School Head Chef - Sutton

Lodestone House; Sutton; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Contributory pension scheme

Career pathways & MyLearning

Digital GP & wider healthcare

Travel discounts with partners

Food shop discounts (Tesco, Sainsbury,

Morrisons & others)

Cinema tickets up to 44% off

Cash rewards program

Wellness and mindfulness classes

Share discounts with family & friends

Job summary

Lodestone House, part of Compass Group UK&I, seeks a Head Chef to lead and develop a dynamic kitchen team across multiple outlets. You will oversee daily food production, maintain high standards of quality, and ensure cost-effective operations within a busy environment.

You will drive menu planning, promotions, and supplier relationships while upholding stringent food safety and budgeting controls. Join a leading catering and support services provider and grow your career with us.

Qualifications

• High standards of culinary excellence and presentation.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to lead and motivate a busy kitchen team.
• Strong understanding of food safety, budgeting and cost control.

Responsibilities

• Deliver a range of food and catering services across multiple outlets in a busy environment.
• Plan, organise and direct preparation and cooking to uphold quality and service levels.
• Take responsibility for food production with a hands-on approach.
• Drive sales through menu planning and promotions with preferred suppliers.
• Implement and monitor food safety, HSE and COSHH procedures.

Skills

Culinary skills

Communication skills

Team leadership

Food costing

Organisation

Numeracy

Computer literacy

Job description

Benefits

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:

• Monday to Friday


• Term time only (43.2 weeks)


• 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

Benefits

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:

• Monday to Friday


• Term time only (43.2 weeks)


• 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

What You'll Be Doing

Chartwells Independents is the leading provider of catering and support services to Independent Schools in the UK. We provide innovative catering, hospitality and food service by creating imaginative menus delivered with an exceptional service.

We nurture and develop our teams to enrich their skills which allows them to show their passion and inspiration that as a company we are proud to encourage.

You will be leading a team who share the same passion for preparing exciting fresh and nutritious food on a daily basis. This is a complex, busy and multi-facetted environment that also offers a great work life balance.

In return we offer support and development to grow within our business alongside a competitive salary.

More About The Role

• Delivery of a range of food and catering services across a number of outlets in a complex, busy and multi-facetted environment


• The Head Chef will plan, organise and direct the preparation and cooking of food ensuring that the company’s reputation for quality is enhanced with customers and clients at all times


• Taking responsibility for the food production with a hands-on approach


• Driving sales through centrally driven menu planning and promotions and preferred suppliers


• Responsible for all aspects of food safety, HSE and COSHH


• The Head Chef will also be required to implement and maintain food monitoring procedures to facilitate budgetary control and to monitor all costs involved in the kitchen against agreed budgets.

Who You Are

• Excellent and Innovative culinary and presentation skills


• Excellent Communication and Interpersonal skills


• Energetic with a passion to do a great job


• Able to manage staff in a calm, inspirational manner


• A forward-thinker who can prevent wastage


• Demonstrates a passion for food


• Team Player


• Excellent organisation skills


• Numerate and computer literate with an understanding of financial drivers


• A clear understanding of profit margins, purchasing policy, budgeting and food costing, including control

Please note: This role is contracted to 43.2 weeks per year

About Us

As part of Compass you'll help to feed people, fuel progress and forge connections in around 6,000 venues. Join us to grow your career with the industry leader, and get competitive pay, great perks and unrivalled opportunities for learning and development, at one of the UK's biggest businesses.

Job Reference: com/1708/41297001/52561423/SU #Lodestone House

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!