Chef Manager

Compass Group; Greater London; On-site; GBP 34,000 - GBP 36,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading dining service provider in London seeks a Chef Manager to lead the kitchen at Mildmays Extra Care Home. In this role, you will oversee menu planning and meal preparation while ensuring compliance with food safety standards. The ideal candidate will have experience as a Chef Manager or Head Chef, possess strong leadership skills, and a passion for enhancing the dining experience for residents. Enjoy consistent daytime hours and a variety of perks including free meals and a contributory pension scheme.

Benefits

Free meals

Contributory pension scheme

Travel discounts

Cash rewards

Wellness and exercise classes

Qualifications

• Previous experience as a Chef Manager, Head Chef, or experienced Chef.
• Ability to motivate and develop a team.
• Sound knowledge of food safety standards.

Responsibilities

• Lead the kitchen to deliver high-quality, nutritious meals.
• Oversee menu planning and meal preparation.
• Manage and motivate a small kitchen team.

Skills

Leadership skills

Food safety standards knowledge

Culinary creativity

Positive attitude

Job description

Overview

📍 Location: London
💷 Salary: £35,000 per annum
🕒 Hours: 5 out of 7 days, 8:00am – 3:30pm

Join Us in Making a Real Difference Through Food

We are a leading Senior Living provider committed to creating exceptional dining experiences that truly enrich the lives of our residents. Our teams are built on warmth, respect, and support—ensuring both residents and colleagues feel valued every day.

The Opportunity

We are looking for a passionate and motivated Chef Manager to lead our kitchen at Mildmays Extra Care Home. This is a fantastic opportunity for someone who loves cooking with purpose, thrives in a people-focused environment, and can inspire a team to deliver nutritious, beautifully presented meals.

If you want to use your culinary creativity in a role where your work has real impact, we’d love to hear from you.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Leading the kitchen to deliver high-quality, nutritious meals that our residents look forward to.
• Overseeing menu planning, meal preparation, and daily service.
• Managing and motivating a small kitchen team to ensure a smooth, efficient operation.
• Ensuring full compliance with food safety, hygiene, and health & safety regulations.
• Managing stock levels, ordering supplies, and working effectively to budgets.
• Creating menus that reflect residents’ preferences, dietary needs, and seasonal produce.
• Maintaining excellent standards of presentation, portion control, and kitchen organisation.

What We’re Looking For

• Previous experience as a Chef Manager, Head Chef, or experienced Chef, ideally within care, education, hospitality, or senior living.
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to motivate and develop a team.
• Sound knowledge of food safety standards and kitchen compliance.
• A genuine passion for providing great food and enhancing the resident dining experience.
• A positive, adaptable, and hands-on attitude.

Why Join Us?

• Consistent daytime hours (no late nights!)
• A supportive working environment where your creativity and leadership are valued.
• The chance to make a meaningful difference to the lives of older adults every day.

We ensure you\'re rewarded for all your hard work, which is why we offer a comprehensive benefits package which includes but is not limited to:

• Free meals
• Contributory pension scheme
• Grow your career with our Career Pathways and MyLearning programmes
• Quick access for you and your immediate family to a Digital GP, and wider healthcare benefits
• Exclusive travel discounts with TUI, Expedia, Booking.com and many more
• Save money on your food shop with discounts on Tesco, Sainsbury\'s, Morrisons and many more
• Up to 44% off cinema tickets to enjoy your favourite blockbuster
• Receive cash rewards every time you spend and use them on a wide range of brands
• Un-wind with us with free wellness, mindfulness and exercise classes
• You can share all discounts and offers with your friends and families

About Us

As part of Compass you'll help to feed people, fuel progress and forge connections in around 6,000 venues. Join us to grow your career with the industry leader, and get competitive pay, great perks and unrivalled opportunities for learning and development, at one of the UK's biggest businesses.

EEO statements: Compass Group UK&I is committed to fostering an environment where every individual can truly be themselves at work and has equal opportunities to advance in their careers. We strive to build a culture that respects and celebrates the unique talents, beliefs, backgrounds, and abilities of all our team members. We want our colleagues to feel valued, empowered to reach their full potential, and to thrive – because diversity is our strength!