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- Tasks: Lead a team of chefs to create innovative dishes for airline customers.
- Company: dnata is a global leader in air and travel services, enhancing travel experiences worldwide.
- Benefits: Enjoy a dynamic work environment with opportunities for career development and creativity.
- Why this job: Join a passionate team and make an impact on in-flight dining experiences across the globe.
- Qualifications: Professional culinary qualifications and experience in product development are essential.
- Other info: This role involves customer interaction and requires strong presentation skills.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.
Overview
dnata is one of the world’s largest air and travel services providers, offering ground handling, cargo, travel and catering & retail services at over 130 airports in more than 30 countries across six continents. At dnata, we are by your side for the entire travel experience. dnata Catering and Retail is one of the world’s leading in-flight hospitality providers, delivering world-class culinary services and innovative products that enhance our passengers’ experience.
We are currently seeking an experienced Head Chef to join our busy catering unit in Hounslow. This role will be responsible for interfacing with Airline customers, central support functions, chefs, Culinary department and EHO & Audit and manage a team of 16 Chefs. One of the other key areas of focus is the utilisation of the people processes to ensure recruitment, training, career development, communication and performance of the team achieves the overall objectives. Part of this role is to also provide expert food preparation knowledge for the benefit of the unit and customers.
Responsibilities
- Work with customer and sales/commercial team to fully understand your customer’s requirements
- Develop dishes and products that match customer brief, commercial constraints and development strategy
- Constantly look to innovate and be creative in your development ideas across a wide range of cuisines
- Prepare and lead customer menu presentations with assistance of the development team to meet presentation deadlines
- Explain kitchen/production concepts in ‘layman’ terms to customers and chefs
- Lead in-house presentations to Chefs on new products and new methods of production including the development of plating guides.
- Work with commercial team on menu specifications post-presentation to ensure accuracy and consistency of data
- Linking with the production kitchen for specialist cuisine input e.g. Japanese
- Assist with transitioning presentation dishes into mainstream production
- Review and constantly improve recipes and production methodology
- Input innovative and create ideas to the development strategy
- Support with in-house hospitality for client entertaining
- Champion global food trends in the business
- Work on various projects as directed e.g. new concepts
- Ensure all costs are contained within agreed financial guidelines and maintain and monitor working practices, systems, and processes to meet schedules.
- Investigating, analysing, suggesting, and implementing corrective actions to resolve problems.
- Organising staff and equipment within specified cost targets to meet forecast.
- Preparing for and implementing changes in menus and specifications.
- Overseeing effective yield test programmes as directed by the Manager.
- Ensuring that all recipes are communicated effectively with the relevant departments
- Ensure your team comply with all Legislation, Company Policy And Customer requirements
- Dealing with both minor incidents and RIDDOR accidents under agreed procedures.
- Playing an Active Part of the HACCP Team for the Unit.
- Meet the service and quality expectations of your customer and maintaining customer and company standard levels.
- In liaison with the Food Supply Manager ensure the quality of the raw product is to specification and that suppliers are fully aware of requirements
This list is not exhaustive, accountabilities may vary dependant on locality or role complexity and may include any other duties considered reasonable by the line Manager.
What do we need from you?
- Professional culinary qualifications e.g. 706/1, 706/2 & 706/3 or diploma/degree level
- Previous product development experience in a manufacturing environment or similar is essential
- Must have experience of working in various types of culinary outlets including fine dining and international
- Experience with product presentation
- Outstanding understanding of food values and food quality with an understanding of chemical/molecular balances in foods
- This is a customer facing role, so you will need to be good at building rapport and creating long-term business relationships
- You will need to be confident in presenting to a group and taking the lead role
If you believe your skills and experience align with what we\’re looking for, we encourage you to apply — we’d love to hear from you!
Seniority level
- Mid-Senior level
Employment type
- Full-time
Job function
- Other
Industries
- Food and Beverage Services and Airlines and Aviation
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Head Chef employer: dnata Catering UK
Contact Detail:
dnata Catering UK Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Head Chef
✨Tip Number 1
Familiarise yourself with dnata's catering services and their customer base. Understanding their specific needs and preferences will help you tailor your approach during interviews and discussions.
✨Tip Number 2
Showcase your creativity and innovation in culinary development. Prepare examples of unique dishes or concepts you've created in the past, as this role requires a strong focus on developing new products.
✨Tip Number 3
Highlight your experience in managing teams and training staff. Be ready to discuss how you've successfully led a team in a high-pressure environment, as this is crucial for the Head Chef position.
✨Tip Number 4
Prepare to discuss food trends and how they can be integrated into dnata's offerings. Being knowledgeable about current culinary trends will demonstrate your passion and forward-thinking approach to the role.
We think you need these skills to ace Head Chef
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV highlights relevant culinary qualifications and experiences that align with the Head Chef role. Emphasise any product development experience and your ability to work in various culinary outlets.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Write a cover letter that showcases your passion for culinary arts and your understanding of customer needs. Mention specific examples of how you've innovated in previous roles and how you can contribute to dnata's catering unit.
Showcase Leadership Skills: Since this role involves managing a team, include examples of your leadership experience. Discuss how you've successfully trained and developed staff in past positions, and how you foster a positive kitchen environment.
Highlight Customer Interaction Experience: As this is a customer-facing role, detail your experience in building rapport with clients. Provide examples of how you've effectively communicated culinary concepts to customers and collaborated with sales teams to meet client expectations.
How to prepare for a job interview at dnata Catering UK
✨Showcase Your Culinary Expertise
Be prepared to discuss your professional culinary qualifications and previous experiences in detail. Highlight specific dishes you've developed and how they align with customer needs, showcasing your creativity and innovation in the kitchen.
✨Demonstrate Leadership Skills
As a Head Chef, you'll be managing a team of chefs. Share examples of how you've successfully led teams in the past, focusing on recruitment, training, and performance management. This will show your ability to foster a positive working environment.
✨Understand Customer Needs
Research dnata's catering services and their clientele. Be ready to discuss how you would approach understanding and meeting customer requirements, as well as how you would develop dishes that cater to diverse tastes and preferences.
✨Prepare for Practical Demonstrations
Since this role involves presenting new products and methods, practice explaining complex culinary concepts in simple terms. You might be asked to demonstrate your cooking skills or present a dish, so be ready to impress with both your culinary and presentation abilities.
