School Catering Lead: Healthy Meals & Team Leadership

The Fernwood School; Wollaton; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 43,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Incremental pay progression

Generous pension scheme

Cycle to work

Job summary

The Fernwood School is seeking an experienced Catering Manager to lead a busy operation serving over 800 meals daily for 1,536 pupils aged 11-16. You will promote healthy eating, support pupil wellbeing and oversee a team of 10 catering staff.

Role runs Monday to Friday, 7.00am – 3.00pm, with a focus on menu planning, food safety, budgeting, and strong stakeholder engagement to deliver an excellent dining experience within our school community.

Qualifications

• Proven experience as catering manager in school or large operation.
• Strong leadership and organizational skills.
• Knowledge of School Food Standards and safe food handling.

Responsibilities

• Lead our catering service from menu planning to service delivery.
• Create nutritious menus meeting School Food Standards and dietary needs.
• Supervise and develop 10 catering staff (Assistant Catering Manager + 9 Kitchen Assistants).
• Ensure high standards of hygiene, food safety and allergen management.
• Drive sustainability by sourcing local, seasonal ingredients and reducing waste.
• Manage budget to deliver quality and value while maintaining financial efficiency.
• Engage pupils, staff and parents to continuously improve the service.

Skills

Menu planning

Food safety

Allergen management

Team leadership

Budget management

Stakeholder engagement

Job description

The Fernwood School is seeking an experienced Catering Manager to lead a busy operation serving over 800 meals daily for 1,536 pupils aged 11-16. You will promote healthy eating, support pupil wellbeing and oversee a team of 10 catering staff.

Role runs Monday to Friday, 7.00am – 3.00pm, with a focus on menu planning, food safety, budgeting, and strong stakeholder engagement to deliver an excellent dining experience within our school community.