Head Chef (Production / Meal Prep Kitchen)

Role purpose: to take full day-to-day responsibility for kitchen output, production standards, food safety, team supervision and on-time dispatch across Nourish’s meal prep and catering operation.

The Company: Nourish is a fast-growing halal meal prep and catering business serving retail customers, athletes, community programmes and catering clients. We operate a production-focused kitchen where consistency, food safety, organisation and reliable execution matter every day. This is not a restaurant service role. It is a hands-on kitchen leadership position focused on high-volume production, disciplined systems and making sure meals leave the kitchen to the required standard, correctly packed and on schedule. We are looking for someone professionally trained, dependable and operationally strong enough to run the kitchen properly, hold standards and take ownership of output.

Core Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day kitchen operations across meal prep and catering production.
• Translate confirmed orders into structured prep, cook and packing schedules.
• Run high-volume batch cooking to a consistent standard across multiple menu items.
• Supervise blast chilling, portioning, labelling, packing and dispatch preparation.
• Ensure meals are produced correctly, packed accurately and handed over on time.
• Allocate work across kitchen assistants and maintain control of workflow during busy periods.
• Monitor stock levels, forecast ingredient requirements and coordinate ordering with suppliers.
• Maintain an organised, clean and audit-ready kitchen at all times.
• Work closely with other departments to ensure customer satisfaction and operational excellence.

Food Safety, Standards and Kitchen Control

• Maintain strong food hygiene standards across all stages of production.
• Follow and enforce HACCP procedures, allergen controls and temperature logging requirements.
• Apply disciplined stock control practices, including FIFO systems where appropriate.
• Maintain recipe consistency, portion control and production accuracy across all batches.
• Identify operational issues early and take practical action to protect quality, timing and output.
• Escalate recurring issues around waste, stock, quality or kitchen performance where necessary.

Production Accuracy and Performance Expectations

• The person in this role will ultimately be responsible for ensuring the kitchen delivers what is required, when it is required, and to the expected standard.
• Consistent on-time fulfilment of meal prep and catering orders.
• Reliable high-volume output without compromising food quality or food safety.
• Accurate portioning, labelling and packing of finished meals.
• Strong control of food cost, stock use and avoidable waste.
• A calm, organised and standards-driven kitchen culture.

Candidate Profile

• Proven experience in a high-volume kitchen, production kitchen or large-scale catering environment.
• Professionally trained chef with the confidence to run kitchen operations day to day.
• Strong batch-cooking capability and the ability to maintain standards under pressure.
• Reliable, punctual, organised and able to lead by example.
• Good understanding of food cost control, waste reduction and kitchen discipline.
• Comfortable supervising a small team and holding people to clear standards.
• Level 2 Food Hygiene certificate required.
• Full UK driving licence preferred if operational support beyond the kitchen is ever needed.

Desirable Experience

• Formal culinary training or qualifications are highly desirable.
• Leadership and team management skills, with experience supervising kitchen staff.
• Ability to manage time effectively and work under pressure in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent organizational and communication skills.
• Experience with global cuisines (South Asian/East Asian or Southeast Asian cuisine desirable).
• Experience working in halal kitchens or familiarity with halal operating standards.
• Working knowledge of HACCP systems, stock rotation and production-led kitchen processes.
• Experience supplying high volumes of meals for catering contracts, community programmes or similar operational environments.
• Experience in food production management, kitchen operations, and inventory control.
• Knowledge of food safety regulations and maintaining hygiene standards.

Compensation and Incentives

• Base salary: £25,000-27,000 per year.
• Initial Period: First month paid at hourly rate during initial assessment / training period.
• Bonus: Discretionary performance-based bonus with the potential to earn up to £3,000–£5,000 per year, subject to individual performance and overall company performance.
• Progression: The role offers genuine scope to grow in responsibility, influence and earnings as the business scales and the right person proves themselves.

Why Join Nourish

This is a meaningful leadership opportunity for someone who wants more than a routine kitchen job. The right person will have the chance to shape how the kitchen runs, build stronger systems, and become a key operator inside a growing food business. Nourish is ambitious, commercially minded and focused on building a serious long-term operation. We value people who are dependable, take pride in standards and want to grow with the business. Where people perform well and create value, we are open to recognising that over time through progression, responsibility and reward.

How to Apply

Please apply with your CV and a brief note outlining your relevant kitchen experience, the type of environments you have worked in, and why this role is of interest.