Senior Cook / Head Chef

Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust; Sherborne; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare provider in England is looking for a Senior Cook/Head Chef to lead the kitchen operations at The Yeatman Hospital. The ideal candidate will have strong culinary skills, leadership experience, and knowledge of food safety regulations. This role offers a generous holiday allowance, a supportive work environment, and the chance to make a difference for patients and staff alike.

Benefits

Generous holiday allowance

Uniform provided

On-site free parking

Qualifications

• Passion for food and culinary excellence.
• Strong knowledge of kitchen operations and food production.
• Understanding of HACCP and allergen regulations.

Responsibilities

• Supervise and support a team of catering staff.
• Manage training and recruitment of catering team.
• Plan menus, manage budgets, and ensure food safety.

Skills

Culinary excellence

Leadership

Food safety compliance

Kitchen operation knowledge

Menu planning

Education

Level 3 Food Hygiene Certificate or equivalent

NVQ Level 3 or equivalent

Tools

Basic IT skills

Job description

Senior Cook / Head Chef

The closing date is 20 November 2025

The Yeatman Hospital is seeking a skilled and experienced Senior Cook/Head Chef who is passionate about food and wants to make a difference.

The ideal candidate will have a passion for culinary excellence, strong leadership abilities, and a keen eye on detail.

As Senior Cook/Head Chef, you will have full operational and financial responsibility for the hospitals catering facility, leading the team to deliver the highest quality of food and service to 26 in-patients, as well as our staff and members of the public in our friendly hospital caf.

You must be able to work flexibly as part of a rota including working weekends and bank holidays.

Main duties of the job

• Supervising and supporting a small team of catering staff, ensuring the smooth day to day operation
• Recruiting, managing and training catering team
• Planning of menus, orders, deliveries and budget control
• Managing food safety, Health & Safety and Allergens legislation, overseeing food safety practices and compliance and conducting periodic audits

Requirements

• Desirable - Level 3 Food Hygiene Certificate or willingness to undertake
• Strong knowledge of kitchen operation, food production and culinary techniques
• Excellent leadership and supervisory skills
• Understanding of HACCP, allergen regulations and best practice
• Awareness of COSHH regulation
• Basic IT skills/computer competence

Offer

• Generous holiday allowance increasing with service
• Uniform provided
• On-site free parking

Appointment to this post is subject to a standard DBS certificate.

Although this is a full-time position of 37.5hrs per week, we are committed to supporting flexible working in line with service needs and would consider 30 hours availability.

About us

At Dorset HealthCare we're on a mission to empower people to make the most of their lives through our outstanding, joined-up healthcare services. We're a dynamic, forward-looking Trust, running 12 community hospitals, specialist inpatient facilities and a wide range of integrated community and mental health services for a population of almost 800,000 people.

We do things differently here - it's one of the reasons the CQC rated us 'outstanding' in 2019. It's also why 95% of patients across our services say they have a good or very good experience of our services and 89% of staff feel they can really make a difference. Whether you're looking to work with us in one of our bustling market towns, vibrant urban locations, thriving seaside spots, or among the rolling hills of Dorset, there are lots of ways you can make a difference in our communities.

Our 7,000-strong workforce is at the heart of what we do and our success is a testament to our brilliant people. We're all about building a workplace for the future, we believe in equal opportunities and we celebrate diversity. We're an inclusive workplace, where everyone is welcome, everyone can be authentic, and we are all encouraged to be the best version of ourselves.

Working with us you'll be part of a strong team, challenge yourself, build a career, and teach us what we don't know. And you'll be working towards our vision to be better every day through excellence, compassion and expertise in all we do.

Job responsibilities

For the main duties and responsibilities for this role please read the attached job description and person specification. When completing your application please ensure your supporting statement reflects the criteria set out in these documents by showing how your experience and skills apply to this post.

We understand that using AI can be a useful and supportive tool when completing your application. However, we have also seen an increase in the over-reliance of AI tools which is negatively impacting applications as they remove candidates individuality, and it becomes much harder to get a sense of who you are and your authentic experience. If you do use AI, it should be used to enhance your application and not to create your supporting statement in its entirety. If we suspect you have used AI to create your supporting statement and this does not match your experience, we may withdraw your application.

As part of our vision to have a skilled, diverse and caring workforce, Dorset HealthCare offers support for people getting into work. We offer an employability service to support individuals with application writing, interview skills and other employment support. If you would like or know of anyone who would value this support, please do contact [e-mail]

Person Specification

Knowledge, skills and training

• Educated to NVQ level 3, OR City & Guilds 706/1 706/2 or equivalent level of training/experience of working at a similar level in a specialist area
• Understanding of Health and Safety procedures, HACCP, COSHH, Allergen principles
• Experience of menu planning
• Previous NHS experience
• Understanding of therapeutic diets

Information Technology

• Basic knowledge of computers

Finances and Resources

• A clear understanding of financial resources.

Managerial & supervisory experience

• Experience in a supervisory role

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer name

Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust