Junior Sous Chef

Sodexo Group; Shrewsbury; On-site; GBP 18,000 - 23,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Staff meals provided

Sodexo benefits

Discounts & recognition

Career progression

Job summary

Sodexo is seeking an ambitious Junior Sous Chef to join Shrewsbury School's catering operation, leading the kitchen brigade and deputising for the Head Chef. You’ll deliver high-quality meals for around 2,200 pupils and staff across diverse service environments.

You’ll bring strong cooking skills, leadership, and a passion for fresh food, with progression opportunities within Sodexo and a supportive team culture.

Qualifications

• NVQ Level 2 Food Production or equivalent.
• Proven experience in a busy professional kitchen.
• Strong cooking processes knowledge and finished dishes.

Responsibilities

• Oversee food production during and after service, ensuring high standards.
• Deputise for the Head Chef and support the team to deliver excellent service.
• Lead with creativity and flair to enhance the school food offer.
• Work across large-scale dining and events, hospitality and fine dining.

Skills

Leadership

Food preparation

Allergen awareness

Time management

Communication

Creativity

Education

NVQ Level 2 Food Production

Job description

Junior Sous Chef – Lead with Passion, Cook with Purpose!

Location: Shrewsbury School, The Schools, Shrewsbury, SY3 7BA
Salary: £14.94 per hour
Hours: 40 hours per week
Working Pattern: 5 days out of 7, (7:00am–3:00pm or 11:30pm–8:00pm)
Weekend Pattern: Weekend on, weekend off

Staff workplace meals provided | Exceptional Sodexo benefits | Great discounts & recognition | Potential progression within Sodexo

Are you an experienced chef ready to take the next step in your career?

At Sodexo, we’re looking for an ambitious and passionate Junior Sous Chef to join our team at Shrewsbury School, a prestigious independent school with a vibrant and diverse catering operation.

This is much more than a traditional school kitchen. You’ll be part of a large-scale operation serving around 2,200 pupils and staff, across multiple catering environments, from busy student dining to smaller events, hospitality and fine dining.

You’ll have the opportunity to bring your creativity to the menu, develop your leadership skills and play an important role in maintaining exceptional food and service standards.

Working closely with the Head Chef and wider management team, you’ll help lead the kitchen brigade, support the development of talented chefs and deputise for the Head Chef when required.

If you're ready to lead from the front, inspire your team and make your mark, this could be your next opportunity.

What You’ll Do:

As Junior Sous Chef, you’ll be a visible and approachable leader on shift, helping the kitchen team deliver consistently high standards across every service.

You’ll:

• Oversee food production during and after service, ensuring dishes are prepared and presented to the highest standards.
• Deputise for the Head Chef when required, taking responsibility for the kitchen operation and supporting the team to deliver an excellent service.
• Bring creativity, innovation and flair to the food offer, helping to create memorable experiences for pupils, staff, parents and visitors.
• Work across different catering environments, from large-scale student dining to smaller events, hospitality and fine dining.
• Support food ordering and work closely with the Stores Supervisor to ensure the kitchen has the right products at the right time.
• Monitor and manage food waste, recording data and identifying opportunities to improve efficiency.
• Work with the Head Chef and wider management team to achieve strong financial and commercial performance while maintaining quality.
• Support recruitment, induction, training and development of kitchen team members.
• Lead by example, motivating and coaching colleagues to achieve their full potential.
• Organise effective team briefings and huddles, keeping colleagues informed, engaged and supported.
• Build strong working relationships with pupils, school staff, visitors, colleagues and Sodexo management.
• Help maintain a positive Food Safety and Health & Safety culture across the kitchen.
• Set, maintain and continuously improve standards of food quality, cleanliness, presentation and service.
• Identify opportunities to improve the operation and introduce new ideas that create “surprise and delight” for customers.
• Carry out any reasonable request from the management team to support the smooth running of the operation.

What You Bring:

We’re looking for an experienced chef who combines strong technical skills with leadership, creativity and a genuine passion for food.

You’ll ideally have:

• NVQ Level 2 Food Production or equivalent.
• Proven experience working as a chef in a busy professional kitchen.
• Strong all-round knowledge of cooking processes, food preparation and finished dishes.
• Experience working with large-scale catering operations and the ability to maintain quality at volume.
• Excellent organisational and time management skills.
• The ability to lead, motivate, coach and develop other members of the kitchen team.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• The confidence to set standards and ensure they are consistently maintained.
• A flexible approach and the ability to remain calm and effective under pressure.
• Good understanding of food safety, health & safety and allergen requirements.
• Basic numeracy skills to support recipe building, ordering and commercial awareness.
• A passion for fresh food, creativity and delivering memorable customer experiences.

What We Offer:

A dynamic and supportive work environment

• Competitive salary and benefits

• Full training and protective uniform provided

• No unsociable hours and public holidays off—including Christmas!

• Unlimited access to mental health and wellbeing support

• Employee Assistance Programme for legal, financial, and personal support

• Discounts, cashback schemes, and financial benefits

• Career progression, learning opportunities, and apprenticeships

• Cycle to Work Scheme and volunteering opportunities

At Sodexo, we believe everyone deserves a place to belong. This isn’t just a job—it’s a chance to be part of something bigger. If you’re ready to lead with passion and cook with purpose, we want to hear from you!

Note: Sodexo and our clients are committed to safeguarding children. All roles require pre-employment screening, including DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) and past employer checks.