School Chef Manager - Southampton

Equipment Sales & Service Limited.; Southampton; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 36,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Term-time working

Pension scheme

Career development

Digital GP access

Healthcare benefits

Staff discounts

Job summary

Chartwells, part of Compass Group UK&I, seeks an experienced Chef Manager to lead the school catering operation in a busy Southampton primary school. You will manage menus, food preparation, budgeting, safety, and staff development during term-time plus inset weeks, delivering nutritious meals to pupils and staff.

The role emphasizes leadership, quality food production, and strong stakeholder relationships within an education catering context.

Qualifications

• Experience in 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.
• Food Hygiene qualifications and Health & Safety awareness.
• Ability to work independently while developing a positive team culture.

Responsibilities

• 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.

Skills

Leadership

Food production

Kitchen management

Budget management

Communication

People management

Food Hygiene

Independence

Job description

Competitive Salary + BenefitsLead a School Kitchen That Makes a Difference Every DayWe'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

These duties align with the operational, financial, customer service and people management responsibilities detailed within the role profile. [Chef Manager JD | Word]

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.

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

Benefits

• 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