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- Tasks: Lead culinary excellence across schools, ensuring high food standards and team development.
- Company: Join Chartwells, a leader in education catering with a focus on health and nutrition.
- Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, pension scheme, wellness classes, and exclusive travel discounts.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on students' health while growing your culinary career.
- Qualifications: Proven culinary leadership experience and strong commercial acumen required.
- Other info: Dynamic role with opportunities for personal development and regional travel.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.
We ensure you're rewarded for all your hard work, which is why we offer a comprehensive benefits package which includes but is not limited to:
- Contributory pension scheme
- Car or Car Allowance
- Grow your career with our Career Pathways and MyLearning programmes
- Quick access for you and your immediate family to a Digital GP, and wider healthcare benefits
- Exclusive travel discounts with TUI, Expedia, Booking.com and many more
- Save money on your food shop with discounts on Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons and many more
- Up to 44% off cinema tickets to enjoy your favourite blockbuster
- Receive cash rewards every time you spend and use them on a wide range of brands
- Un-wind with us with free wellness, mindfulness and exercise classes
Role Overview
The Executive Chef is responsible for leading culinary performance across all schools within the region, ensuring consistently high food standards, strong commercial outcomes and full compliance with School Food Standards and company frameworks. The role leads a small brigade of Regional Executive Chefs, providing hands-on culinary support to Heads of Operations (HOO’s) and Primary and Secondary schools. The Executive Chef is accountable for food quality, consistency, commercial performance, people development and supporting business growth through retention and new business activity.
A key focus of the role is understanding and influencing the commercial levers that drive profitability and growth, including PPM, GP% and margin performance, while delivering a market-leading, compliant and engaging food offer.
Key Accountabilities
Food Offer & Standards
- Own and deliver a consistent, managed food offer across the region, incorporating food safety, nutrition, sustainability, innovation, brand standards and commerciality
- Ensure all sites execute approved School Food Standards, SOURCE recipes, recipe cards and purchasing compliance
- Set and maintain exceptional food quality standards across all service points, including counters, cafés, mobile pods and food outlets
- Lead the Regional Executive Chef team to deliver consistent execution, prioritising daily business needs and continuous kitchen support
Culinary Leadership & Support
- Lead, manage and develop the regional culinary team to ensure the highest standards of food delivery
- Operate in a highly visible, hands-on and mobile role, visiting schools regularly to engage and support kitchen teams
- Partner with HOO’s to ensure culinary requirements are met and a consistent food offer is delivered across all schools
- Drive delivery of monthly PPM, GP% and margin targets
- Lead regular regional culinary calls and ensure all communications and actions are completed
- Attend and contribute to culinary forums, menu development sessions and regional leadership meetings
Training, Development & Partnership
- Ensure clear culinary pathways and skills development plans are in place across the region
- Personally support training delivery where required, maintaining a hands-on approach
- Build strong collaborative relationships with HOO’s, operators and growth teams
- Represent the business at key Chartwells events, client engagements and regional forums
Growth & Mobilisation
- Provide culinary leadership to support retention and new business growth
- Lead food presentations and support tender submissions
- Deliver South/Regional Map 1 sales and retention presentations
- Lead and support mobilisations, ensuring readiness and strong Day 1 “Go Live” delivery
Person Specification
Experience & Capability
- Proven track record of hands-on culinary leadership within a large-scale, multi-site commercial foodservice environment
- Experience delivering sustainable, global and education-appropriate food offers across multiple service channels
- Demonstrated ability to lead, coach and develop teams, including matrix or indirect reports
- Strong commercial acumen with a clear understanding of PPM, GP%, margin and cost control drivers
- Confident communicator with strong presentation and influencing skills across all stakeholder levels
- Able to inspire and engage diverse audiences, from frontline teams to senior leaders and clients
- Comfortable operating at pace, managing competing priorities across multiple sites
Leadership & Behaviour
- Strategic thinker with the ability to translate innovation and insight into operational excellence
- Strong advocate for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
- Actively invests in personal development and stays ahead of industry and market trends
- Highly organised, with excellent prioritisation, delegation and change management skills
- Data-led decision maker with the ability to drive measurable business impact
- Passionate advocate for high food standards, menu consistency and team development
- Excellent listener and communicator, ensuring frontline teams fully understand expectations and standards
- Mobile and flexible, with a proactive approach to regional travel
About Us
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 expect 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!
Executive Chef in Stoke-on-Trent employer: Chartwells Careers
Contact Detail:
Chartwells Careers Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Executive Chef in Stoke-on-Trent
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the culinary world, especially those who work in education or large-scale food service. A friendly chat can lead to insider info about job openings that aren't even advertised yet.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! If you get the chance, organise a cooking demo or a tasting session. This is a fantastic way to showcase your culinary expertise and creativity, making you stand out from the crowd.
✨Tip Number 3
Be proactive! Don’t just wait for job postings; reach out directly to schools or organisations you’re interested in. Express your passion for food and education, and who knows, they might create a role just for you!
✨Tip Number 4
Keep learning! Stay updated with the latest trends in food service and nutrition. Enrol in workshops or online courses to enhance your skills. This not only boosts your CV but also shows potential employers that you're committed to personal growth.
We think you need these skills to ace Executive Chef in Stoke-on-Trent
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Culinary Passion: When you're writing your application, let your love for food and cooking shine through! Share your experiences and what drives you in the culinary world. We want to see your personality and passion for creating amazing dishes.
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your application to match the job description. Highlight your experience in leading teams and managing food standards, as these are key for us. Show how your skills align with our values and the role's requirements.
Be Clear and Concise: Keep your application straightforward and to the point. Use clear language and avoid jargon. We appreciate a well-structured application that makes it easy for us to see your qualifications and experience at a glance.
Apply Through Our Website: Don't forget to submit your application through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it’s super easy to do!
How to prepare for a job interview at Chartwells Careers
✨Know Your Culinary Standards
Before the interview, brush up on the School Food Standards and any relevant culinary guidelines. Being able to discuss how you would ensure compliance and maintain high food quality standards will show that you're serious about the role.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Prepare examples of how you've successfully led a culinary team in the past. Highlight your experience in training and developing staff, as well as how you've managed competing priorities across multiple sites. This will demonstrate your capability to lead the Regional Executive Chef team effectively.
✨Understand the Commercial Side
Familiarise yourself with key commercial metrics like PPM, GP%, and margin performance. Be ready to discuss how you can influence these levers to drive profitability and growth. This knowledge will set you apart as a candidate who understands the business side of culinary operations.
✨Engage with the Interviewers
During the interview, make sure to engage with your interviewers by asking insightful questions about their culinary vision and challenges. This shows your genuine interest in the role and helps you assess if the company aligns with your values and career goals.