Head Chef

Sodexo Ltd; Colchester (VT); On-site; USD 53,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee Assistance Programme for个人,

24/7 virtual GP & lifestyle rewards

Discounts for you & family

Financial tools & retirement plan

Job summary

Head Chef at Merville Barracks in Colchester leads high-volume military catering, ensuring food quality, safety and presentation while managing day-to-day operations.

You will mentor kitchen staff, plan rotas, oversee compliance with food safety and audits, and drive efficiency and cost control in a busy environment.

Candidates bring recognised catering qualifications and strong leadership, with experience in military or Defence settings advantageous.

Qualifications

• Recognised catering qualifications to lead a busy kitchen.
• Past leadership in a catering operation is essential.
• Strong knowledge of Health & Safety and Food Safety requirements.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day catering operation, ensuring consistently high standards of food quality, presentation and service.
• Lead, motivate and develop the kitchen team, creating an engaged, high-performing working environment.
• Manage and support Chefs, military Chefs and Kitchen Porters, providing clear direction, coaching and training.
• Plan and manage team rotas, leave and staffing requirements.
• Take ownership of menu delivery, ensuring recipes, specifications and portion controls are followed.
• Oversee food preparation, cooking and presentation to maintain high standards.
• Ensure Food Safety, Health & Safety and allergen compliance.
• Maintain kitchen due diligence, temperature monitoring and safety documentation.
• Drive internal and external audit performance and address actions.
• Manage stock ordering, stocktaking and waste, reducing costs.
• Monitor consumption and waste to improve efficiency.
• Contribute to financial performance including payroll and P&L management.
• Build relationships with client and customers and respond to feedback.

Skills

Kitchen leadership

Team development

Food safety knowledge

Budget control

Communication skills

Education

City & Guilds 706/1 and 2

NVQ Level 2 and 3

HND, BSc Catering or equivalent

Tools

MS Word

MS Excel

MS Outlook

Job description

Head Chef with Sodexo at Merville Barracks, Colchester, CO2 7UT, you’ll take the lead in delivering a high-quality catering service within a busy military environment.

This is a hands-on leadership role where you’ll be responsible for the day-to-day running of the kitchen, leading and developing your team while maintaining excellent standards of food quality, presentation, safety and service.

You’ll bring strong kitchen leadership experience, a passion for great food and the confidence to manage both the operational and people aspects of a busy catering environment.

Whatyou’ll do:

Lead the day-to-day catering operation, ensuring consistently high standards of food quality, presentation and service

Lead, motivate and develop the kitchen team, creating an engaged, high-performing working environment

Manage and support Chefs, military Chefs and Kitchen Porters, providing clear direction, coaching and training

Plan and manage team rotas, leave and staffing requirements to ensure the kitchen is effectively resourced

Take ownership of menu delivery, ensuring recipes, specifications and portion controls are consistently followed

Oversee food preparation, cooking and presentation, ensuring excellent standards are maintained throughout service

Maintain full compliance with Food Safety, Health & Safety, allergen legislation and Sodexo procedures

Ensure all kitchen due diligence, temperature monitoring, food storage and safety documentation is accurately completed

Drive successful internal and external audit performance and ensure any required actions are addressed

Manage stock ordering, stocktaking and kitchen supplies, maintaining effective controls and reducing unnecessary waste

Monitor food consumption and waste against agreed targets, identifying opportunities to improve efficiency and control costs

Contribute to the financial performance of the catering operation, including payroll, stock, waste and P&L management

Build and maintain strong relationships with the client and customers, responding professionally to feedback and resolving concerns

Ensure contractual service standards, KPIs and operational requirements are consistently achieved

Lead pre-service briefings, team huddles and toolbox talks to maintain strong communication across the kitchen

Identify and implement opportunities to improve service, efficiency, customer satisfaction and overall kitchen performance

Work closely with the Centre Manager and Food Services Manager to support the wider catering operation

Be a visible, hands‑on leader who sets the standard for food quality, safety, customer service and team performance

What you bring:

• Previous experience leading a kitchen team in a busy catering environment
• A recognised catering qualification such as City & Guilds 706/1 and 2, NVQ Level 2 and 3, HND, BSc Catering or equivalent
• Good knowledge of Health & Safety and Food Safety requirements
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to motivate, engage and develop a team
• Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail
• Confident verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to work on your own initiative while contributing effectively as part of the wider team
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook
• A flexible approach to meet the requirements of a busy operational environment
• Previous experience working within a military or Defence environment
• CIEH Level 3 or equivalent
• IOSH qualification or equivalent

What we offer:

Workingwith Sodexo is more than a job; it’s a chance tobe part of somethinggreater. You’ll belong in a company and team that values youforyou;you’ll act with purpose and have an impact through your everydayactions; and you’ll be able to thrive in your own way. In addition, we offer:

• Employee Assistance Programme for personal, legal, and financial advice
• 24/7 virtual GP & lifestyle rewards
• Discounts for you & family
• Financial tools & retirement plan

Sodexo reserves the right to close this advert early if we are in receipt of a high number of applications