At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead culinary innovation and enhance dining experiences across Bupa Care Services.
- Company: Join Bupa, a health-focused company dedicated to improving lives.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, management bonus, 25 days holiday, and wellbeing initiatives.
- Other info: Flexible working and a commitment to diversity and inclusivity.
- Why this job: Shape the future of dining while making a real impact on residents' lives.
- Qualifications: Proven culinary leadership and expertise in food safety and menu development.
The predicted salary is between 40000 - 50000 € per year.
Contract: National role with regular travel
Location: National & occasional WFH days
Employment type: 6 month FTC
Salary: Competitive
Role specific benefits: Company Car, eligibility for 10% Management bonus scheme plus excellent Bupa benefits
Hours: Full time
We make health happen
As National Development Chef, you’ll play a pivotal national leadership role shaping the future of dining across Bupa Care Services and Richmond Villages. This is a unique opportunity to influence food culture at scale, elevating resident experience, building chef capability, and setting the standard for excellence in care‑based hospitality. You’ll lead the creation and delivery of a modern culinary vision, champion innovation, and drive consistency and quality across hundreds of kitchens, all while keeping residents firmly at the heart of every decision.
How You’ll Help Us Make Health Happen
- Lead and embed a national culinary strategy that delivers exceptional, resident‑centred dining experiences
- Design, launch and evolve the Chefs’ Academy, building a strong pipeline of skilled, confident culinary professionals
- Drive menu innovation, ensuring food is nutritious, inclusive, seasonal, and compliant with clinical and dietary needs
- Coach and mentor chefs at all levels, supporting performance, engagement, and succession planning
- Champion food safety, compliance, and continuous improvement across all sites
Key Skills And Experience Needed For This Role
- Proven senior culinary leadership experience within a busy kitchen
- Expert knowledge of IDDSI, allergens management, HACCP, and food safety legislation
- Strong people‑development capability, with experience of coaching and mentoring chefs at all levels and delivering high quality training in a group environment
- Demonstrable experience in menu development, nutrition‑led design, and standardisation
- Confident stakeholder‑management skills, with the ability to influence across operational, clinical, and support functions
Benefits
Our benefits are designed to make health happen for our people. Viva, our global wellbeing programme, supports your mental, physical, financial, social, and environmental wellbeing. We also offer flexible working and a wide range of family‑friendly benefits. Joining Bupa in this role, you can expect benefits including:
- Competitive salary and management bonus opportunity
- 25 days holiday plus bank holidays plus paid volunteer days
- Bupa wellbeing initiatives
- Excellent Pension scheme and life assurance
- Access to discounts, learning, and development opportunities
Why Bupa?
We’re a health insurer and provider — not driven by shareholders, but by our purpose: helping people live longer, healthier, happier lives and making a better world. Our people bring this purpose to life through being brave, caring, and responsible every day. At Bupa, we encourage everyone to Be You at Bupa. We champion diversity and inclusivity and actively encourage applications from people with diverse backgrounds and experiences. Bupa is a Level 2 Disability Confident Employer, committed to providing fair and inclusive recruitment processes and reasonable adjustments where needed.
National Development Chef in Leeds employer: Richmond Villages
Bupa is an exceptional employer that prioritises the wellbeing of its employees while fostering a culture of innovation and inclusivity. As a National Development Chef, you will have the opportunity to lead culinary excellence across numerous care facilities, supported by comprehensive benefits such as a competitive salary, management bonus scheme, and access to our global wellbeing programme. With a strong focus on personal and professional growth, Bupa encourages you to thrive in a dynamic environment where your contributions directly enhance the lives of residents.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land National Development Chef in Leeds
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the culinary world, especially those who have experience in care-based hospitality. A friendly chat can lead to insider info about job openings or even a referral.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! If you get the chance, prepare a dish that showcases your culinary vision and innovation. This is a great way to demonstrate your expertise and passion for creating exceptional dining experiences.
✨Tip Number 3
Be ready to discuss your leadership style! When you’re in interviews, share examples of how you've coached and mentored chefs. Highlighting your people-development skills will show that you can elevate the team and drive consistency.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in being part of our mission to make health happen.
We think you need these skills to ace National Development Chef in Leeds
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Culinary Passion:When writing your application, let your love for food and cooking shine through! Share specific examples of how you've influenced dining experiences in previous roles, and don't forget to mention any innovative ideas you have for our culinary vision.
Tailor Your Experience:Make sure to highlight your senior culinary leadership experience and any relevant skills that match the job description. We want to see how your background aligns with our mission to create exceptional, resident-centred dining experiences.
Be Clear and Concise:Keep your application straightforward and to the point. Use clear language to describe your achievements and how they relate to the role. This will help us quickly understand your fit for the National Development Chef position.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to submit your application through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensures you’re considered for this exciting opportunity. Plus, it’s super easy!
How to prepare for a job interview at Richmond Villages
✨Know Your Culinary Vision
Before the interview, take some time to think about your own culinary vision and how it aligns with the role. Be ready to discuss how you would lead a national culinary strategy and what innovative ideas you have for enhancing resident dining experiences.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Prepare examples of how you've successfully coached and mentored chefs in the past. Highlight specific instances where your leadership made a difference in kitchen performance or team engagement, as this role is all about building chef capability.
✨Understand Food Safety Regulations
Brush up on your knowledge of IDDSI, allergens management, HACCP, and food safety legislation. Be prepared to discuss how you would champion these standards across multiple sites, ensuring compliance and continuous improvement.
✨Engage with Stakeholders
Think about how you can effectively manage relationships with various stakeholders. Prepare to share strategies on how you would influence operational, clinical, and support functions to ensure a cohesive approach to dining experiences.
