At a Glance
- Tasks: Create exciting school menus and inspire catering teams to deliver delicious meals for children.
- Company: Join Centurion Staunch Innovative Solutions Ltd, a leader in school catering innovation.
- Benefits: Earn £20.75 per hour with opportunities for professional growth and travel.
- Other info: Dynamic role supporting multiple schools with excellent career development potential.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in children's lives through nutritious and tasty school meals.
- Qualifications: Experience in school or large-scale catering and strong training skills required.
The predicted salary is between 43000 - 60000 € per year.
This is not a standard development chef role. We are looking for an innovative, practical and collaborative School Menu Development Chef to inspire and develop school catering teams and deliver outstanding meals for children.
You will design fresh, seasonal menus (updated twice per year), ensure compliance with School Food Standards and Food for Life criteria, deliver audits and improvement recommendations, run taster sessions and demonstrations at schools, and support/upskill school cooks in producing high-quality, cost-effective meals at scale.
This role supports large-scale catering operations serving millions of meals annually and requires a mix of menu development, practical recipe scaling, training and hands-on kitchen support.
Key Responsibilities- Design and implement fresh, seasonal school menus that meet School Food Standards and Food for Life criteria (menus changed twice yearly).
- Translate small-scale recipes into large-scale recipes (e.g., scaling to serve up to 200+).
- Inspire, train and upskill school cooks and catering teams through coaching, demonstrations and on-site support.
- Carry out kitchen audits, identify opportunities for improvement and provide clear, practical recommendations.
- Promote the school meal offer through taster sessions, food demonstrations and school events.
- Ensure strict allergen management and food safety/compliance in all menus and procedures.
- Support continuous improvement across school and commercial catering operations (portion control, cost management, consistency).
- Travel between the central kitchen and schools to provide on-site support as required.
- Proven experience in school catering or substantial experience in large-scale/public sector catering environments.
- Awareness and working knowledge of School Food Standards and government guidance for school meals.
- Strong understanding of allergen compliance and management in a school setting.
- Demonstrable ability to scale recipes and produce consistent high-quality output at volume.
- Confident trainer/coach experience delivering practical training and demonstrations to kitchen teams.
- Good written and verbal communication skills; able to engage pupils, staff and parents at events.
- Full UK driving licence and ability to travel between sites.
- Experience working with Food for Life or similar quality food accreditation.
- Prior experience developing special dietary menus (e.g., dairy-free, allergen-specific menus).
- Previous experience working across multiple school sites or local-authority catering services.
- Role supports up to 52 schools across the council area and 2 schools in Derby.
- School visits per week: Variable dependent on school needs (could be 1 site or multiple); the majority of development work will be at the head office/central kitchen.
- Contract duration: Current assignment runs until end of March (fixed-term).
- Menu creation frequency: Menus are created/updated twice per year. There is also periodic work for bespoke special-diet menus (e.g., allergy-specific).
- Rate: £20.75 per hour (umbrella) rate is fixed and non-negotiable.
Please send a CV highlighting your school/large-scale catering experience and examples of menu development or training delivered to: [application details].
Privacy Assurance: All personal information provided during the recruitment process will be handled securely and processed in accordance with GDPR. Data will be used only for recruitment, onboarding and compliance purposes and will not be shared outside authorised channels.
School Menu Development Chef in Nottingham employer: Centurionstaunch
Centurion Staunch Innovative Solutions Ltd is an exceptional employer for those passionate about school catering, offering a collaborative and innovative work culture that prioritises the development of high-quality meals for children. With opportunities for professional growth through hands-on training and support across multiple schools, employees can make a meaningful impact while enjoying the benefits of working in a dynamic environment in Nottingham. The company values creativity and compliance, ensuring that staff are equipped to inspire and uplift school catering teams effectively.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land School Menu Development Chef in Nottingham
✨Tip Number 1
Get your networking game on! Reach out to people in the school catering industry, attend relevant events, and connect with others on LinkedIn. You never know who might have a lead on that perfect School Menu Development Chef role!
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! Create a portfolio showcasing your menu designs, training sessions, and any successful projects you've led. This will give potential employers a taste of what you can bring to their team.
✨Tip Number 3
Be proactive! Don’t just wait for job postings; reach out directly to schools or catering companies. Express your interest in working with them and share how you can help improve their meal offerings.
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, we love seeing candidates who take the initiative to apply directly!
We think you need these skills to ace School Menu Development Chef in Nottingham
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Experience:Make sure to highlight your experience in school catering or large-scale public sector environments. We want to see how you've tackled similar challenges and what innovative solutions you've brought to the table!
Tailor Your CV:Don’t just send a generic CV! Tailor it to reflect your skills in menu development and training. We love seeing specific examples of how you've inspired and upskilled kitchen teams.
Be Clear and Concise:When writing your application, keep it clear and to the point. We appreciate straightforward communication, so make sure your key points stand out and are easy to read.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply through our website for a smoother process. It helps us keep everything organised and ensures your application gets the attention it deserves!
How to prepare for a job interview at Centurionstaunch
✨Know Your Menus Inside Out
Before the interview, make sure you’re familiar with current school food standards and any recent trends in school catering. Be ready to discuss how you would design fresh, seasonal menus that meet these standards and how you can adapt recipes for large-scale production.
✨Show Off Your Training Skills
Since this role involves inspiring and upskilling school cooks, prepare to share examples of your previous training experiences. Think about specific demonstrations or coaching sessions you've led and how they improved kitchen operations or meal quality.
✨Be Ready for Practical Questions
Expect questions that assess your ability to scale recipes and manage allergen compliance. You might be asked to provide a practical example of how you’ve handled a challenging dietary requirement or scaled a recipe for a large group, so have those stories ready!
✨Engage with Passion
This role is all about inspiring others, so let your passion for school meals shine through during the interview. Talk about why you love working in school catering and how you can promote the meal offer through engaging taster sessions and events.
