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- Tasks: Lead culinary operations for Aston Villa's Men's First Team, ensuring top-notch nutrition and food quality.
- Company: Join the prestigious Aston Villa FC and be part of a winning team.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, travel opportunities, and a chance to impact elite athlete performance.
- Other info: Dynamic role with opportunities for growth and development in a vibrant sports culture.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in sports nutrition while working with top athletes.
- Qualifications: Culinary training and experience in high-performance environments required.
The predicted salary is between 40000 - 50000 £ per year.
The Senior Sous Chef for Aston Villa Men's First Team plays a key travel and leadership role in delivering a comprehensive travel strategy, while ensuring performance nutrition and athlete requirements are optimised at every level. The role will include significant travel within the UK and internationally, as well as supporting club reconnaissance tasks.
Working closely with the Executive Performance Chef and club nutritionists, the Senior Sous Chef is responsible for leading all travel operations, ensuring exceptional food quality, consistency, and innovation that directly supports player performance, recovery, and first-team preferences. This role will be integral to performance nutrition 'fresh, food-first' philosophy, which fuels European performances and Premier League excellence.
This position combines hands-on culinary expertise with leadership responsibility, overseeing service delivery, mentoring junior chefs, and delivering consistent standards across all men's first-team travel operations. The Senior Sous Chef will also play a key role in matchday catering at Villa Park and during away fixtures, ensuring seamless execution for the first team.
This is a unique opportunity to contribute to the continued growth and success of Aston Villa Men's First Team, aligned with the club's philosophy: 'Proud History, Bright Future.'
ABOUT BODYMOOR HEATH TRAINING GROUND
Aston Villa's Bodymoor Heath Training Ground is one of the most advanced football training facilities in the country. It is home to the men's and women's first teams as well as the academy, serving as a central hub for player development, sports science, and elite performance. The kitchens and dining areas form a vital part of this environment, providing tailored, performance-focused nutrition that powers Aston Villa athletes every day.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Kitchen Leadership: Support the Executive Performance Chef in leading day-to-day travel operations of the men's first team, ensuring high & consistent standards across all strategic preparation, planning & delivery.
- Food Preparation and Service: Lead and actively participate in the preparation, cooking, and presentation of meals to elite standards.
- Performance Nutrition Delivery: Execute menus & strategy in collaboration with Aston Villa's nutritionists and executive performance chef, ensuring meals are aligned with the specific needs of the Men's First Team.
- Matchday Operations Home & Away: Lead or support Men's first-team catering at Villa Park and for away fixtures on matchdays, ensuring seamless, high-quality delivery. This includes travelling to away games.
- Team Management & Development: Supervise, mentor, and develop junior chefs, fostering a culture of excellence, learning, and accountability.
- Menu & Strategy Development: Contribute & lead menu planning and innovation, incorporating modern food trends and performance nutrition principles.
- Food Safety & Compliance: Ensure full adherence to food safety, allergen management, and health & safety standards.
- Stock Control & Cost Management: Assist in managing stock, ordering, and waste reduction to maintain efficiency and cost control.
- Collaboration: Work closely with chefs, nutritionists, sports science, operations and performance teams to deliver the men's first team requirements.
- Standards & Continuous Improvement: Drive consistency, quality, and continuous improvement across all kitchen operations both at the training ground and when representing Aston Villa at any capacity.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
- Culinary Qualifications: Professional Culinary Training. Leadership & Management Training, Performance Nutrition Qualifications.
- Experience: Proven experience as a Sous Chef or Senior Sous Chef, ideally within elite sport, high-performance environments.
- Leadership Skills: Strong ability to lead, motivate, and develop a team in a fast-paced sport environment.
- Technical Expertise: High-level cooking skills with a strong focus on quality, consistency, and presentation.
- Nutrition Awareness: Good understanding and strong interest in sports nutrition and performance-led cooking.
- Organisation & Efficiency: Excellent time management and the ability to deliver under pressure.
- Food Safety Knowledge: Thorough understanding of HACCP, allergens, and health & safety compliance.
- Communication Skills: Confident communicator with the ability to collaborate across departments.
- Flexibility: Willingness to work flexible hours aligned with the football calendar, including evenings, weekends, and matchdays.
- Passion & Drive: A genuine passion for food, performance, and contributing to the success of Aston Villa.
Senior Sous Chef- Travel- Aston Villa Men's 1st Team in Birmingham employer: Compass Group UK & Ireland
Contact Detail:
Compass Group UK & Ireland Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Sous Chef- Travel- Aston Villa Men's 1st Team in Birmingham
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the culinary and sports nutrition world. Attend industry events or even local meet-ups to get your name out there. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings!
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! If you can, create a portfolio showcasing your best dishes and any innovative menus you've developed. This is your chance to demonstrate how you can contribute to the performance nutrition strategy at Aston Villa.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by researching the club's philosophy and recent performances. Tailor your answers to show how your culinary expertise aligns with their 'fresh, food-first' approach. Make it clear that you're ready to elevate their game!
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in being part of the Aston Villa family. Let’s make it happen!
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Sous Chef- Travel- Aston Villa Men's 1st Team in Birmingham
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for Performance Nutrition: When writing your application, let your enthusiasm for performance nutrition shine through. Share specific examples of how you've used food to enhance athletic performance in the past. We want to see that you understand the impact of nutrition on elite athletes!
Tailor Your Experience to the Role: Make sure to highlight your relevant experience as a Sous Chef or Senior Sous Chef, especially in high-performance environments. We’re looking for someone who can lead and innovate, so connect your past roles to the responsibilities outlined in the job description.
Be Clear and Concise: Keep your application clear and to the point. Use bullet points where possible to make it easy for us to read. We appreciate well-structured applications that get straight to the heart of your qualifications and experiences.
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 this exciting opportunity with Aston Villa. We can’t wait to hear from you!
How to prepare for a job interview at Compass Group UK & Ireland
✨Know Your Nutrition
Make sure you brush up on performance nutrition principles. Understand how different foods impact athletic performance and recovery. Be ready to discuss how you would tailor menus to meet the specific needs of elite athletes.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Prepare examples of how you've successfully led a team in a high-pressure environment. Highlight your experience in mentoring junior chefs and how you foster a culture of excellence and accountability in the kitchen.
✨Demonstrate Culinary Expertise
Be ready to talk about your cooking techniques and how you ensure quality and consistency in food preparation. You might even want to bring a portfolio of your best dishes or menu ideas that align with the club's 'fresh, food-first' philosophy.
✨Be Flexible and Adaptable
Since this role involves significant travel and matchday operations, express your willingness to work flexible hours. Share any past experiences where you had to adapt quickly to changing circumstances, especially in a culinary context.