Sous Chef

Aramark Ltd; Wootton; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 39,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free uniform and safety shoes

Employee Benefits app with GP access

Life assurance

Pension contributions

Generous holiday allowance

Career development and apprenticeship

Ongoing training

Job summary

Aramark Ltd in Bedford is seeking a passionate Sous Chef to join a high-volume kitchen on a major UK project. You will lead the brigade, support the Head Chef, and ensure every dish meets top quality standards.

Location: Bedford, MK43 9NR. Annual salary: £35,000. Contract: Full-time, Permanent, 40 hours/week, 5 days over 7. Shift times: 0700–1530. UK residency and right to work required. Join a global contract catering leader and grow with a team delivering exceptional meals.

Qualifications

• Level 3 Food Safety qualification required.
• Supervisory chef experience in a high-volume catering environment.
• Experience leading teams.
• Strong knowledge of food safety, HACCP, and allergen management.
• Experience managing stock, ordering, and food cost controls.
• Good IT skills including Microsoft Office.
• Excellent communication and leadership skills.
• Ability to work under pressure and manage competing priorities.

Responsibilities

• Lead food production activities to ensure meals are prepared to specification, on time, and to the highest quality standards.
• Ensure consistency in recipe adherence, portion control and presentation.
• Assist with menu development, costing and implementation.
• Monitor food quality and customer satisfaction, taking corrective action where necessary.
• Supervise, coach and develop kitchen teams including Chefs and Catering Assistants.
• Ensure effective deployment of labour resources to meet operational demands.
• Support recruitment, induction, and training activities.
• Deliver on-the-job coaching to improve culinary skills and operational performance.
• Assist with stock management, ordering, receiving, and inventory control.
• Minimise food waste through effective production planning and stock rotation.
• Monitor food and labour costs to ensure budgetary targets are achieved.

Skills

Leadership

Team supervision

HACCP knowledge

Food safety

Allergen management

Communication

IT skills

Cost control

Education

Level 3 Food Safety qualification

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Ready to take your culinary career to the next level? We're looking for a passionate Sous Chef to join our talented team supporting one of the UK's largest construction projects in Bedford. With a high-volume kitchen and a vibrant service to deliver, you'll play a key role in leading the brigade, supporting the Head Chef, and ensuring every dish is exceptional., Lead food production activities to ensure meals are prepared to specification, on time, and to the highest quality standards.

• Lead food production activities to ensure meals are prepared to specification, on time, and to the highest quality standards.
• Ensure consistency in recipe adherence, portion control and presentation.
• Assist with menu development, costing and implementation.
• Monitor food quality and customer satisfaction, taking corrective action where necessary.

People Management

• Supervise, coach and develop kitchen teams including Chefs, Catering Assistants and
• Ensure effective deployment of labour resources to meet operational demands.
• Support recruitment, induction, and training activities.
• Deliver on-the-job coaching to improve culinary skills and operational performance.

Stock & Financial Control

• Assist with stock management, ordering, receiving, and inventory control.
• Minimise food waste through effective production planning and stock rotation.
• Monitor food and labour costs to ensure budgetary targets are achieved.

UK residency for the past 3 years and legal right to work.

• Ability to pass full security vetting and DBS checks.

Essential Criteria

• Level 3 Food Safety qualification.
• Proven experience in a supervisory chef role within a high-volume catering environment.
• Experience leading teams
• Strong knowledge of food safety, HACCP, and allergen management.
• Experience managing stock, ordering, and food cost controls.
• Good IT skills including Microsoft Office.
• Excellent communication and leadership skills.
• Ability to work under pressure and manage competing priorities.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience within custodial, healthcare, education, defence or business and industry catering environments.
• IOSH Working Safely or equivalent Health & Safety qualification.
• Experience delivering training and coaching programmes.
• Knowledge of budget management and labour scheduling.

Aramark (NYSE: ARMK) is in the customer service business across food, facilities and uniforms, wherever people work, learn, recover, and play. United by a passion to serve, our more than 247,000 team members deliver experiences that enrich and nourish the lives of millions of people in 19 countries around the world every day.

Location: Bedford, MK43 9NR Annual salary: £35,000 Contract type: Full-time, Permanent, 40 hours per week, 5 days over 7 Shift times: 0700 until 1530, This isn't just a job-it's your chance to grow with a global leader in contract catering while enjoying a healthy work-life balance.

Why join us?

• Free uniform and safety shoes.
• Access to our Employee Benefits app - online GP access, supermarket discounts, and more.
• Life assurance, pension contributions, and generous holiday allowance (with the option to buy more).
• Career development, promotion opportunities, and apprenticeship schemes.
• Ongoing training to help you grow and thrive.

What you'll do:

• Culinary Operations