Trust Catering Manager

The Gorse Academies Trust; Morley; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

The Gorse Academies Trust is seeking an experienced Trust Catering Manager to provide strategic leadership and operational excellence across all academies. You will shape a central catering strategy, recruit and support a team, and drive high-quality, nutritious menus across the trust.

This role requires strong governance of budgets, compliance with food safety standards, and collaboration with school leaders, staff, and suppliers to deliver outstanding value for money.

Qualifications

• Experience managing large-scale or multi-site catering operations.
• Strong leadership skills with ability to motivate and develop diverse teams.
• Excellent knowledge of food safety legislation, hygiene standards and allergen management.
• Strong organisational, communication and problem-solving skills.
• Financial management experience, including budgeting and procurement.
• Commitment to promoting healthy eating and a positive food culture.
• Willingness to travel across multiple sites and engage with kitchen teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead catering operations across the trust and develop a cohesive catering strategy.
• Maintain consistent standards across all academies, support and manage catering managers.
• Oversee budgets, procurement and cost control.
• Ensure full compliance with food safety and health and safety regulations, including HACCP.
• Build strong relationships with trust and academy leaders, staff, suppliers and external partners.

Skills

Large-scale ops

Leadership

Food safety

Allergen mgmt

Budgeting

Communication

Travel

Job description

Are you ready to shape and lead an exceptionalcatering service across a high performing multi academy trust? The GORSEAcademies Trust is seeking an experienced, forward thinking Trust CateringManager to provide strategic leadership and operational excellence across allour academies. For many of our pupils, the meal they receive at school is themost important meal of the day. This is a unique opportunity to take ownershipof a trust wide service where your impact will be seen, felt, and appreciated bythousands of pupils, staff, and visitors every day.

The postholder will have the opportunity to shapeand recruit their own central catering support team, enabling a trust-widemodel that delivers consistency, quality and continuous improvement.

This role is perfect for someone who:

• Is passionate about delivering high quality,nutritious and appealing food to children and young people.
• Has the leadership presence and confidence toinspire catering teams across multiple settings.
• Is commercially aware, financially astute anddriven to secure outstanding value for money.
• Thrives in a varied, fast paced environment wherestrategic oversight and hands on guidance go hand in hand.
• Wants to play a crucial part in enhancing the dailyexperience of pupils, staff and visitors across the trust.

The successful candidate will lead cateringoperations across the trust, developing a cohesive catering strategy andensuring high-quality, nutritious and inclusive menus. You'll maintainconsistent standards across all academies, support and manage cateringmanagers, and oversee budgets, procurement and cost control. You will alsoensure full compliance with food safety and health and safety regulations,including HACCP, while building strong relationships with trust and academyleaders, staff, suppliers and external partners. Experience in education or thepublic sector is desirable but not essential.

What we’re looking for:

We are seeking an individual who can demonstrate:

• Experience managing large‑scale or multi‑sitecatering operations.
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to motivate and develop diverse teams.
• Excellent knowledge of food safetylegislation, hygiene standards and allergen management.
• Strong organisational, communication andproblem‑solving skills.
• Financial management experience, includingbudgeting and procurement.
• A commitment to promoting healthy eating and apositive food culture.
• A willingness to travel across multiple sitesand engage regularly with kitchen teams.