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- Tasks: Lead and deliver high-quality school meals across multiple sites, ensuring compliance and customer satisfaction.
- Company: Join Havering’s Catering Service, a growing team providing over 15,000 meals daily.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, generous leave, and a solid pension scheme.
- Other info: Exciting opportunity for career growth in a supportive local government environment.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in children's lives through nutritious meals and strong community relationships.
- Qualifications: Proven management experience in catering, strong leadership skills, and food safety knowledge.
The predicted salary is between 43690 - 48003 £ per year.
We are looking for an experienced and motivated Area Catering Operations Manager to lead and deliver a high-quality, compliant and financially sustainable school meals service across a designated group of schools. You will play a key role in ensuring nutritious, tasty meals are delivered to children and young people, while driving customer satisfaction, operational excellence and value for money. Managing Kitchen Managers across multiple sites, you will balance people leadership, budget management and service development to support the continued growth of Havering’s Catering Service.
Havering’s Catering Service is part of the Council’s traded services portfolio and currently provides over 15,000 meals per day to more than 50 schools within and outside the borough. The service is growing and prides itself on fresh, cooked food, strong customer relationships and high compliance standards.
Key Responsibilities- Manage and deliver an excellent school meals service across allocated sites, maximising meal take-up and customer satisfaction
- Ensure full compliance with food safety, health & safety, nutrition standards, HACCP, COSHH and safeguarding requirements
- Lead, motivate and develop Kitchen Managers and catering teams
- Manage budgets, income generation and resource allocation
- Work closely with the Executive Development & Training Chef on menu and recipe development
- Implement and monitor quality assurance processes and audits
- Build strong relationships with schools, stakeholders and partners
- Produce management and performance reports
- Deputise for the Catering Operations Manager and lead projects as required
- Proven management experience in large-scale catering, ideally in an educational setting
- Strong leadership, communication and people management skills
- In-depth knowledge of food safety and catering legislation
- Experience of menu and recipe development
- Sound understanding of budget management and reporting
- OND/HND in Catering or equivalent experience
- Level 3/4 Advanced Food Hygiene qualification
- Full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle
- Nutrition qualification
- Training or coaching qualifications
- Marketing or sales experience
Benefits and Perks
Competitive local government salary (Grade 7)
Local Government Pension Scheme with generous employer contributions
Generous annual leave entitlement plus
Area Catering Manager in London employer: London Borough of Havering
Contact Detail:
London Borough of Havering Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Area Catering Manager in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the catering industry, especially those who work in educational settings. A friendly chat can lead to insider info about job openings or even a referral.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the schools and their catering needs. Show us you understand their mission and how you can enhance their meal service. Tailor your answers to reflect their values and goals.
✨Tip Number 3
Don’t underestimate the power of follow-ups! After an interview, drop a quick thank-you email to express your appreciation. It keeps you on their radar and shows your enthusiasm for the role.
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website for a smoother process! We love seeing candidates who take the initiative to engage with us directly. Plus, it gives you a chance to showcase your passion for the role right from the start.
We think you need these skills to ace Area Catering Manager in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV reflects the skills and experience mentioned in the job description. Highlight your management experience in large-scale catering and any relevant qualifications to show us you’re the right fit for the Area Catering Manager role.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to tell us why you’re passionate about delivering high-quality school meals and how your leadership skills can drive customer satisfaction. Keep it engaging and personal!
Showcase Your Achievements: Don’t just list your responsibilities; showcase your achievements! Whether it’s improving meal take-up or managing budgets effectively, we want to see how you’ve made a difference in your previous roles.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply through our website for a smooth application process. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you don’t miss out on any important updates from us!
How to prepare for a job interview at London Borough of Havering
✨Know Your Stuff
Make sure you brush up on your knowledge of food safety, nutrition standards, and catering legislation. Being able to discuss these topics confidently will show that you're serious about the role and understand the importance of compliance in a school meals service.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Prepare examples of how you've successfully led teams in the past. Think about specific situations where you motivated your team or improved service delivery. This will help demonstrate your strong leadership and people management skills, which are crucial for this position.
✨Budget Savvy
Be ready to discuss your experience with budget management. Have some examples handy that illustrate how you've effectively managed resources and maximised income generation in previous roles. This will highlight your ability to balance financial sustainability with service quality.
✨Build Relationships
Think about how you've built strong relationships with stakeholders in the past. Be prepared to share strategies you've used to engage with schools and partners, as this role requires excellent communication and relationship-building skills to ensure customer satisfaction.