Cook Manager in East Molesey, Surrey

Impact Food Group (IFG) is one of England’s fastest-growing school food providers, serving around one million students every day across more than 1,500 schools. We are dedicated to delivering high-quality, nutritious meals that support student wellbeing and enjoyment. Our brands include Innovate, Cucina, Chapter One (Independent Schools), Hutchison, and Dolce, reflecting our breadth of experience and reach across the school catering sector.

The role is based at St Albans Catholic Primary School, East Molesey, KT8, working Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 3pm (35 hours per week) for 342 weeks per year (term time plus inset days) with a pay of £25,000 per annum.

As a Cook Manager, you’ll lead a friendly kitchen team to deliver fresh, seasonal meals to students each day. This is a hands-on management role, where you’ll oversee the kitchen, support your team, and ensure smooth service. Your responsibilities will include:

• Managing the day-to-day running of the kitchen
• Leading, motivating, and developing your catering team
• Preparing and serving fresh, seasonal meals for the school
• Planning menus, managing stock, and ensuring compliance with food hygiene and safety standards
• Liaising directly with onsite clients and stakeholders
• Ensuring service runs smoothly and efficiently

We’re looking for an experienced Cook/Chef Manager with strong leadership skills and a passion for food. The ideal candidate will have:

• Previous experience managing a kitchen, ideally in schools or high-volume catering environments
• Skills in preparing fresh, seasonal food
• Strong people management and team leadership skills
• Good organisational and communication skills
• A proactive, hands-on approach with pride in maintaining high standards
• A good understanding of food hygiene and safety regulations

This role offers an excellent work-life balance with daytime hours, no evenings or weekends, all school holidays off, a free meal on shift, and provided uniform. Additionally, there are opportunities for training, development, and career progression, access to free qualifications, a staff discount scheme across 850 retailers, and monthly team incentives, including chances to win shopping vouchers.

If this sounds like the right role for you, we’d love to hear from you! Please note: An interview, trade test & kitchen visit will be required as part of the recruitment process. IFG are committed to the safeguarding of children, and our employees share this commitment. Successful candidates are required to undergo an enhanced DBS disclosure and children’s barred list check, which IFG will pay for. We are a committed equal opportunities employer - if you require any assistance for the interview process, please detail within your application. All information is kept confidential and in compliance with GDPR requirements.