Senior Head Chef

NHS; Preston; On-site; GBP 27,000 - 31,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare provider in Preston is seeking a Senior Head Chef to oversee food preparation and manage kitchen operations. The ideal candidate will ensure compliance with food safety and hygiene standards while leading a team in a large busy kitchen. Experience in catering and knowledge of therapeutic diets are essential. This role offers a salary of £27,485 to £30,162 a year, pro rata.

Qualifications

• Advanced Food Hygiene Certificate required.
• Experience in a large busy kitchen preferred.
• Understanding of the importance of confidentiality in an NHS environment.

Responsibilities

• Supervise and manage food preparation and production.
• Coordinate kitchen planning and organization.
• Maintain quality assurance and food safety records.

Skills

Catering supervisory experience

Public dealing experience

Knowledge of therapeutic diets

Understanding of HACCP requirements

Knowledge of food safety

Experience in NHS environment

Education

Advanced Food Hygiene Certificate

Food Production Qualifications – C&G 706 / NVQ Level 2

NVQ Level 3 in Supervisory Management

Tools

Electronic catering systems (e.g., Menumark)

Job description

Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Senior Head Chef

The closing date is 26 October 2025

Your passion for food and cooking will be what makes you stand out from the rest. We know how much you will love ensuring nutritious and delicious meals are served to our patients and staff – taking great pride in knowing the meals you are preparing contribute to patient care and keep our hospitals running.

This is a key role within the supervisory team and you will use your exceptional supervisory, leadership and communication skills to lead and manage the kitchen.

Main duties of the job

You will ensure and observe the correct economic use of materials and equipment. You will have experience within a large scale cook‑chill catering operation including special and therapeutic diets as well as religious, ethnic and other dietary needs.

You will be expected to develop the kitchen team and will be required to work closely with your colleagues, providing a flexible comprehensive service and cover for colleagues when necessary, for which full training will be provided. You will be responsible for allocating the roles to all kitchen staff.

You will be the initial point of contact in the kitchen for all communication, promoting customer care and reflecting the quality standards of the Estates and Facilities Department in all aspects of work undertaken.

Our team supports you all the way. We take pride in preparing 2,000 meals on site, 365 days a year in our fabulous kitchen facility at Preston Hospital. There is plenty of opportunity for you to develop your skills and be creative with our menus.

Job responsibilities

• To supervise, lead and manage the general preparation and production of all food in all departments.
• To co‑ordinate the day‑to‑day planning and organisation of the kitchen.
• Ensure security of Trust assets including foodstuffs and reporting any thefts or losses.
• To lead and manage the cooking of food to ensure it is completed as per standard recipes following daily menus and production lists using a variety of traditional cooking methods.
• To maintain Quality Assurance Programme and food safety controls, ensuring appropriate records are kept with action initiated where necessary.
• To assess and maintain control of allergens throughout the production process and ensure allergen records are complete and updated in line with any production changes.
• To liaise and co‑operate with specialist contractor, e.g. contract cleaners and pest control.
• Assist with the revision and compilation of staff menus and menus for patients in accordance with the Better Hospital Food policy.
• To ensure all compliance documentation is available and completed in line with expected standards and following up any discrepancies as appropriate.

About us

We have 10,000 fantastic people working hard to deliver quality services to our patients. Whatever your role, you help look after 370,000 people in our local area and give specialist care to 1.5 million people across Lancashire and Cumbria.

Working with us gives you the knowledge and sense of pride that every activity you do genuinely makes a difference to support our patients and staff, ensuring we keep thriving and delivering outstanding healthcare right across our local towns.

You’ll have access to varied development opportunities, learn new skills, meet fab people, and do things you’d never have done. You’ll learn about working in a hospital, interacting with people from all different roles to build skills and enhance your career path.

You’ll make an impact, be challenged to think differently, be bold and help innovate to keep improving things. Everything we do centres around patient care and enhancing their experience, which means your role is pivotal and something you can be proud of.

Qualifications and Education

• Advanced Food Hygiene Certificate
• Basic Health and Safety
• Food Production Qualifications – C&G 706 / NVQ Level 2
• Level 2 certificate in H.A.C.C.P
• NVQ Level 3 in Supervisory Management or equivalent experience
• Level 3 certificate in HACCP
• IOSH
• Health and Safety Certificate

Knowledge and Education

• All‑round catering supervisory experience, preferably in a large busy kitchen/organisation
• Previous experience in dealing with the public
• Awareness of confidentiality in an NHS environment
• Awareness of the standards of hygiene and cleanliness within a healthcare setting
• Knowledge of therapeutic diets & IDDSI
• Understanding and competency of HACCP requirements
• Understanding and competency on the importance of food safety, health and safety, C.O.S.H.H.
• Understanding of the 14 key allergens as stated in the Food Information for Consumers Regulation 2014
• Experience of working within health & safety guidelines
• Experience of public sector, preferably NHS
• Experience in entering catering completions and showcasing skills
• Experience of electronic catering system such as Menumark
• Membership of Hospital Caterers Association (HCA)

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

Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

£27,485 to £30,162 a year, pro rata