School Chef

Opus People Solutions Limited; Loughborough; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 26,000; Full time

Job summary

Vertas is seeking a Head of Kitchen to lead the school dining team at Lantern Lane Primary & Nursery, LE12. Based in the school kitchen, you will ensure nutritious meals and safe food handling for pupils and staff.

The role requires prior kitchen management experience, strong leadership, and solid knowledge of food safety standards. You will manage budget, order stock, supervise staff, and maintain high hygiene and customer service standards.

Qualifications

• Previous experience in a similar role.
• Strong leadership and organisational skills.
• Knowledge of food safety standards.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Must hold a valid driving licence and have access to a vehicle.

Responsibilities

• Managing the day to day running of the school kitchen
• Preparing and serving meals to pupils and staff
• Ensuring compliance with health, safety and hygiene regulations
• Ordering stock and managing budgets effectively
• Supervising and supporting kitchen staff

Skills

Leadership

Organisation

Food safety knowledge

Teamwork

Driving licence

Tools

Driving licence

Job description

Are you passionate about food, teamwork, and delivering exceptional service? Vertas is looking for a dedicated Head of Kitchen to join our Catering Team.

Who are Vertas? Vertas delivers trusted, integrated facilities management solutions across Great Britain. Our team of 5,000 colleagues provides a comprehensive range of facilities services, including cleaning, catering, property design, recruitment, transport, and environmental management. You'll find us putting the customer at the heart of everything we do, while prioritising our colleagues' health, safety and wellbeing.

About the Role: Based at Lantern Lane Primary & Nursery, LE12, you will be working 32.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday, 07:00 to 13:30, on £13.77 per hour. You'll play a key role in ensuring the delivery of nutritious meals and compliance with food safety standards.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Managing the day to day running of the school kitchen


• Preparing and serving meals to pupils and staff


• Ensuring compliance with health, safety and hygiene regulations


• Ordering stock and managing budgets effectively


• Supervising and supporting kitchen staff

Who are we looking for?

• Previous experience in a similar role


• Strong leadership and organisational skills


• Knowledge of food safety standards


• Ability to work independently and as part of a team

What You'll Bring

• Must hold a valid driving licence and have access to a vehicle


• Excellent organisational and time management skills


• The right to work in the UK

Pay Rate: £13.77 per hour

Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all employees to share this commitment.

Offers of employment are subject to appropriate pre employment checks, which may include:

• Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check


• Children's Barred List check (where applicable)


• Right to Work checks


• Satisfactory references


• Verification of qualifications and professional registrations (where applicable)


• Occupational Health and medical clearance (where applicable)


• Assessment of suitability to work with children

This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975. As this role is eligible for an Enhanced DBS check, applicants are required to declare any cautions and convictions that are not protected under current filtering rules.