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- Tasks: Lead the Prep Department, ensuring high-quality food production and team performance.
- Company: Join COOK, a family-owned frozen food company known for remarkable homemade-style meals.
- Benefits: Enjoy paid breaks, free onsite parking, daily chef-cooked meals, and 30% staff discount.
- Why this job: Be part of a mission-driven company that values quality, community, and employee well-being.
- Qualifications: Previous food industry experience is essential; strong leadership and communication skills required.
- Other info: Flexible hours needed; work in a supportive environment where everyone belongs.
The predicted salary is between 27500 - 35000 £ per year.
Join our Cook family as Head of Prep Department.
Monday to Friday 8am – 4pm but would need some flexibility due to our operation being 24/7.
£33,000 – £35,000 depending on experience.
Previous experience of having worked in the food industry, preferably food manufacturing is essential. Attention to detail is paramount as you help create our remarkable products and ensure our customers receive the same exciting experience every time. In the Preparation Department, you will play a pivotal role in guiding and inspiring your team to achieve exceptional results. You will ensure that daily workloads are effectively planned, monitored, and executed while maintaining high-quality standards and aligning with the company’s core values.
Responsibilities
- Work with the Team Leaders to develop and plan daily prep production schedules ensuring all ingredients are prepared in sync with cooking and finishing production schedules. Ensure equipment utilisation is maximised and the effective use of Labour.
- Responsible for the department’s health and safety.
- Ensure the quality of all ingredients handled by the department are within the agreed specifications.
- Responsible for the management of ingredient traceability through the department including stock management of ingredients in goods in and next day chillers.
- Constantly review and develop processes which improve the efficiency of the department.
- Ensure process yield for each ingredient is measured and negative variance is addressed. Work with the Team Leaders to improve ingredient yield and reduce wastage by reviewing preparation methods.
- Liaise with Procurement to improve ingredient yield by reviewing ingredient specifications.
- Work with NPD to ensure that new products are effectively introduced into the department.
- Establish KPI’s and work with the Team Leaders to implement new products into the department ensuring that the teams understand them and are fully engaged with the achievement of them.
- Develop a training programme which ensures all new starters are supported and fully trained within an agreed time frame.
- Ensure the Team Leaders are kept informed of overall business performance, strategic plans which directly/indirectly affect the department.
About You
- Previous experience of having worked in the food industry, preferably food manufacturing is essential.
- Strong leadership skills, with excellent communication and strong interpersonal and influencing skills.
- Have proven experience of yield or margin management.
- Ability to challenge accepted practices or processes to drive forward improvements or cost savings.
- Ability to work on own initiative.
- Knowledge and a passion for good food.
Benefits
Excellent Benefits including:
- Paid breaks
- Free onsite parking
- Free food cooked for you every day by our amazing chef
- CookieJar Smart Spending discounts on leading brands
- Profit share
- 30% staff discount
- Birthdays off and much more…
About COOK
COOK is a pioneering frozen food company, since 1997 we’ve been making remarkable food for your freezer, prepared by hand at our Kitchens in Kent (savoury) and Somerset (puddings) using the same ingredients and techniques you would at home. It means our food looks and tastes homemade maybe even a bit better.
We’re market leaders and (more importantly) our food tastes incredible. We have over 90 shops and a rapidly growing online business.
We’re independent (family-owned) and always will be because it allows us to do things the right way, not the fast way. We believe in business as a force for good in society and have certified as one of the UK’s first B Corporations to help us measure what matters when it comes to our impact on our environment, our people and our community.
We share 5% of our annual profits with staff.
Based in Sittingbourne at our COOK Kitchen.
Our vision for COOK has always been that we are a place where EVERYONE is welcome. We want everyone to feel like they belong at COOK. We all have different roles, different abilities and different personalities. By collaborating we can do remarkable things. Whatever your story, if you would like to grow with COOK please apply.
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Head of Prep CKK employer: Cookfood
Contact Detail:
Cookfood Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Prep CKK
✨Tip Number 1
Make sure to highlight your previous experience in the food industry, especially if you have worked in food manufacturing. This is essential for the Head of Prep Department role, so be ready to discuss specific examples of your past work.
✨Tip Number 2
Demonstrate your leadership skills by preparing examples of how you've successfully managed teams in the past. Be ready to share how you inspired and guided your team to achieve exceptional results.
✨Tip Number 3
Familiarize yourself with yield and margin management practices. Be prepared to discuss how you've challenged accepted processes to drive improvements or cost savings in your previous roles.
✨Tip Number 4
Show your passion for good food! Research COOK's products and values, and be ready to express how your personal values align with theirs. This will help you stand out as a candidate who truly fits into their culture.
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Prep CKK
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV highlights your previous experience in the food industry, especially in food manufacturing. Emphasize any leadership roles and relevant skills that align with the responsibilities of the Head of Prep Department.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Write a cover letter that showcases your passion for food and your leadership abilities. Mention specific examples of how you've improved processes or managed teams in previous roles, and express your enthusiasm for joining COOK.
Highlight Attention to Detail: Since attention to detail is paramount for this role, provide examples in your application that demonstrate your meticulousness in previous positions, particularly in quality control or ingredient management.
Showcase Your Communication Skills: In your application, illustrate your strong communication and interpersonal skills. Describe situations where you successfully influenced team members or collaborated with other departments to achieve goals.
How to prepare for a job interview at Cookfood
✨Show Your Passion for Food
Make sure to express your enthusiasm for the food industry during the interview. Share specific examples of your experience in food manufacturing and how it has shaped your understanding of quality and customer satisfaction.
✨Demonstrate Leadership Skills
Prepare to discuss your leadership style and provide examples of how you've successfully guided teams in previous roles. Highlight any experiences where you inspired your team to achieve exceptional results or improved processes.
✨Discuss Yield and Margin Management
Be ready to talk about your experience with yield or margin management. Provide concrete examples of how you've challenged accepted practices to drive improvements or cost savings in your previous positions.
✨Emphasize Attention to Detail
Since attention to detail is paramount for this role, prepare to share instances where your meticulous nature led to successful outcomes. Discuss how you ensure high-quality standards are maintained in your work.
