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- Tasks: Prepare delicious meals, oversee menu changes, and manage kitchen operations.
- Company: Join Chartwells, a leading provider of catering services in the education sector.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible shifts, full training, and a supportive team environment.
- Why this job: Make a positive impact on students' lives through nutritious food and exceptional service.
- Qualifications: Experience in cooking, team supervision, and food hygiene is preferred.
- Other info: This role requires a DBS check due to working with children.
Here's an idea of what your shift patterns will be: 5 out of 7 days. Please note: This role is contracted to 43 weeks per year.
Could you bring your spark to Chartwells? Here's what you need to know before applying:
- Your key responsibilities will include:
- Preparing delicious, high-quality food that delights our clients and customers.
- Overseeing and implementing menu changes.
- Supervising our culinary and catering teams to ensure we continue to deliver impeccable food and customer service.
- Overseeing the efficiency of all in-unit catering operations, including managing inventories, monitoring budgets, and implementing action plans.
- Identifying opportunities to improve our food services.
- Listening and acting on customer feedback to consistently improve our food services.
- Liaising between customers and our culinary and service teams to ensure we continue to exceed expectations.
- Representing Chartwells and maintaining a positive brand image.
- Supporting and training our teams, leading from the front to make sure everyone can excel in their role.
- Monitoring inventories and ordering goods to keep our kitchens well-stocked.
- Overseeing kitchen cleaning responsibilities to maintain hygiene standards.
- Implementing and reviewing Health & Safety standards to ensure compliance across all catering and service teams.
- Complying with Food Handling, Hygiene and Health and Safety regulations in line with HACCP.
Our ideal Cook will:
- Be passionate about great-tasting food and exceptional customer service.
- Have experience supervising a team.
- Have experience in food hygiene and allergens.
- Have experience in a similar cook role.
- Have a flexible approach to working.
Full training will be provided.
Part of Compass Group UK&I, Chartwells is the leading provider of catering and support services to the education sector. For over a quarter of a century, Chartwells has been focusing on helping those in education to build strong bodies, sharp minds and lead long healthy lives. Every week, Chartwells serves millions of nutritious and delicious meals to pupils and students in primary and secondary schools, academies, independent schools, colleges, and universities across the UK.
Chartwells is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all employees to share this commitment. Any offer of employment will be subject to successfully completing pre-employment checks, including an enhanced DBS disclosure and a Children's Barred List check. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and we ask applicants to declare all previous convictions and cautions in order to assess their suitability to work with children.
Compass Group UK&I is committed to fostering an environment where every individual can truly be themselves at work and has equal opportunities to advance in their careers. We strive to build a culture that respects and celebrates the unique talents, beliefs, backgrounds, and abilities of all our team members. We want our colleagues to feel valued, empowered to reach their full potential, and to thrive because diversity is our strength!
Contact Detail:
Chartwells Independent Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land School Cook - Ealing
✨Tip Number 1
Familiarise yourself with Chartwells' values and mission. Understanding their commitment to providing nutritious meals and exceptional service will help you align your passion for food with their goals during any interviews or discussions.
✨Tip Number 2
Highlight your supervisory experience in previous roles. Be ready to discuss specific examples of how you've led a team, managed kitchen operations, or improved service quality, as this is crucial for the School Cook position.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare to demonstrate your knowledge of food hygiene and safety standards. Since compliance with regulations is essential, be ready to talk about your experience with HACCP and how you ensure a safe kitchen environment.
✨Tip Number 4
Showcase your ability to adapt and respond to customer feedback. Think of instances where you've made changes based on feedback, as this will illustrate your commitment to improving food services and customer satisfaction.
We think you need these skills to ace School Cook - Ealing
Some tips for your application 🫡
Understand the Role: Read through the job description carefully to understand the key responsibilities and requirements. Tailor your application to highlight your relevant experience in food preparation, team supervision, and customer service.
Highlight Relevant Experience: In your CV and cover letter, emphasise any previous roles you’ve had as a cook or in a supervisory position. Mention specific examples of how you've improved food services or managed a team effectively.
Show Your Passion: Express your enthusiasm for great-tasting food and exceptional customer service in your application. Share any personal experiences or achievements that demonstrate your commitment to quality and customer satisfaction.
Prepare for Compliance Questions: Be ready to discuss your knowledge of food hygiene, allergens, and health and safety regulations. Consider including any relevant certifications or training you have completed in these areas.
How to prepare for a job interview at Chartwells Independent
✨Show Your Passion for Food
Make sure to express your enthusiasm for cooking and serving delicious meals. Share any personal experiences or stories that highlight your love for food and how it translates into your work.
✨Demonstrate Leadership Skills
Since the role involves supervising a team, be prepared to discuss your leadership style. Provide examples of how you've successfully managed a team in the past and how you motivate others to excel.
✨Know Your Health & Safety Regulations
Familiarise yourself with food hygiene and health and safety standards, especially those relevant to catering in schools. Be ready to discuss how you ensure compliance and maintain high standards in the kitchen.
✨Prepare for Customer Interaction Scenarios
As customer service is key in this role, think about how you would handle feedback or complaints. Prepare examples of how you've listened to customers in the past and made improvements based on their input.
