Chef Manager

Wilson Vale; Leatherhead; On-site; GBP 35,000 - GBP 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading catering company in Leatherhead seeks a Chef Manager to lead a workplace restaurant. The role emphasizes menu development with local, seasonal ingredients in a supportive environment. You'll manage a small team and ensure high-quality food service for approximately 90 customers daily. This full-time position offers 40 hours per week with competitive pay and excellent work-life balance benefits, including training programs and employee assistance initiatives.

Benefits

Work-life balance

Craft-focused career development training

Paid bespoke training

Employee Assistance Programme

Monetary savings on everyday items

Birthday off

Enhanced Maternity Pay

Qualifications

• Strong premium hospitality experience in another venue.
• A passion for training and development.

Responsibilities

• Be responsible for the daily operation of the kitchen and food preparation.
• Deliver consistent food standards following brand standards.
• Manage a small team and ensure effective training.

Skills

Customer service skills

Strong communication skills

Positive attitude

Teamwork

Ability to work under pressure

Premium hospitality experience

Local knowledge

Exceptional service

Innovation

Organizational skills

Job description

We’re excited to offer an opportunity for a Chef Manager to lead one of our workplace restaurants in Surrey, conveniently located just a short walk from Leatherhead train station. Onsite parking is also available. This is a fantastic role for a talented and creative chef looking to showcase their skills in a fresh, forward-thinking environment.

Wilson Vale is an established, quality-led contract caterer. We work with amazing clients across the UK who place huge value on great food as a key part of their culture and community. We work in office restaurants, independent schools and at conference venues with the same high-end ethos throughout.

Our culture unites us. We stand for craft, quality, creative freedom, forward thinking and integrity. We never compromise on our commitment to fresh, seasonal produce and the fantastic people that make it all happen!

This is a full-time position, working 40 hours per week. Core hours are Monday to Friday, 7:00am–3:30pm, with some flexibility required to support hospitality events, which may occasionally take place in the evenings or at weekends. The kitchen serves approximately 90 customers daily, alongside additional hospitality requirements.

As Chef Manager, you’ll have full autonomy over menu development, with a strong focus on using local, seasonal ingredients to create delicious food made from scratch. The daily offer includes hot and cold breakfast and lunch options such as a deli and salad bar, cake bar, world cuisines, and on-trend dishes. The site also hosts theme days and tasting sessions throughout the year, designed to engage customers and deliver an exciting dining experience.

You’ll lead a small team of two General Assistants and two Kitchen Porters, taking responsibility for their development and fostering a positive, supportive working environment through strong and confident leadership. As customer interaction is a key part of service, you’ll be approachable, personable, and comfortable building relationships with customers.

This role is ideal for a chef who enjoys working independently, is passionate about fresh, high-quality food, and is keen to play an active role in developing an evolving food offer within a collaborative and supportive setting.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Be responsible for the daily operation of the kitchen and the preparation and cooking of all food production
• Cater to the needs of all customers
• Be responsible, dedicated and a strong leader with the ability to assist and manage a team
• Deliver consistent food standards following the Wilson Vale brand standards.
• Deliver fresh, seasonal and innovative food from around the world to all customers
• Responsible for food safety, hygiene and Health and Safety both in practice and keeping relevant records
• Allergy reporting and responsibility for sign-posting to customers
• Budgeting, ordering, stock taking
• Training

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• LOVEfood, and love working in a team.
• Positive attitude
• Have good customer service skills and strong communication skills.
• Be able to work in a high-pressured environment.
• Strong premium hospitality experience in another venue
• Local knowledge and experience working in the area
• A passion for exceptional service is essential
• Strong understanding of service styles, food trends
• Innovation and creativity
• A passion for training and development
• Exceptional presentation skills
• Articulate and very well organised
• Proactive and reliable

OUR CULTURE

• Craft at our core – we pride ourselves on our craft-skilled chefs who create wonderful fresh food from scratch.
• It’s all about the food – the menu is the most important document our chefs write every week.
• Quality, seasonal ingredients – 300+ British suppliers and our chefs can source locally.
• Freedom to create – our teams love to cook up exciting food themes and pop-ups to keep the food fun.
• Support like no other – our business was founded by family and we have stayed true to those same family values of nurturing development, protecting our values and building trust and loyalty.
• Making food that not only tastes great but is good for the planet. We have always had a strong environmental ethos and are dedicated to our social and environmental commitments.
• We believe in tailored training and opportunities to build your career with us.

WILSON VALE PERKS

• Our working hours are some of the best you\'ll find in catering - we are strong believers in work-life balance
• Our working environment is fun and inspiring, with excellent career development opportunities
• Craft Works – Free craft-focused career development training programme
• Paid training bespoke to you
• Access to our Employee Assistance Programme- your wellbeing is very important to us
• Online employee benefits scheme -monetary savings on everyday items!
• Your Birthday off every year after 1 years’ service.
• Enhanced Maternity Pay

Wilson Vale is an equal opportunities employer that strives to create an inclusive working environment for all. We are committed to supporting our people and do not tolerate discrimination of any kind. From each and every person in our catering teams, to our operations and central support teams – everyone at has a voice.