Senior Sous Chef - Uppingham

Compass Group UK; Oakham; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Contributory pension

Career development

Digital GP

Travel discounts

Staff discounts

Cinema tickets discounts

Cash rewards

Wellness classes

Friends & family discounts

Job summary

Uppingham School is seeking a HUB Senior Sous Chef to act as second-in-command in the Hub Kitchen, supporting the Head Chef with leadership, organisation, and day-to-day management of the central production kitchen.

You will oversee large-scale production, maintain high culinary standards, and lead a team to deliver nutritious, innovative meals across boarding houses, outlets, and school events with a focus on safety and cost control.

Qualifications

• NVQ Level 3 Professional Cookery or equivalent.
• Food Safety Level 2 Certificate required.
• Significant experience in a Sous Chef or leadership role.

Responsibilities

• Deputise for the Head Chef and lead the Hub Kitchen in their absence.
• Organise daily production schedules and allocate resources.
• Coach, mentor, and develop kitchen staff to ensure consistent standards.
• Oversee centralised food production for boarding houses, dining facilities, and events.
• Manage stock, purchasing, and inventory control; monitor supplier performance.
• Ensure HACCP compliance and uphold high food safety standards.

Skills

Leadership

High-volume catering

Food safety

Allergen management

Education

NVQ Level 3 Professional Cookery

Food Safety Level 2 Certificate

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
• Working 5 out of 7 days

HUB Senior Sous Chef

Uppingham School

Job Title

HUB Senior Sous Chef

Reporting To

Head Chef - Hub Kitchen, Director of Catering, Group Executive Chef

Location

Uppingham School, Rutland

Job Purpose

The Senior Sous Chef is the second-in-command within the Hub Kitchen and plays a pivotal role in supporting the Head Chef with the leadership, organisation, and day-to-day management of the one of the School's central production kitchen.

This role is responsible for overseeing large-scale food production, maintaining exceptional culinary standards, leading and developing the kitchen team, and ensuring the efficient delivery of high-quality meals across multiple catering outlets, boarding houses and school events.

The successful candidate will be an experienced chef leader with strong operational knowledge, excellent organisational skills, and a passion for delivering nutritious, innovative, and consistently high-quality food within a busy educational catering environment.

Key Responsibilities

Food Production and Service

• Support the Head Chef in the planning, preparation, and delivery of meals across the School's catering operation.
• Oversee daily food production to ensure quality, consistency, and timely service across all locations.
• Ensure all food is prepared, cooked, portioned, packaged, and presented to agreed specifications and standards.
• Assist with menu planning, recipe development, seasonal menu implementation, and continuous menu improvement.
• Lead the preparation of vegetarian, vegan, allergen-aware, cultural, and special dietary meals.
• Support the delivery of boarding house hospitality functions, formal dinners, school events, theme days, and special occasions.
• Ensure portion control, presentation standards, and dietary compliance are consistently maintained.
• Drive food quality and innovation whilst remaining mindful of budgetary requirements.

Leadership and Team Management

• Deputise for the Head Chef and assume overall responsibility for the Hub Kitchen in their absence.
• Lead, motivate, and supervise Sous Chefs, Chef de Parties, Commis Chefs, Apprentices, and Catering Assistants.
• Organise daily production schedules and allocate resources effectively.
• Provide coaching, mentoring, training, and performance support for kitchen staff.
• Conduct on-the-job training to ensure consistency of standards and working practices.
• Promote a positive, professional, and collaborative kitchen culture.
• Support recruitment, induction, and development of team members where required.

Hub Kitchen Operations

• Support the management of centralised food production for boarding houses, dining facilities, hospitality outlets, and school events.
• Coordinate food production schedules to meet service demands efficiently.
• Assist with stock management, purchasing, stock rotation, and inventory control.
• Monitor deliveries and supplier performance, ensuring quality standards are maintained.
• Support food cost control through effective planning, portion management, and waste reduction.
• Oversee production records, dispatch paperwork, temperature monitoring, and traceability requirements.
• Ensure all kitchen equipment is maintained and used safely and effectively.
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives aimed at increasing operational efficiency and sustainability.

Health, Safety and Compliance

• Maintain the highest standards of food hygiene, cleanliness, and housekeeping throughout the Hub Kitchen.
• Ensure full compliance with HACCP procedures, food safety legislation, allergen regulations, and School policies.
• Monitor cooking, cooling, storage, transportation, and reheating procedures to ensure food safety standards are met.
• Complete and oversee all required safety records and documentation.
• Support internal audits, external inspections, and compliance reviews.
• Promote safe working practices and uphold the School's commitment to safeguarding, health, safety, and wellbeing.

Person Specification

Essential Qualifications and Experience

• NVQ Level 3 Professional Cookery, City & Guilds, or equivalent professional qualification.
• Food Safety Level 2 Certificate.
• Significant experience within a Sous Chef, or equivalent leadership role.
• Experience working within a high-volume catering, central production, contract catering, education, healthcare, or similar environment.
• Proven ability to lead, motivate, and develop large kitchen teams.
• Strong knowledge of food safety, allergen management, stock control, and budget management.

Essential Skills and Attributes

• Excellent culinary and food production skills.
• Strong leadership and people management abilities.
• Highly organised with excellent attention to detail.
• Ability to prioritise workloads and perform under pressure.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Commercial awareness and understanding of food cost management.
• Positive, flexible, and proactive approach.
• Commitment to delivering exceptional standards and customer satisfaction.

Desirable

• Experience within an independent school or educational catering environment.
• Experience managing large-scale production kitchens.
• Knowledge of catering management systems and production planning software.
• Understanding of sustainability, waste reduction, and responsible sourcing initiatives.
• First Aid qualification.

Hours of Work

The role operates on a rota basis determined by operational requirements and may include early mornings, evenings, weekends, and school events. This is a role with more sociable hour than your average chefs role.

Safeguarding Statement

Uppingham School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. All staff are expected to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to enhanced DBS clearance and all relevant pre-employment checks.

Key Objective

To support the Head Chef in leading the Hub Kitchen operation, ensuring the consistent delivery of high-quality, nutritious, and innovative food across Uppingham School whilst achieving the highest standards of food safety, customer service, operational efficiency, and team development

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/0608/43928001/52825034/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!