At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and inspire kitchen teams while ensuring exceptional food quality and service.
- Company: Dine, a chef-led catering company focused on food excellence.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, car allowance, and opportunities for culinary development.
- Other info: Exciting career growth opportunities and hands-on mentoring available.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a dynamic environment with diverse culinary challenges.
- Qualifications: Experience as a Chef Manager with strong leadership and culinary skills.
The predicted salary is between 33000 - 33000 £ per year.
Field-based
Up to £33,000 per annum + car allowance
Permanent | Full-Time | 5 days over 7 (including weekends) | Occasional overnight stays
Due to the site locations within your remit, we are looking for someone who lives in the Cannock/Staffordshire area with easy access to the M6.
About the role
We’re looking for an Area Support Manager who can do far more than cook. This is an exciting opportunity for a passionate culinary professional to step into a regional leadership role, combining food expertise, operational excellence, and people development to drive outstanding results across multiple sites. This is a hands-on role, with a significant focus on supporting our kitchens directly. You’ll spend much of your time working alongside teams in busy kitchen environments, ensuring standards are consistently delivered where it matters most. Outside of these periods, you’ll play a key role in developing our people, supporting mobilisations, and driving best practice. As a key member of our operational leadership team, you’ll work across our Midlands locations, supporting and inspiring kitchen teams while ensuring consistent quality, innovation, and commercial performance. If you’re as comfortable leading teams and meeting clients as you are stepping into the kitchen, this could be the perfect next step in your culinary career.
What You’ll Be Doing
- Work hands-on in kitchens across your region, providing direct operational support where required to maintain standards and service delivery.
- Lead and support kitchen teams to deliver exceptional food and service every day.
- Drive consistency, quality, and presentation standards across all menus and sites.
- Coach and develop Chef Managers and kitchen teams, helping them grow and succeed.
- Support new site mobilisations, ensuring a strong operational set-up and smooth transition to business as usual.
- Provide guidance and training to unit teams on systems, processes, and compliance standards.
- Build strong partnerships with Site Managers, clients, and central support teams to enhance standards and drive innovation.
- Monitor and manage key operational metrics including food costs, labour, waste, and GP to ensure commercial success.
- Maintain full compliance with food safety, health & safety, and company policies, championing a strong HSE culture.
- Champion culinary excellence and continuous improvement, introducing new ideas that elevate our food offering.
What You’ll Bring to the Table
- Proven experience as a Chef Manager, ideally with multi-site responsibility.
- A strong culinary background and passion for delivering exceptional food and service.
- A hands-on approach, with the ability and willingness to step into busy kitchen environments when needed.
- Inspirational leadership skills — you motivate teams, build engagement, and lead by example.
- Experience supporting training, mobilisation activity, and continuous improvement initiatives.
- Excellent client relationship and communication skills.
- Strong understanding of food safety, compliance, and kitchen operations.
- Solid financial and operational awareness, confident managing budgets, costs, and performance metrics.
- A full UK driving licence and flexibility to travel regularly across the region.
Why Join Us?
We offer a dynamic environment where no two days are the same. You’ll have the autonomy to shape culinary standards across your region while remaining closely connected to the kitchens and teams you support. Alongside hands-on operational impact, you’ll play a key role in developing our people, supporting new openings, and embedding best practice across the business — giving you real variety and opportunity to make a difference. We also offer exciting culinary development pathways for you and your teams, from hands-on mentoring to recognised qualifications, so you can continue to grow your skills while inspiring others to do the same.
Area Support Manager - M6 Corridor NEW DINE Posted today £33,000 per year M6 Corridor Operations in Cannock employer: Chartwells Independent
At Dine, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer that values culinary excellence and employee development. Our dynamic work culture fosters creativity and collaboration, allowing you to lead and inspire kitchen teams while enjoying the autonomy to shape culinary standards across the M6 Corridor. With exciting growth opportunities, hands-on mentoring, and a commitment to quality, you'll find a rewarding environment where your passion for food can truly flourish.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Area Support Manager - M6 Corridor NEW DINE Posted today £33,000 per year M6 Corridor Operations in Cannock
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the culinary world, especially those who might know someone at Dine. A friendly chat can open doors that a CV just can't.
✨Tip Number 2
Get hands-on! If you can, volunteer or do a trial shift in a similar role. It shows your commitment and gives you a taste of what it’s like to work with the team at Dine.
✨Tip Number 3
Show off your passion for food! When you get the chance to meet with hiring managers, share your culinary experiences and ideas. Let them see how you can elevate their food excellence.
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, you’ll find all the latest opportunities right there, tailored just for you.
We think you need these skills to ace Area Support Manager - M6 Corridor NEW DINE Posted today £33,000 per year M6 Corridor Operations in Cannock
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for Food:When writing your application, let your love for food shine through! Share your culinary experiences and how they align with our food-first mindset at Dine. We want to see that you’re not just a chef, but someone who truly believes in the power of great food.
Highlight Your Leadership Skills:As an Area Support Manager, you'll be leading teams across multiple sites. Make sure to showcase your leadership experience in your application. Tell us about times you've inspired others or driven improvements in kitchen operations. We’re looking for someone who can motivate and elevate our teams!
Be Specific About Your Experience:Don’t just list your previous roles; dive into the details! Talk about your hands-on experience in kitchens, your approach to training staff, and how you've managed operational metrics. The more specific you are, the better we can understand how you’ll fit into our team.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way to ensure your application gets to us quickly and efficiently. Plus, you’ll find all the info you need about the role and our company culture right there!
How to prepare for a job interview at Chartwells Independent
✨Know Your Culinary Stuff
Make sure you brush up on your culinary knowledge and operational standards. Be ready to discuss your experience in managing kitchens, leading teams, and ensuring food quality. Dine values a strong culinary background, so showcase your passion for food and service.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Prepare examples of how you've inspired and developed kitchen teams in the past. Think about specific situations where you motivated staff or improved performance. Dine is looking for someone who can lead by example, so be ready to demonstrate your leadership style.
✨Understand the Business Side
Familiarise yourself with key operational metrics like food costs, labour, and waste management. Be prepared to discuss how you've managed budgets and driven commercial success in previous roles. This will show that you have a solid understanding of the financial aspects of running a kitchen.
✨Be Ready for Hands-On Scenarios
Since this role involves working directly in kitchens, think about how you would handle busy environments. Prepare to discuss your hands-on approach and how you would support teams during peak times. Dine wants someone who isn't afraid to roll up their sleeves and get involved.
