Senior Chef in North Petherton

Company Description

South West Larder: Togetherness, Nurture, Pride, Planet

Full Time: 39 hours per week

Salary: £21.56

Location: Central Production Kitchen, North Petherton

Closing Date: 21/08/2026

Interviews: Week Commencing - 31/08/2026

Want to work for a company where Togetherness, Nurture, Pride and Planet are at the heart of everything they do? Then look no further, Somerset Larder produces fresh food and meals to go using locally sourced ingredients from all over the west country. Our philosophy is to nourish the community with amazing produce, to employ local people and to train apprentices for future careers in the catering and hospitality sector.

At Somerset Larder, our Values have been set by our staff. Our Values exist for the good of our working lives and company performance. Our Values are:

• Togetherness - “Be a tractor not a trailer.”
• Nurture - “You grow, I grow, we grow.”
• Pride - “We can and we will”
• Planet - “We’re part of a bigger picture”

Job Description

Leadership & Section Management

• Section Management: Capable of seamlessly stepping in and running all operational sections of the central production kitchen, including: Main Kitchen, Salad Room, Bakery, Cold Room.
• Quality & Dish Oversight: Monitor, check, and maintain high standards for all dishes regarding quality, portion size, temperature, and presentation prior to leaving the kitchen.
• Dispatch Oversight: Oversee the dispatch process to ensure all outgoing orders are complete, correctly packaged, labelled, and dispatched on time to customer requirements.
• Food Production: Prepare and cook high-quality food efficiently in line with company standards and menu specifications. Assist with additional functions as required.

Training

• Training: Lead the hands-on training of new Chefs and Apprentices, teaching them preparation techniques and cooking methods for menu items they have not cooked before.
• Skill Development: Nurture the culinary growth of staff through demonstration, constructive feedback, and daily support.

Operations & Reporting

• Reporting: Maintain clear communication with Chef Supervisors and Management regarding daily operations, production progress, section issues, or stock needs.
• Waste: Work efficiently to minimise food waste.
• Stock & Deliveries: Ensure raw materials and packaging received meet specifications and are stored correctly in storage areas. Assist in stock orders when required.
• Menu Implementation: Contribute to the testing, and implementation of new products, prep methods, and menu items.

Health, Safety & Compliance

• Food Safety & HACCP: Ensure all production strictly complies with the Somerset Larder Food Safety & Quality Management System (FSMS), HACCP principles, allergen controls, and relevant legislation.
• Hygiene & Equipment: Maintain clean work areas and ensure equipment across all sections is operated safely and cleaned correctly.
• Record Keeping: Complete all required food safety, temperature records and traceability records.
• Label Checking: Ensure labels are legible & accurate (date, allergens, ingredients).

Qualifications

• NVQ Level 2/3 in Professional Cookery (or equivalent experience)
• Food Safety Level 2 (or higher).

Skills and Knowledge

• Culinary & Section Expertise: Proven ability to run and manage all central production kitchen sections, including the Main Kitchen, Salad Room, Bakery, and Cold Rooms.
• Quality Assurance: Exceptional eye for detail in checking dish presentation, portion sizes, and adherence to spec sheets before dispatch.
• Dispatch Operations: Strong understanding of central distribution processes, ensuring orders are accurately picked, packed, temperature-controlled, and dispatched on schedule.
• Training Techniques: Ability to break down complex cooking methods and teach implementation of new dishes effectively to team members and apprentices.
• Food Safety, Hygiene & Compliance: Deep working knowledge of HACCP, allergen control protocols, cross-contamination prevention, and food safety standards.
• Traceability & Auditing: Proficient in maintaining accurate food traceability records, temperature logs, and quality check documentation.
• Operational Efficiency: Practical knowledge of waste control measures.
• Stock Control: Knowledge of raw material storage, goods-in verification, and rotation standards across frozen, ambient and chilled storage.

Interpersonal Skills:

• Mentorship & Nurturing: Demonstrates patience, empathy, and clear guidance when training chefs and apprentices on new recipes, techniques, and kitchen section routines.
• Teamwork & Collaboration: Works proactively alongside section team members to support production and maintain smooth kitchen workflow.
• Communication: Excellent verbal communication skills; effectively relays section updates, stock needs, and operational issues up to supervisors/management and updates staff.
• Adaptability & Resilience: Stays calm and structured under high-volume time pressures; adaptable to shift rotational needs across different kitchen areas.
• Positive Attitude: Brings a "can-do" approach to work, fostering pride, high morale, and togetherness within the central production team.

Additional Information

Employee Benefits Menu: At Somerset Larder, we believe our people are the secret ingredient to our success. Here’s a flavourful look at the benefits we’ve cooked up for our amazing team:

• Generous Time Off: Savour a well-balanced blend of work and personal time with our generous annual leave allowance (30 days including bank holidays).
• Pension Contributions with Extra Spice: Prepare for your future with a pension plan that goes beyond the basics – 5% from you, matched with a hearty 5% from us.
• Life Assurance: Our life assurance plan is here to provide peace of mind, so you can focus on serving up excellence.
• Cycle Scheme: Get a healthy and eco-friendly start to each day with our cycle scheme – perfect for working up an appetite!
• Comprehensive Family Leave Benefits: When life serves up big changes, we’re here to support you with a menu of family leave benefits designed so you can make memories as you care for your family.
• Free Food and Drink on Shift: Enjoy a daily free meal/drink so you can fuel up and stay energised.
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)/Mental Health First Aiders: Tap into our 24/7, all-year round helpline and portal Wisdom, loaded with resources on health, finances, legal advice and lifestyle tips – a full menu of support options.
• Christmas Shutdown: Relax during the festive period whilst the operation is closed between Christmas and New Year – a rarity for the Hospitality industry (option to volunteer for skeleton staffing).
• Learning, Development and Apprenticeship Opportunities: Stir up new skills with a range of development and apprenticeship opportunities to help you grow your career and cook up success in the culinary world.
• Access to Occupational Health: As a perk of being part of the HPC project, you will have access to Health Partners, the UK’s leading provider of workplace health services.
• Refer a Friend Scheme: Use our employee referral programme and benefit financially by adding people from your professional network to our workforce.
• Monthly Recognition: A Toast to you: Each month, we raise a glass to our star team members who go above and beyond, as nominated by their colleagues.
• Long Service Awards: Celebrate the milestones! Receive our heartfelt gratitude and special recognition at your 5- and 10-year anniversaries.
• Annual Team Awards: Join us for our annual awards event as we honour the outstanding contributions and achievements of our team. It’s our way of saying cheers to you!

This benefits menu is our recipe for a rewarding and fulfilling career, where you can develop your talents and delight in the journey ahead.

Pre-Employment Screening: Successful applicants will be required to provide a three-year employment history and five-year address history to work on Hinkley Point C. They must be able to provide in date photographic ID and their right to work in the UK so that security clearance can be obtained as these roles are based on a nuclear regulated site.