Catering Manager - Erdington

Blue Arrow are recruiting for an experienced Chef to take on a permanent role with our client in the Erdington area of Birmingham. Based predominantly in their newly opened site, your main duties and responsibilities will include:

• Food Preparation
  • Create menus and meals to reflect the diversity of our patients, identifying allergens and costings for each recipe provided to ensure consistency and compliance.
  • Source high quality ingredients within budgetary constraints.
  • Plan and produce food and menus in line with IDDSI standards, ensuring that food looks and tastes appetising, that dietary requirement options are well catered for, including plant based, food intolerances/allergens and cultural requirements, and ensuring that quality and considerate service is achieved by accommodating patient’s food preferences (likes and dislikes).
  • Ensure that meals are delivered and served appropriately, in a safe and clean environment, including temperature of meals and with relevant portion sizes to meet patient appetites.
  • Monitor stock levels, ensure appropriate rotation of stock.
  • Monitor and implement methods to reduce waste and ensure cost efficiencies are followed.
  • Safely use equipment within the kitchen, ensuring that the equipment is used in line with safety and user guidance and well maintained.
  • Ensure the highest standards of food hygiene, kitchen hygiene and health and safety standards, including avoidance of cross contamination, rigid cleaning of the kitchen and all appliances and equipment, and keeping the kitchen tidy at all times, free of clutter and hazards.
  • Provide ordered food and/or drinks for workers and meetings.
• Workforce Supervision
  • Supervise Catering Assistants and Volunteers, allocating duties where required and ensuring that they are aware of, and rigorously adhere to health, hygiene and safety standards.
  • In absence of senior staff ensure rotas provide adequate and safe cover for all shifts.
  • Communicate effectively in all verbal communications and also in written formats, including the use of applications such as Microsoft Word, Excel and email.
• Legislative Awareness
  • To have insightfulness and be able to follow HACCP and Food Hygiene management systems.
  • Understand risk assessment process including COSHH, to be able to follow risk assessments and advise where control measures may need to be reviewed and updated.
  • Demonstrate high levels of infection control including excellent hand hygiene, presentable appearance to assist in food safety legislation.
  • Ensure legislative checks and records for all responsible areas are completed accurately and legibly. Records are maintained and accessible.
  • To ensure safe systems of work are followed and maintained in the catering department, ensuring compliance with all relevant statutory requirements which will include supporting senior staff in ensuring the catering team are familiar with health and safety relevant to their duties and have received the appropriate training in health and safety matters.
• Other Duties
  • To be flexible, able and willing to cover across the rota during times of absence including annual leave and other absences.
  • Willing to participate in forums and groups, representing the wider Facilities team.
  • Report any accidents, risks, concerns or proposed improvements to the Catering Manager.
  • Undertake any duties identified by the Catering Manager, which are commensurate with the Chef role.
  • Occasionally work in other sites to cover sickness and holiday absence.
• Education and Qualifications
  • Food Hygiene L2 City & Guilds in Professional Cookery to Level 2 or NVQ in Food Preparation and Food Service to Level 2.
  • Desirable: Allergens awareness, Level 3 Food Hygiene.
• Knowledge and Experience
  • Experience working within a professional kitchen environment producing freshly made meals.
  • Experience of setting menus and producing recipes.
  • Experience of completing safety data information in line with legislation.
  • Basic IT skills including use of Microsoft Office to produce Word and Excel documents.
  • An understanding of basic nutritional requirements.
  • Demonstrable leadership experience.
  • Knowledge of COSHH legislation and how this relates to a kitchen environment.
  • Knowledge of HACCPs, including temperatures for safe hot and cold holding.
• Personal skills and attributes
  • Approachable with an ability to handle feedback in a positive and proactive way.
  • Capable of professionally managing and resolving complaints.
  • Empathy - able to provide a caring and appropriate service to all patients regardless of their circumstances, backgrounds or health.
  • Resilient, able to demonstrate a calm and measured approach and work well under pressure.
  • Ability to follow guidelines and procedures.

Salary £32,816 per annum. Applicants must pass an enhanced adult & child DBS check.

Blue Arrow is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer and is committed to helping find great work opportunities for great people.