Head Chef in Brockenhurst

Are you a talented Head Chef looking for an opportunity to make a real impact? Join our team at Brockenhurst College, where you'll lead the delivery of high-quality, nutritious meals for students and staff while creating an exceptional dining experience. This is a fantastic opportunity for an experienced culinary professional to showcase their creativity, drive food quality standards, and lead a dedicated catering team within a rewarding education environment.

As Head Chef, you'll be responsible for overseeing all kitchen operations, from menu development and food preparation to budget management, food safety compliance, and team leadership. We're looking for someone with strong catering experience, excellent organisational skills, and a passion for delivering healthy, appealing meals that meet a wide range of dietary requirements.

In return, you'll enjoy a supportive working environment, a great work-life balance with predominantly daytime hours, and the opportunity to positively influence the wellbeing and dining experience of the college community every day.

What's in it for you:

• Competitive salary and benefits package - up to £39,000 dependant on experience
• Access to PerkBox - which includes 100's of discounts, including savings on your weekly supermarket shop and weekend treats!
• Company package including life assurance, pension contributions, generous holiday entitlement with the option to buy more, and many more perks.
• Joining a great team, with fabulous career prospects and opportunities for promotion from within.
• Great training provided, including apprenticeship schemes for continued learning.

Job Responsibilities:

• Lead and manage the day-to-day kitchen operation, ensuring the consistent delivery of high-quality, nutritious meals for students, staff, and visitors.
• Plan, develop, and implement seasonal menus that meet nutritional standards, dietary requirements, and budget expectations.
• Manage, motivate, and develop the catering team, ensuring high levels of performance, engagement, and compliance.
• Oversee food ordering, stock control, and supplier management to maintain availability while minimising waste and controlling costs.
• Ensure full compliance with food safety, HACCP, allergen legislation, health & safety, and company policies.
• Monitor financial performance, managing food costs, labour budgets, and expenditure to achieve agreed targets.
• Maintain high standards of food presentation, service, cleanliness, and kitchen organisation at all times.
• Engage with students, staff, and key stakeholders to gather feedback, promote healthy eating initiatives, and continuously enhance the catering experience.

Key Requirements:

• Proven experience as a Head Chef, Chef Manager or Senior Chef, ideally within education, contract catering, or high-volume hospitality environments.
• Strong leadership and people management skills, with the ability to motivate, develop and support a successful catering team.
• Sound knowledge of food safety, HACCP, allergen management, and food hygiene regulations, ensuring full compliance at all times.
• Experience managing food costs, stock control, budgets, and reducing waste while maintaining high food quality standards.
• Passion for creating nutritious, high-quality menus that cater to a variety of dietary, cultural, and allergen requirements.
• Excellent organisational, communication, and time management skills, with the ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment.

At Aramark UK, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone is valued and empowered to thrive. As a proud Disability Confident employer, we actively encourage applications from individuals of all abilities and are dedicated to supporting employees with disabilities throughout their career journey.