School Chef Manager - Southampton

Compass Group UK; Southampton; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 36,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension scheme

Career development

Discounts on travel

Healthcare benefits

Wellbeing programs

Job summary

Chartwells, part of Compass Group UK&I, is seeking an experienced Chef Manager to lead the catering operation in a busy state primary school in Southampton during term time (44 weeks per year). You will manage day-to-day kitchen operations, produce nutritious meals, control budgets and stock, and ensure food safety and regulatory compliance.

This role offers strong work-life balance with school holidays. Join a supportive team and contribute to pupils' wellbeing while pursuing career development

Qualifications

• Experience as Chef Manager or in a similar leadership role.
• Strong leadership, budgeting, and team development skills.
• Food Hygiene qualifications and solid Health & Safety knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the school catering operation.
• Prepare, cook and serve nutritious meals to a high standard.
• Manage food purchasing, stock control and budgets.
• Ensure compliance with Food Safety and Health & Safety procedures.
• Motivate, train and develop your catering team.
• Build positive relationships with the school and customers.
• Monitor food quality, service standards and costs.
• Drive continuous improvement and maintain a clean kitchen.

Skills

Leadership

Budget management

Food production

People management

Health & Safety

Food Hygiene

Job description

Chef Manager Southampton

Term Time Only | 44 Weeks Per Year

Competitive Salary + Benefits

We're looking for an experienced and passionate Chef Manager to lead the catering operation within a busy state primary school in Southampton.

This is a fantastic opportunity for a talented chef with strong leadership skills to enjoy a better work-life balance while continuing to do what they love. Working term time plus inset and training weeks (44 weeks per year), you'll play a key role in delivering nutritious, high-quality meals to pupils and staff while managing the day-to-day running of the school kitchen.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Leading and managing the school catering operation
• Preparing, cooking and serving fresh, nutritious meals to a high standard
• Managing food purchasing, stock control and budgets
• Ensuring compliance with Food Safety, Health & Safety and company procedures
• Motivating, training and developing your catering team
• Building positive relationships with the school and customers
• Monitoring food quality, service standards and cost controls
• Driving continuous improvement and maintaining a clean, safe kitchen environment

What We’re Looking For

• Previous experience in a Chef Manager, Catering Manager or similar leadership role
• Strong food production and kitchen management skills
• Experience managing budgets, stock and labour costs
• Excellent communication and people-management abilities
• A passion for delivering great food and customer service
• Food Hygiene qualifications and a strong understanding of Health & Safety practices
• Ability to work independently while developing a positive team culture

What’s In It For You?

• Term-time working with school holidays off
• Work-life balance rarely found in hospitality
• Opportunity to make a positive impact on children's wellbeing
• Career development within a leading contract catering business
• Pension scheme and company benefits
• Supportive team environment

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

About Us

Part of Compass Group UK&I, Chartwells is the leading provider of catering and support services to the education sector. For over a quarter of a century, Chartwells has been focusing on helping those in education to build strong bodies, sharp minds and lead long healthy lives. Every week, Chartwells serves millions of nutritious and delicious meals to pupils and students in primary and secondary schools, academies, independent schools, colleges, and universities across the UK. Chartwells is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expect all employees to share this commitment. Any offer of employment will be subject to successfully completing pre-employment checks, including an enhanced DBS disclosure and a Children's Barred List check. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and we ask applicants to declare all previous convictions and cautions in order to assess their suitability to work with children.

Job Reference: com/0210/44267001/52822957/SU #State Schools

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!