School Chef in Stourbridge

Old Swinford Services Limited seeks to appoint a School Chef for a busy kitchen which caters for school meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner), lettings, and functions. To be part of a hardworking team which comprises of a Catering Manager, 5 Chefs and 11 Catering Assistants.

About OSH: Old Swinford Hospital is one of the country’s leading state boarding schools. A large number of the School’s students are boarders who come from a wide range of backgrounds in the UK and also from the EU and overseas. A third of our pupils are day pupils, who usually go home after lessons, unless they are involved in sport or music, CCF or DofE. The School has now become fully co-educational. OSH is a calm place to work. It is inclusive, tolerant and welcoming. The atmosphere is supportive and orderly, and it is also very relaxed because for many of our pupils their school is also their home. Parents, pupils and staff are all on the same side and our pupils want to learn before going out into the wider world and making their own contribution to it.

We have had two very favourable Ofsted visits, one for boarding and one for curriculum. We enjoy a very good academic reputation and regularly feature in the lists of the most academically successful maintained schools. We pride ourselves on developing in our pupils a balance of academic achievement, character and resilience. Our extensive extra-curricular programme contributes to our pupils becoming happy, healthy and interested young people, for whom sport, music, art, drama, outdoor pursuits feature in their everyday lives.

Person Specification

• Experience or qualifications as a chef or cook, preferably in a school, or similar setting;
• Flair and passion for food;
• Excellent culinary skills with an attention to detail;
• Breadth of experience, skills and achievements gained from working within a hotel, restaurant or contract catering environment is essential, a minimum of 3 years’ experience would be desirable;
• A creative thinker with sound knowledge of the current food trends;
• Sound knowledge of hygiene, health and safety requirements;
• Self-motivated with the ability to work under pressure;
• A team player with managerial experience;
• Planning and organisational skills in order to be able to run a busy food service area;
• A willingness to adopt a hands-on approach in a varied and demanding team environment to meet deadlines;
• Positive and professional attitude;
• Demonstrate a high standard of personal cleanliness and appearance;
• Polite manner in dealing with pupils and staff;
• Good oral communication skills.

Job Specification

Overall Objectives: To assist the Catering Manager in the kitchen operation and ensure the school's reputation for food quality is maintained at all times.

Specific Responsibilities:

• To ensure that all School requirements for catering are met, ie pupil meals, events, meetings, lettings and functions.
• Together with the Catering Manager, plan, prepare, cook with fresh ingredients to produce home cooked foods and present food to the standards required by the school as required by Ofsted;
• To ensure that the School’s food from your section is of a high quality for each meal time and ensure HACCP procedures are followed;
• To ensure the smooth and efficient running of your section;
• To control portion size and monitor waste;
• To ensure supplies are correctly issued, used and accounted for to carry out stock takes and food rotation procedures;
• To assist in the development and planning of menus, including future food trends and be passionate about developing new styles of service and concepts in the location;
• To ensure that the catering team has sufficient knowledge of produced dishes to be able to advise students/staff of allergens and content;
• To assist with stock taking when required;
• To supervise shifts (if required) to ensure that the production of meals on that shift are of the highest quality and are achieved by production methods that comply with all health, safety and hygiene legislation;
• To ensure health and safety and food safety standards are maintained in line with school policy.

Client Service:

• To ensure that students are given a prompt and efficient service and expectations are consistently exceeded;
• To be customer focused at all times; approachable and quick to exceed expectations in fulfilling customer needs.
• To ensure all food from your section is cooked, presented and served in line with School standards, using innovation in method and style of presentation and food service;

People:

• To supervise and teach the trainee chefs when in your section;
• To support, supervise and encourage the catering assistants;
• To treat members of the team as you would expect to be treated.
• To ensure that all standards of food preparation and service within your section are established and achieved in line with school budget;
• To have an understanding of food costing, and menu planning;
• To ensure stock, deliveries and wastage within your section are all checked and recorded in line with company and food standards.

Health & Safety, Food Safety, the Environment:

• To adhere to the company’s Food Hygiene, Health and Safety and Environmental policies;
• To ensure that food storage areas are maintained in accordance with the company’s Food Hygiene, Health and Safety and Environmental policies and procedures;
• To ensure that all equipment within your section is well maintained and in good working order;
• To ensure that your section adheres to the cleaning schedule;
• To attend all health and safety training courses as required.

Additional Responsibilities:

• To take responsibility for contributing towards your own development with the guidance of the Catering Manager and attending training courses as identified.
• To show commitment to the school’s values in all aspects of your role.
• To act as a positive ambassador for the business.
• To carry out all reasonable duties as requested by the Catering Manager or the Bursar.
• To attend training sessions when required.
• To ensure compliance with the school’s policy on safer recruitment and safeguarding children and young adults at all times whilst at work.

The School reserves the right to vary or amend the duties and shift patterns of the post holder at any time according to the needs of the School’s business. In exceptional circumstances the post holder will be required to undertake other duties and responsibilities of a similar post in order to support workload peaks, skills shortages, to ensure priorities are met.

Remuneration & Hours: A remuneration package will be agreed depending on qualifications or experience. The hours of work are full time for 37 weeks (term time). The pattern of work will be agreed and subject to regular change, in advance, by the Catering Manager and will include mornings (6am start), evenings (8.30pm finish) and weekend shifts. In line with current regulation you will, if you are eligible, be offered a workplace pension through NEST.

Old Swinford Services Ltd welcomes applications for employment from all sectors of the community.

Suitability to Work with Children: Old Swinford Services Ltd is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and applicants are required to undertake an enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service check. The School reserves the right to close the job advert early where sufficient applications have been received and so we encourage early applications to ensure consideration for the post.