Chef Manager - Emsworth Primary School, Emsworth Ed Catering 622525 (E)

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Job Details:

Job Reference: HCC622525

Salary Range: £14.40 - £15.84 per hour

Work Location: Emsworth Primary School, Emsworth

Hours per week: 27:50 Monday to Friday

Contract Type: Permanent, Term Time Only

Closing Date: 31st October 2025

Cook with passion, Lead with purpose, a rewarding role that fits your life

Chef Manager – Term-Time Only - School Hours

At Education Catering, we’re proud to be an award-winning provider of nutritious, freshly prepared school meals that fuel pupils for learning and growth. We understand the vital role food plays in children’s wellbeing—and we’re looking for a passionate Chef Manager to lead one of our on-site catering teams.

This is an exciting opportunity for a talented Chef Manager to take full ownership of a busy school kitchen, delivering high-quality meals made from fresh ingredients. We’re looking for a food-focused professional with a passion for excellence, strong leadership and organisational skills, and a personable, can-do attitude. With a proven track record in managing large-scale catering operations, you’ll have the chance to make a meaningful impact in a dynamic and rewarding environment.

Ready to lead with purpose—apply today and help shape the future of school catering!

What you’ll do:

  • Lead and manage a busy kitchen team, ensuring high standards and strong teamwork.
  • Plan and deliver nutritious, allergen compliant menus in line with the School Foods Standards.
  • Recruit, train and develop staff, fostering a positive and resilient working environment.
  • Oversee kitchen operations, including stock control, food ordering, and performance monitoring.
  • Drive business performance, meeting KPIs for meal output, cost efficiency, and service quality.

    • You will be required to undertake mandatory training on commencement and every 3 years thereafter in Food Safety, Allergen Awareness and Health and Safety Manual Handling.

    What we’re looking for:

  • Experience working in a large-scale, high-volume catering environment
  • NVQ Level 2 or equivalent in a relevant subject, or C&G 7061/2
  • Level 3 Food Safety certification
  • Ability to thrive in a busy, fast-paced kitchen
  • Physically able to carry out all aspects of the role, including lifting kitchen and service equipment
  • Comfortable working in hot kitchen environments with variable temperatures
  • Proven experience managing a trading account and monitoring kitchen performance
  • Excellent communication skills to engage with staff and clients
  • Strong team management and leadership experience
  • A genuine passion for fresh, nutritious food and delivering high standards
  • Ability to motivate and inspire a team to maintain quality and service excellence

    • Why join us?

  • Comprehensive new starter induction programme
  • Term-time only working – no evenings, weekends, or school holidays
  • A friendly supportive team environment with ongoing training and professional development to help you succeed and grow in your role.
  • The chance to make a real impact on children’s health and wellbeing

    • To find out more about us, visit our Education Catering work with us page Work with us | Education and learning | Hampshire County Council


    You will also benefit from a healthy Our benefits package | Jobs and volunteering | Hampshire County Council package Including:-

  • Uniform
  • Full training and opportunities to progress
  • A minimum 24 days annual leave entitlement taken in the school holidays, plus bank holidays.
  • Interest free travel loans and discounts.
  • Employee Support Services.
  • Family friendly policies. 
  • Access to Local Government Pension Scheme.

    • Additional Information:

    Edcatering Chef Manager


    We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so we would advise you to submit your application as early as possible.

    Vetting Requirements:

    This post is subject to a Criminal Records Check.

    As part of the pre-employment checks that are undertaken for this role, you will be asked to complete a Post Offer Medical Questionnaire. The questionnaire is confidential, and is screened by our Occupational Health Department, who will ensure that you are medically fit for this role before being formally offered the position.

    Contact Details for an Informal Discussion:

    If you’d like to talk to us about the job before you apply or for more information about the position, please call the manager below.

    Karen Brewster, District Manager, on 07721127642

    Hampshire County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. We expect all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect this commitment.

    In order to combat discrimination, no unnecessary conditions or requirements will be applied which could have a disproportionately adverse effect on any one group. All sections of the population will have equal access to jobs. No applicant or employee will receive less favourable treatment because of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage or civil partnership and pregnancy or maternity, unless a Genuine Occupational Requirement (GOR) applies.

    We are a Disability Confident Employer – committed to ensuring that our recruitment and selection process is inclusive and accessible.

    Apply
    Location:
    Emsworth
    Job Type:
    FullTime

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