School Cook

Compass Group UK; Royal Borough of Greenwich; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 27,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Contributory pension scheme

Career Pathways & MyLearning

Digital GP and wider healthcare

Travel discounts

Groceries discounts

Cinema discounts

Cash rewards

Wellness & mindfulness classes

Family discounts

Job summary

Chartwells, part of Compass Group UK&I, is hiring a School Cook to oversee kitchen and service operations in schools. The role is full-time, contracted to 35 hours per week, with duties including high-standard food preparation, team supervision, budget monitoring, and health & safety compliance.

We offer a comprehensive benefits package and opportunities to progress within the catering division. The shift is Monday to Friday, days only, within a school environment.

Qualifications

• Minimum of two years catering experience.
• Experience managing teams in a similar role.
• Hold an NVQ Level 1 & 2 or City & Guilds 706/1 and 2.
• Hold a Basic Food Hygiene certificate.

Responsibilities

• Preparing delicious food to the highest standards.
• Supervising culinary and catering teams to ensure excellent service.
• Overseeing in-unit catering operations including inventories and budgets.
• Communicating with line manager to monitor KPIs and targets.
• Representing Compass Group UK&I and maintaining brand image.
• Identifying opportunities for new food or service concepts to drive sales.
• Liaising between customers and teams to exceed expectations.
• Training teams and leading from the front to drive excellence.
• Implementing and reviewing Health & Safety standards across teams.

Skills

Catering experience

Team leadership

Communication

Financial acumen

Organisational skills

Education

NVQ Level 1 & 2 or City & Guilds 706/1 and 2

Job description

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

Please note: This role is contracted to 42.6 weeks per year

We're recruiting an experienced School Cook who is passionate about exceptional food and world-class customer service, and who can confidently oversee all Compass Group UK&I catering and service operations for Chartwells on a full time basis, contracted to 35 hours per week.

As a School Cook, you will be responsible for ensuring our kitchens and service counters run smoothly and helping to deliver truly incredible food experiences. In return, you'll have the opportunity to progress your catering career with a company that invests in its people, celebrates individuality, and rewards and recognises employees who go beyond the plate.

Here's an idea of what your shift pattern will be:

• Monday to Friday - Days Only

Could you shine as Chartwells's next School Cook? Here's what you need to know before applying:

Your key responsibilities will include:

• Preparing delicious food to the highest standards
• Supervising our culinary and catering teams to ensure we continue to deliver impeccable food and customer service
• Overseeing the efficiency of all in-unit catering operations, including managing inventories, monitoring budgets, and implementing action plans
• Communicating regularly with your line manager to monitor KPIs and targets
• Representing Compass Group UK&I and maintaining a positive brand image
• Identifying opportunities for new food or service concepts to drive sales
• Liaising between customers and our culinary and service teams to ensure we continue to exceed expectations
• Supporting and training our teams, leading from the front to make sure everyone can excel in their role
• Implementing and reviewing Health & Safety standards to ensure compliance across all catering and service teams.

Our ideal School Cook will:

• Be passionate about great-tasting food and exceptional customer service
• Have a minimum of two years of catering experience
• Have experience managing teams in a similar role
• Hold an NVQ Level 1 & 2 or City & Guilds 706/1 and 2
• Hold a Basic Food Hygiene certificate
• Demonstrate brilliant financial acumen
• Have excellent communication and organisational skills
• Be an ambitious and motivated individual who is always looking to upskill

About Us

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.

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!