hospitality, conferencing and events.
• Develop innovative, seasonal and sustainable menus that reflect current food trends.
• Ensure exceptional food quality, consistency and presentation standards.
• Manage food safety, allergen compliance, HACCP procedures and kitchen hygiene standards.
• Lead, coach and develop a team of chefs and kitchen staff to achieve high performance.
• Manage stock control, purchasing and food cost controls to support financial targets.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders and external partners to deliver successful events.
• Support high-profile University functions, including occasional evenings and weekends where required.

About the Department:

The Catering team provides a diverse range of food and beverage services across the University estate, including hospitality, conferencing, events and retail catering. This role will have a particular focus on enhancing and developing the hospitality and events offer, supporting the University's commercial ambitions and reputation for excell

About You:

You will be an experienced chef with a proven track record in hospitality, events, banqueting, conferencing, hotels or contract catering. You will possess:

• Strong culinary and food production expertise.
• Experience leading and developing kitchen teams.
• A passion for hospitality and delivering outstanding customer experiences.
• Excellent knowledge of food safety, allergens, HACCP and health & safety legislation.
• Strong organisational and planning skills with the ability to perform under pressure.
• Experience managing food costs, stock control and kitchen resources.
• A recognised professional chef qualification and Level 3 Food Hygiene certification.

Desirable Experience:

Experience in catering or high-volume food operations would be advantageous but is not essential. We welcome applications from candidates with backgrounds in hotels, conference centres, event venues, banqueting operations, premium hospitality and contract catering.

Further information:

Manchester Metropolitan University fosters an inclusive culture of belonging that promotes equity and celebrates diversity. We value a diverse workforce for the innovation and diversity of thought it brings and welcome applications from all local and international communities, including Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic backgrounds, disabled people, and LGBTQ+ individuals.

We support a range of flexible working arrangements, including hybrid and tailored schedules, which can be discussed with your line manager. If you require reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process or in your role, please let us know so we can provide appropriate support.

Our commitment to inclusivity includes mentoring programmes, accessibility resources, and professional development opportunities to empower and support underrepresented groups.

Manchester Met is a Disability Confident Leader and, under this scheme, aims to offer an interview to disabled people who apply for the role and meet the essential criteria as listed in the attached Job Description for that vacancy.

This vacancy is expected to attract a high volume of applications. Therefore, under the Disability Confident Scheme, only disabled people who apply under the scheme and best meet the essential criteria will be offered an interview.