Sous Chef - Contract Catering

COREcruitment; Reading; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 40,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Mon-Fri hours

£35,000-£40,000 salary

Excellent work-life balance

Training and career development

Job summary

COREcruitment is seeking an experienced Sous Chef for a contract catering operation near Reading. This hands-on role covers fresh-food execution, leading a team, and a Monday–Friday, daytime schedule.

Join a busy site of over 1,000 on site daily with a clear path for progression. You will manage quality, safety and uptime, while supporting a positive work-life balance and reliable routines.

Qualifications

• Strong fresh-food cooking skills.
• Confident in leading and developing a small chef team.
• Experience in contract catering/high-volume environments.

Responsibilities

• Support day-to-day kitchen operation.
• Lead and develop a small chef team.
• Remain hands-on with preparation and service.
• Drive food quality and consistency.
• Support ordering, stock and kitchen organisation.
• Maintain food safety and compliance.

Skills

Fresh-food cooking

Team leadership

High-volume catering

Contract catering background

Job description

Sous Chef - Contract Catering - Reading - Monday to Friday - £35,000-£40,000

We're recruiting an experienced Sous Chef to join a busy Contract Catering operation near Reading.

This is a fantastic Monday-to-Friday opportunity for a hands‑on chef who enjoys fresh food, high-volume catering and leading a team, while benefiting from daytime hours and excellent career progression.

Salary & Benefits

• £35,000-£40,000
• Monday to Friday
• 6:00am-4:00pm
• No regular weekends
• Excellent work-life balance
• Training and career development

The Operation

• High-volume B&I catering environment.
• Over 1,000 people on site daily.
• Fresh food-led operation.
• Main restaurant plus Grab & Go.
• Small hospitality offering.
• Team of around 10.
• Busy, hands‑on kitchen environment.

The Role

• Support the day-to-day kitchen operation.
• Lead and develop a small chef team.
• Remain hands‑on with preparation and service.
• Drive food quality and consistency.
• Support ordering, stock and kitchen organisation.
• Maintain excellent food safety and compliance.

About You

• Sous Chef or strong Junior Sous Chef.
• Contract Catering, B&I, education or high-volume background.
• Strong fresh-food cooking skills.
• Confident leading and developing others.
• Organised, reliable and hands‑on.
• Able to commute reliably to the Reading area.

Due to site security requirements, applicants must be British Nationals and able to successfully complete DBS and security vetting.

If you're looking for a Sous Chef role near Reading paying up to £40,000, with Monday-to-Friday hours, fresh food and excellent progression, we'd love to hear from you.