Senior Cook / Head Chef

Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust; Sherborne; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 36,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Uniform provided

On-site free parking

Generous holiday allowance

Job summary

Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Senior Cook / Head Chef at The Yeatman Hospital. The role oversees a small catering team, with 25–30 hours per week, Monday to Friday, and full responsibility for menus, budgets and food safety inpatients and staff cafés.

We require leadership, experience in food production and HACCP/COSHH awareness. The post confirms DBS check and right to work in the UK; visa sponsorship not available.

Qualifications

• NVQ Level 3 or equivalent qualifications in professional cookery.
• Experience within a hospital or NHS catering environment is preferred.
• Strong knowledge of food safety, HACCP, allergen regulations and best practice.

Responsibilities

• Supervise and support a small catering team, ensuring daily smooth operation.
• Recruit, train and manage catering staff and on-site volunteers as needed.
• Plan menus, orders, deliveries and budget control for the hospital facility.
• Ensure compliance with Health & Safety, allergens, and COSHH requirements.

Skills

Culinary leadership

Food safety

Menu planning

Team supervision

HACCP knowledge

COSHH awareness

Education

NVQ Level 3

City & Guilds 706/1 706/2

Job description

Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust

Senior Cook / Head Chef

The closing date is 28 October 2026

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

Hours and times are negatable, 30/25 hours per week Monday to Friday happy to support school hours.

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

As Kitchen Supervisor/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 27 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 team if needed.

Please note visa sponsorship for this role is unfortunately not available. Ensure you hold valid right to work in the UK and will not require sponsorship if successful.

Main duties of the job

Responsibilities

• 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

Requirement

• 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 30hrs per week, we are committed to supporting flexible working in line with service needs and would consider 25 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.

All submissions must be truthful and if you do use AI, it should only be used to enhance your application and not create your supporting statement in its entirety. Your supporting statement should be in your own words and must accurately reflect your personal experience and achievements. Where we have concerns that AI has been used to generate content that misrepresents your experience and suitability for the role, 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
• Compliance
• Experience of menu planning
• Previous NHS experience
• Understanding of therapeutic diets
• Stock control

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