Team Leader / chef

Artemis Clarke Ltd; Sittingbourne; On-site; GBP 27,500 - 33,612; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free lunch for staff

Free car park

Birthday/Moving/School start leave

Job summary

COOK is seeking a Team Leader / chef in Sittingbourne, Kent. The role focuses on leading the Mix & Weigh team to hit daily production targets while ensuring precise cooking, cooling, and mixing per standards.

You will coach and develop team members, collaborate with other departments, and uphold strict food safety and quality controls in a fast-paced kitchen environment.

Qualifications

• Proven leadership experience in a food production or kitchen environment.
• Strong understanding of cooking processes, times, cooling, and temperature control.
• Excellent attention to detail and ability to follow processes precisely.

Responsibilities

• Lead, motivate, and support the Mix & Weigh team to achieve daily targets safely and efficiently.
• Ensure recipes and mixing instructions are followed accurately.
• Oversee cooking, cooling, and handling processes to meet food safety standards.
• Monitor production flow and proactively resolve issues.
• Own food safety compliance including temperature controls.

Skills

Leadership

Team motivation

Communication

People development

Food safety

Quality control

Attention to detail

Process compliance

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Level 2 Food Hygiene

Job description

Team Leader / chef

Location: Sittingbourne, Kent - COOK CLASSIC KITCHEN
Salary: £30,556.50 per year / £15.67 per hour
Hours: Monday – Friday 2pm to 10pm
Contract: Permanent Full Time

Be at the heart of our production process, where precision, leadership, and quality come together. As a Mix & Weigh Team Leader, you will not only ensure every ingredient is prepared, cooled, and mixed to exact standards, but also lead, support, and inspire your team to consistently deliver excellence. This is a role where accuracy is essential—but people leadership and living our values are just as important.

The Role

• Lead, motivate, and support the Mix & Weigh team to achieve daily production targets safely and efficiently
• Ensure all recipes and mixing instructions are followed accurately and consistently
• Oversee cooking, cooling, and handling processes to meet strict food safety and quality standards
• Monitor production flow, identifying and resolving issues proactively
• Take ownership of food safety compliance, ensuring all temperature controls and processes are followed
• Maintain exceptional attention to detail across all team activities
• Support, coach, and develop team members to build capability and confidence
• Work collaboratively with Kitchen, Finishing, and other departments to ensure smooth operations
• Ensure high standards of cleanliness, organisation, and housekeeping within the area
• Lead by example in all aspects of behaviour, performance, and standards
• Create an inclusive, supportive environment where everyone feels valued and able to contribute
• Lead with integrity—doing the right thing, even when it's not the easiest option
• Encourage open communication and teamwork across departments
• Take pride in the product, ensuring quality is never compromised
• Support wellbeing within the team, recognising when individuals may need additional support
• Drive a culture of continuous improvement, encouraging ideas and innovation
• Act as a role model for COOK values in attitude, behaviour, and decision-making

Key Skills & Experience

• Proven experience in a food production or kitchen environment
• Strong understanding of cooking processes, including cooking times, cooling times, and temperature control
• Excellent attention to detail and ability to follow processes precisely
• Previous experience in a leadership or supervisory role (or readiness to step up)
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to motivate, support, and develop a team
• Good organisational skills and ability to manage priorities

Good to Have

• Level 2 Food Hygiene and Food Safety certification (training can be provided)
• Experience in leading teams within a fast-paced production environment

If you tick most of these boxes but not all—don't stress. We're all about potential.

Excellent Benefits including

• Free cooked from fresh lunch for all employees
• Free car park
• Paid leave on your birthdays, moving house, become grandparent or your child starts school for the first time
• Staff profit share
• Wellbeing program
• 30% staff discount
• Access to CookieJar Smart Spending discounts and free food perks
• Team meals, events & away days
• Be part of a B-Corp-certified business that values sustainability, people, and the community

What Cook is About

We're a proudly independent, family-owned B Corp, which basically means we care. A lot. About our food. About our people. And about doing the right thing—even when it's not the easy thing.

Our vision for COOK has always been that we are a place where EVERYONE is welcome. We want everyone to feel like they belong at COOK. We all have different roles, different abilities and different personalities. By collaborating we can do remarkable things. Whatever your story, if you would like to grow with COOK.