Chef
Overview
Job Title: Chef
Location: South Lee Prep School, Nowton Road, Bury St Edmunds
Hours: Full Time, working 3 days a week 8.00 am - 3.00 pm (Monday, Tuesday and Thursday), and 2 days a week 9.00 am - 5.00 pm (Wednesday and Friday), Approximately 35 weeks per year
Salary: Competitive
Can you enrich the lives of young people as a School Chef?
South Lee Prep School and Nursery are looking for an all-year-round School Chef to lead our kitchen team in providing delicious, nutritious food in an organised and professional environment.
You will oversee all aspects of catering in the school, including provision for our thriving year-round nursery, catering mainly for the pupils and staff each day at lunchtime but also for events such as match teas and special end of year dinners. We are looking for someone with vision, passion and commitment who can create exciting and healthy menus for family-style dining. You will work closely with the Senior Leadership Team to deliver the school’s vision and be a key part of our bustling South Lee Prep community.
Leading the kitchen at South Lee is about far more than simply preparing meals. Food is an extremely important part of school life for our children and families, and we take great pride in the quality of what we serve. We care about where our food comes from, using local suppliers wherever possible and making the most of fresh, seasonal produce. We do not compromise on quality by buying cheap, heavily processed foods, and we avoid unnecessary additives and preservatives. Our expectation is that food is cooked properly from scratch, on site, every day, with no reliance on jars, packet mixes or convenience sauces.
The School Chef would lead the kitchen with these principles at its heart, creating nourishing, varied and appealing meals while also working with our pupil food committee to share their knowledge and enthusiasm for food. We want someone who takes real pride in what they produce and understands that good food plays an important part in the happiness, wellbeing and experience of every child at South Lee Prep. Could you be part of this exciting journey?
South Lee Prep School and Nursery are looking for an all-year-round School Chef to lead our kitchen team in providing delicious, nutritious food in an organised and professional environment.
You will oversee all aspects of catering in the school, including provision for our thriving year-round nursery, catering mainly for the pupils and staff each day at lunchtime but also for events such as match teas and special end of year dinners. We are looking for someone with vision, passion and commitment who can create exciting and healthy menus for family-style dining. You will work closely with the Senior Leadership Team to deliver the school’s vision and be a key part of our bustling South Lee Prep community.
Leading the kitchen at South Lee is about far more than simply preparing meals. Food is an extremely important part of school life for our children and families, and we take great pride in the quality of what we serve. We care about where our food comes from, using local suppliers wherever possible and making the most of fresh, seasonal produce. We do not compromise on quality by buying cheap, heavily processed foods, and we avoid unnecessary additives and preservatives. Our expectation is that food is cooked properly from scratch, on site, every day, with no reliance on jars, packet mixes or convenience sauces.
The School Chef would lead the kitchen with these principles at its heart, creating nourishing, varied and appealing meals while also working with our pupil food committee to share their knowledge and enthusiasm for food. We want someone who takes real pride in what they produce and understands that good food plays an important part in the happiness, wellbeing and experience of every child at South Lee Prep. Could you be part of this exciting journey?
Responsibilities
- Design and deliver a nutritious, delicious, seasonal and diverse lunch and snack menu, providing for those with special dietary requirements.
- Create, develop and promote a school food identity / brand around healthy, locally-produced, delicious food.
- Be a central part of the school community, getting to know the staff and pupils and living by the school values.
- Run an environmentally aware kitchen, minimising waste, and sourcing local food where possible.
- Have excellent structures and routines in place for service, kitchen hygiene and ensure all staff are working together to this end.
Normal Weekly Responsibilities
- To run a smooth family dining service each day at lunchtime (two sittings)
- To provide excellent match teas every Wednesday / Friday for both students and parents
- To provide refreshments for a variety of events
- To attend weekly events meetings, contributing to successful planning for all school events and delivering your vision for our school’s brand identity at each event.
Additional Responsibilities
- To provide appropriate food and drinks at various additional events throughout the year for example: Leavers’ Dinner, parents’ meetings, PTA events, governors’ meetings
- To work with the teaching staff to educate the children about food
- To attend pupil-led food committee meetings, working with the children to encourage their ideas, passion for nutritious food and leadership skills.
Health and Safety
- To maintain a clean and organised kitchen
- To run the kitchen to the highest standards of health and safety and food hygiene
- To be responsible for the oversight of kitchen equipment ensuring it is safe and reporting to our Facilities Manager when support is needed
- To keep accurate and relevant records
- To report any defects, damage, theft, breakages, or hazards to relevant staff immediately.
Finances
- To work within a budget and report into the School Finance Manager
- To oversee ordering of supplies, looking for the best deals and checking that invoices are accurate
- To be able to manage a catering budget.
Personal Attributes
Personal Attributes
- Ability to work within a team and lead others
- Positive and friendly manner with colleagues, pupils and parents
- Excellent communication skills
- Ability to deal with unseen events / problem solver
- Flexible
- Kind
- Reliable and committed
- Ability to lead a team and demand excellence.
Benefits & Schedule
Schedule
- No weekends.
- Additional duties as requested by the Head.
- • Collaborative and supportive work environment
- School holiday benefits
- Company pension contributions
- Competitive salary and school fees
- Continuing professional development opportunities
- Free hot lunch each day (term-time)
- On-site parking available
- Membership to our onsite gym
Location
South Lee Prep School & Nursery
Nowton Road
Bury St Edmunds
Suffolk
IP33 2BT
Supporting documents
Deadline and how to apply
Please submit your completed Application Form (Word) by email at recruitment@southlee.co.uk.
Job reference: Chef