Lead Cook Manager in London

£22.50 per hour, 40 hours per week. Working pattern: Monday - Friday (7am - 3pm). Term Time only (39-week Working Contract paid over 52 weeks).

Must have a Full UK Driving Licence and access to your own vehicle.

Job Introduction:

As a Lead Cook Manager for Sodexo, you will oversee catering operations across multiple sites, including Grey Court School, Chessington School, and Hollyfield School. This is a senior, hands-on cooking role with approximately 80% of your time based at Grey Court School, where you will work closely alongside the Chef and kitchen team to lead and enhance the food offer for up to 1,500 students each day.

The key focus of the role is to drive improvements in food quality, menu development, presentation, and the overall dining experience, ensuring that Grey Court School delivers one of the strongest school catering offers in the region.

In addition to your responsibilities at Grey Court School, you will provide leadership and support across Chessington School and Hollyfield School, overseeing food quality, service standards, and special events to ensure consistency across the Trust. You will support the Cook Managers with the day-to-day running of their kitchens, including stock takes, ordering, operational support, and sickness cover where required.

We are looking for an individual with a strong craft background who is passionate about food and has the culinary expertise to improve and develop the catering offer. Strong management skills are essential, along with previous experience as a Chef or Cook Manager in a similar high-volume environment.

You will be responsible for managing all aspects of food and beverage services, as well as overseeing the financial performance of each school kitchen. Your attitude will influence your team's daily lives as the person they go to for direction and support, helping to create a vibrant and productive work environment. You will not work unsociable hours and you will get public holidays off, including Christmas!

What you do:

• Lead and continually improve the food offer at Grey Court School, serving up to 1,500 students each day.
• Work closely with the Chef and kitchen team to drive food quality, presentation, innovation, and customer satisfaction.
• Oversee food quality and catering standards across Chessington School and Hollyfield School, ensuring consistency throughout the Trust.
• Support Cook Managers with the day-to-day operation of their kitchens, providing guidance, coaching, and operational support.
• Lead, mentor, train, and inspire kitchen teams to achieve the highest standards.
• Manage the creation and development of menus that are nutritious, appealing, and commercially successful.
• Control the complete catering operation, including labour, food, and stock costs.
• Manage and optimise all costs that are under your control.
• Ensure consistency in food and service standards provided to staff, visitors, and students.
• Support and oversee hospitality and special events across the schools.
• Conduct routine audits to ensure standards, food safety, and compliance requirements are maintained.

What you bring:

• A strong craft background with proven experience as a Chef, Head Chef, Cook Manager, or similar catering professional.
• Experience working in a high-volume catering environment, ideally serving large numbers of customers daily.
• A passion for food quality and a proven ability to improve catering standards and develop food offers.
• Previous management or supervisory experience with the ability to lead and motivate teams.
• Experience developing menus and working with fresh ingredients and produce.
• Strong understanding of food safety, health and safety, and kitchen compliance requirements.
• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities across several sites.
• Ability to work under pressure and maintain high standards in a busy catering environment.
• Professional, positive, and able to lead by example.

Qualifications:

• Level 2 Food Safety Certificate.
• Previous experience in a similar Chef, Cook Manager, or catering management role.
• Training in Food Hygiene and Health & Safety will be provided.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer. We welcome and encourage applications from people with a diverse variety of experiences, backgrounds, and identities. We encourage our employees to get involved with our Employee Networks such as Pride, Sodexo Parents & Carers, Sodexo Disability, Ability network, So Together, Generations, and Origins. We’re a Disability Confident Leader employer, committed to changing attitudes towards disability, and making sure disabled people have the chance to fulfil their aspirations.