Casual Peripatetic Lead Chef

Field Studies Council; Shrewsbury (MA); Remote; USD 30,000 - 32,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Accommodation provided

Travel costs covered

Flexible casual role

No fixed base

Job summary

Field Studies Council is seeking a Casual Peripatetic Lead Chef to travel across the UK, leading catering at learning locations and delivering nutritious, sustainable meals for up to 160 visitors.

You’ll manage menus, kitchen operations, and a small team, ensuring food safety and high standards while enjoying flexible assignments and accommodation when traveling.

Qualifications

• Catering experience with management or supervisory responsibilities.
• Experience in stock control, ordering and budget management.
• Knowledge of food safety systems such as HACCP.
• Experience catering for large groups, schools or residential settings.

Responsibilities

• Lead the catering operation at the learning location you’re assigned.
• Combine hands-on cooking with kitchen leadership to deliver meals for up to 160 visitors.
• Create nutritious, sustainable menus for diverse diets and allergens.
• Oversee a team to maintain high standards of hygiene and food safety.

Skills

Catering management

Stock control

Budget management

Food safety HACCP

Large group catering

Leadership

Travel willingness

Education

Catering qualification

Job description

Casual Peripatetic Lead Chef

Do you love creating healthy, delicious, and sustainable meals?

Join Field Studies Council as a Casual Peripatetic Lead Chef and combine your passion for great food with the opportunity to travel across the UK.

Why you’ll love working with us

• Get paid to travel and work at our beautiful Field Studies Council locations across the UK
• Flexible casual work with no obligation to accept assignments
• £16.12 to £17.11 per hour, depending on qualifications and experience
• Accommodation provided when working away from your home area
• Reasonable pre-agreed travel costs covered
• Work with welcoming teams in unique locations from coast to countryside
• Fixed mealtimes and planned menus for improved work-life balance
• No late-night finishes, shifts are normally completed by 8 pm
• Make a real difference by supporting an environmental education charity

Love where you work!

At the Field Studies Council we promise to get people outdoors, provide high quality learning and encourage positive wellbeing. We’re all about creating outdoor learning experiences and opportunities that inspire everyone to be curious, knowledgeable, passionate and caring about the environment.

From dramatic coastlines, historic estates and national parks, our centres are located in some of the UK’s most inspiring environments. Every year, thousands of young people and adults visit us to discover and connect with the natural world, and great food is a big part of making their experience special.

What you’ll be doing

As a Casual Peripatetic Lead Chef, you’ll take responsibility for the catering operation at the learning location where you’re working. Combining hands‑on cooking with kitchen leadership, you’ll lead hospitality teams to deliver memorable meals for up to 160 visitors.

You’ll be creating nutritious, sustainable menus that cater for a wide range of diverse diets and allergens, including, but not limited to vegan, vegetarian, gluten‑free, nut‑free, and religious or cultural options.

Typical day:

• Breakfast: 7-11am
• Dinner: 3-8pm
• Set menus with 2-3 options per meal
• A mix of prep, cooking, and kitchen leadership
• Leading a small team of staff to maintain high standards of hygiene and food safety

We’re proud to have achieved the Soil Association Food for Life Served Here Bronze Award, recognising our commitment to healthy, sustainable meals.

Where you’ll be based

This is a truly flexible, travelling role with no fixed work base. You’ll be offered assignments on an ad hoc and occasional ‘relief’ basis at our beautiful Field Studies Council learning locations throughout the UK as business needs arise, and you can choose whether to accept or decline each opportunity.

When working away from your home area, accommodation will be provided and reasonable pre‑agreed travel expenses will be covered.

Who we’re looking for

We’re looking for experienced chefs who thrive in a busy environment and enjoy leading others to deliver excellent service.

You’ll need:

• Catering experience which includes management or supervisory responsibilities.
• A catering qualification or relevant vocational experience.
• Experience of stock control, ordering and budget management.
• Knowledge of food safety systems, including HACCP and Safer Food Better Business.
• Experience catering for large groups, schools, residential settings or similar environments.
• Strong leadership, organisation and communication skills.
• A flexible approach and willingness to travel and work across different locations.

If you’re passionate about food, enjoy variety in your work, and want to use your skills to support meaningful outdoor learning experiences, we’d love to hear from you.

If you have any queries regarding this vacancy, please call Chris Wilkinson (Catering & Hospitality Development Manager) on 07771376884

Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme