Team Leader - Kitchen

Wiltshire Farm Foods; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 10,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading food supplier in the UK is seeking a Kitchen Manager to oversee daily operations, manage a team of up to 12 operatives, and ensure compliance with food hygiene standards. This full-time role offers a competitive salary of £17.04 per hour, benefits, and opportunities for professional development.

Benefits

25 days holiday plus bank holidays

Discretionary annual bonus

Employer-matched pension contributions

Subsidized canteen

Retail discounts

Qualifications

• GCSEs in English and Mathematics at grade C or equivalent.
• NVQ Level 3 in Food Hygiene required.
• Accident investigation training is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Manage the operation of the kitchen and supervise operatives.
• Meet daily production targets and develop KPI sheets.
• Ensure compliance with health and safety procedures.

Skills

Management skills

Food hygiene knowledge

Communication skills

Education

GCSEs in English and Mathematics

NVQ Level 3 in Food Hygiene

Sustainable Safety certification

Job description

Overview

The main purpose of the role is to manage the operation of the kitchen. This will require the direct supervision of up to 12 operatives. The postholder will need to be confident in dealing with a wide range of employee, operational, and health and safety issues in accordance with company policy and procedures.

The main purpose of the role is to manage the day-to-day performance of the kitchen, which includes managing five different operations: Stephan, Tumbler, Chilling of products, Pot Cooking, and CQC. Each operation has a set kilo’s per hour target, and the postholder will have to meet these daily targets and develop KPI sheets for each area.

This role is a full-time position, working 40 hours per week, Monday to Friday.

£17.04 per hour + Bonus + Benefits

Who we are

apetito is the UK’s leading food supplier to the health and social care sectors, serving over 1,300 care homes, healthcare, and education settings.

Our meals are crafted by dieticians and chefs and then frozen to preserve freshness.

Wiltshire Farm Foods, our sister company, is the UK’s largest ready meal supplier, offering over 330 different frozen meals across the UK.

Responsibilities

• Control and minimize devaluations by following recipes and procedures.
• Conduct monthly 1-2-1 meetings with staff to improve engagement.
• Design and own procedures and SOPs for all areas.
• Implement and sustain 5S in each area.
• Hold weekly department meetings to discuss outputs and issues.
• Collaborate on traceability projects to improve processes.
• Work with TL support to ensure materials are supplied to meet 100% plan attainment.
• Develop attribute sheets for cooking and operations; ensure all staff taste batches before release.
• Ensure accurate materials are used in each cooking process.
• Develop and oversee weighing operations for each cooking.
• Maintain good environmental controls, including waste segregation and energy efficiency.
• Collaborate with the production manager on future kitchen equipment and process improvements.
• Support continuous improvement projects.
• Manage and develop KPI spreadsheets to enhance department targets.
• Display daily achievements to motivate the team.
• Meet monthly with production and finance teams to review KPI progress.
• Assist other business areas in applying successful kitchen improvements.
• Report on department performance during daily production meetings.
• Strive to maintain or improve current standards against targets.
• Collect data to support ongoing improvements.

Qualifications/Personal Qualities

• GCSEs in English and Mathematics at grade C or equivalent.
• NVQ Level 3 in Food Hygiene.
• Level 3 in Food Hygiene.
• Qualification in Food Premises Cleaning.
• Sustainable Safety certification.
• Accident investigation training.

Company Benefits

• Competitive salary, accredited as a Living Wage employer.
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays, with options to purchase additional days.
• Discretionary annual bonus scheme.
• Employer-matched pension contributions up to 4%.
• Life assurance worth at least one year's salary.
• Subsidized canteen and free parking.
• Christmas turkey or voucher.
• Perks scheme including retail discounts and salary sacrifice options.

Our Values

As a family-owned business, we pride ourselves on making a difference and creating outstanding meals.

We focus on health and well-being, driven by a passion for service and dedicated to feeding vulnerable populations.

We support British food and farming, aiming for Net Zero by 2040, and uphold high ethical standards recognized by ETI and as a Living Wage employer.

We promote inclusion and diversity, empowering individuals from all backgrounds to reach their full potential.