Overview

Salary: Up To £50000 per annum

Shift hours: Full Time

ead Chef

Salary: £45,000–£50,000 per annum, depending on experience
Hours: 40 hours per week
Contract: 48 weeks per year
Working pattern: Predominantly Monday to Friday, with some evening and weekend work for functions
We’re looking for an experienced and hands-on Head Chef to lead the kitchen operation at Forest, one of the country’s largest independent day schools.
With multiple service locations across the site and a busy calendar of hospitality and events, this is an opportunity for an accomplished chef to take ownership of a varied operation, lead and develop a kitchen team, and deliver consistently high standards of food.
The role operates across 48 weeks of the year. Alongside term-time catering, the additional weeks provide valuable time for training, menu development, recipe creation, planning and costings.

What you’ll be doing

As Head Chef, you will:
  • Lead, motivate and develop the kitchen team
  • Take ownership of the day-to-day kitchen operation
  • Drive food quality, consistency and presentation
  • Maintain excellent food safety, health & safety and operational standards
  • Develop menus and recipes while managing effective costings
  • Manage stock efficiently and support strong financial controls
  • Oversee multiple service points across the school
  • Support a busy hospitality and functions calendar
  • Bring fresh ideas to the operation and keep menus aligned with current food trends

What we’re looking for

You’ll be a confident, experienced chef who combines strong culinary standards with excellent leadership skills.
You will be:
  • Passionate about producing high-quality, great-tasting food
  • Creative, quality-driven and enthusiastic about food innovation
  • An experienced and motivational team leader
  • Confident developing and getting the best from your team
  • Experienced in stock management, health & safety and food safety
  • Organised and able to prioritise effectively in a busy environment
  • Comfortable making sound operational decisions
  • An excellent communicator and relationship builder
  • Flexible and positive, with a genuine can-do attitude
  • Someone who takes pride in continually raising standards

What’s in it for you?

We want you to be rewarded for your hard work. Benefits include:
  • Predominantly Monday-to-Friday working
  • 48-week contract
  • Free meals while on duty
  • Free on-site parking
  • Free use of the on-site gym
  • Contributory pension scheme
  • Career development through Career Pathways and MyLearning programmes
  • Digital GP access for you and your immediate family, plus wider healthcare benefits
  • Travel discounts with TUI, Expedia, Booking.com and more
  • Discounts at Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and other retailers
  • Up to 44% off cinema tickets
  • Cashback rewards across a wide range of brands
  • Free wellness, mindfulness and exercise classes
  • Discounts and offers that can be shared with friends and family
If you’re an experienced Head Chef who enjoys leading from the front, developing people and delivering excellent food in a busy and varied environment, we’d love to hear from you.

Please note: This role is contracted to 48 weeks per year

About Us

Part of Compass Group UK&I, Lodestone House is the leading provider of catering and support services to the education sector. For over a quarter of a century, Lodestone House has been focusing on helping those in education to build strong bodies, sharp minds and lead long healthy lives. Every week, Lodestone House serves millions of nutritious and delicious meals to pupils and students in primary and secondary schools, academies, independent schools, colleges, and universities across the UK.

Lodestone House is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expect all employees to share this commitment. Any offer of employment will be subject to successfully completing pre-employment checks, including an enhanced DBS disclosure and a Children’s Barred List check. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and we ask applicants to declare all previous convictions and cautions in order to assess their suitability to work with children.

Job Reference: com/1011/C39101/52835739/R/SU #LodestoneHouse

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!

Reference: com/1011/C39101/52835739/R/SU

Location: London

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