Chef Manager - Benfleet

Chef Manager

Chartwells State Schools
Benfleet
£38,000.00
Compass Group UK & Ireland

Inspire Healthy Futures Through Great Food

Are you a passionate Chef Manager looking for a rewarding role with excellent work-life balance? At Chartwells, part of Compass Group UK & Ireland, we're dedicated to providing nutritious, delicious meals that help pupils thrive in primary and secondary schools across the UK. [job poster info | Word]

What You'll Be Doing

As Chef Manager, you will be responsible for the overall management and performance of the catering operation, ensuring the highest standards of food quality, safety and customer service.

Key responsibilities include:

• Preparing, cooking and serving fresh, nutritious meals to agreed standards. [Chef Manager JD | Word]
• Leading, motivating and developing your catering team.
• Managing food ordering, stock control and minimising waste.
• Ensuring compliance with Food Safety, Health & Safety and allergen regulations.
• Delivering excellent customer service and maintaining strong relationships with school stakeholders.
• Supporting school events, hospitality and engagement activities.
• Managing labour, food costs and financial performance in line with budget expectations.
• Promoting school meal uptake and creating an engaging dining experience for pupils.

What We're Looking For

• An experienced chef with a passion for fresh food and high standards.
• A confident people manager who can coach and develop teams.
• Organised, proactive and able to prioritise effectively.
• Commercially aware with experience managing budgets and costs.
• Customer focused with excellent communication skills.
• Flexible, positive and able to thrive in a busy environment.

Essential Experience & Qualifications

• Previous experience leading a catering team in a similar environment.
• Minimum two years' catering experience.
• Food Hygiene qualification.
• Strong IT and administration skills.
• Knowledge of food production, food safety and allergen management.

What's In It For You?

• Monday to Friday working pattern.
• Excellent work-life balance with school-friendly hours. [job poster info | Word]
• Career development through Compass Career Pathways. [job poster info | Word]
• Access to industry-leading training and development programmes. [job poster info | Word], [Chef Manager JD | Word]
• Pension scheme.
• Employee discounts and exclusive benefits through PerksAtWork. [job poster info | Word]
• Opportunities to progress within the world's leading food and support services company. [job

Join Chartwells

At Chartwells, we believe that great food supports great learning. If you're ready to make a real difference in schools while developing your career with a market‑leading organisation.

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
• 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
• You can share all discounts and offers with your friends and families

Please note: This role is contracted to 43.6 weeks per year

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.

Job Reference: com/2509/J67901/52835588/SU #State Schools

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!

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