Are you passionate about fresh, healthy, and exciting food ? Do you want to make a real difference in childrens lives while leading a talented catering team? Laurel Park School is looking for a Head Chef to create delicious, nutritious meals that fuel bright young minds and inspire a love of food.
What youll do:
Lead, motivate, and develop our catering team, ensuring high standards in food, hygiene, and health & safety.
Deliver fresh, seasonal, and balanced meals, meeting Government and School Food Standards.
Develop innovative menus, food education, and cookery projects for students and the wider community.
Manage budgets, supplier relationships, stock, and event catering.
Inspire students to make healthy choices through themed menus, workshops, and tastings.
We offer a supportive, family-like school community where your creativity and leadership will make a real impact.
Apply now to be part of our exciting food journey!
Full Job Description:
Job Purpose
To lead, innovate, motivate and work with a team whose aim is to serve fresh, interesting and nutritious school meals within budget which meet Government and the Schools standards at all times.
To lead on developing a food and cookery curriculum for the whole school and food related projects and have high aspirations for the future of food at School.
To achieve a high level of quality and standards at all times regarding the food and hygiene, ensuring all health and safety procedures in relation to Catering are adhered to.
To lead and manage the catering service in the school, including budget management, organising refreshments and staff event menus, all product orders and supplier communications .
Developing innovative new menu items and food concepts, continuously developing the wider food offer with support from Chefs in Schools
To use new innovative healthy menus and cookery skills to increase the uptake in school meals including promotion of the menu.
Key Responsibilities
Leadership and Management
Lead, motivate, and develop the catering team to deliver a consistent, high-quality service.
Manage staffing levels, cleaning rotas, induction, training, and performance.
Ensure compliance with all food safety, hygiene, and health and safety legislation, receiving and maintaining a 5-star Environmental Health rating.
Manage the catering budget, monitor expenditure, and ensure cost-effective use of resources.
Maintain accurate financial and administrative records, including meal counts and cost analysis.
Ensure security of kitchen supplies and equipment.
Food Preparation, Quality, and Standards
Lead the preparation and delivery of fresh, seasonal, and balanced meals daily.
Design and implement a 2-week rolling menu aligned with School Food Standards and diverse dietary needs, changing these 3 times a year.
Maintain consistent food presentation, portion control, and quality.
Collaborate with Chefs in Schools to develop innovative recipes and themed menus.
Promote healthy eating through taster sessions, theme days, and community events.
Work with the school horticulture lead to use of garden produce and support sustainability initiatives.
Support breakfast club and after-school food provision as needed.
Ensure that event catering is planned and organised in advance. This includes breakfasts, lunches, staff events and other hosted events. Orders to be placed and accurately logged under the correct budget.
Teaching, Curriculum, and Engagement
Deliver cooking and food education classes for pupils and adults.
Integrate food and nutrition into the school curriculum with support from teaching staff.
Organise and run community cookery events and workshops.
Gather and respond to pupil feedback to improve service and engagement.
Encourage pupils to make informed and healthy food choices.
Health, Safety, and Hygiene
Ensure full compliance with HACCP, COSHH, SFBB, and the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974.
Maintain cleaning schedules and conduct regular kitchen inspections.
Ensure all catering staff wear appropriate uniforms and PPE.
Report incidents, accidents, and equipment faults promptly.
Conduct regular stock takes and audits.
Procurement and Administration
Manage ordering, deliveries, and stock rotation to minimise waste, recording stock takes and daily waste.
Monitor supplier performance and ensure best value for money.
Maintain all records required for audits, inspections, and internal reporting.
Create recipe cards for each menu item prior to menu release and store these in a folder electronically and paper copies in the office
Conduct and Communication
Uphold the ethos and values of Laurel Park School and Chefs in Schools.
Model professional, courteous, and respectful behaviour at all times.
Work collaboratively with school staff, pupils, and parents to promote the schools Food Vision.
General Tasks
Ensure that the catering areas and kitchen are cleaned daily
Attend to the cleanliness of storage areas, including fridges and freezers
Ensure equipment is cleaned each day and maintained in good condition
Attend training sessions and meetings as required
This is a description of the main duties and responsibilities of the post at the date of production. The duties may change over time as requirements and circumstances change. The person in the post may also have to carry out other duties as may be necessary from time to time.
Such duties and responsibilities may be updated from time to time to reflect any changes to the School. Only significant additional duties or responsibilities as required by the Head teacher / SLT will render the grade of the post liable for re-evaluation.
In undertaking this role, the post holder shall ensure that all duties are carried out with due regard to the schools Safeguarding, Health and Safety and other school policies and procedures.
All schools and services in Enfield are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. Therefore, all workers and employees within Enfield are expected to share this commitment.
Please Note: This job description is not necessarily a comprehensive definition of the post and may be subject to modification or amendment at any time after consultation with the post holder. The post requires clearance by the Disclosure and Barring Service (Enhanced Disclosure).
Personal Specification:
Essential:
Level 3 certificate in food hygiene.
NVQ in food preparation and cooking.
GCSE English and Maths minimum grade 4 or C, or equivalent
Experience of preparing fresh, interesting and nutritious meals.
Experience leading and developing a team in a high-volume catering environment
Experience as a catering manager, head chef or equivalent
In-depth culinary knowledge, including baking and menu planning
Understanding of School Food Standards and nutritional requirements
Knowledge of allergen management, food hygiene and safety regulations
Familiarity with budgeting, stock control and procurement processes
Strong leadership and organisational skills
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
Ability to deliver creative and nutritious menus within budget
Enthusiasm for teaching and engaging children with food
Commitment to equality, inclusion and safeguarding
Ability to work calmly and effectively under pressure
Ability to communicate knowledge of food preparation and produce
Good understanding of multiple cooking methods and an understanding of correct cooking procedures such as blanching, searing, grilling, steaming browning, sauteing
Awareness of required cooking temperatures and log these if necessary
Ability to read and complete simple instructions, such as cleaning rota, work rota, temperature control.
Able to cook savoury dishes and be willing to learn and/ or improve on existing knowledge
Able to use and clean catering machinery and light equipment.
Monitor control and reduce food waste
Good IT skills with the ability to use documents, spreadsheets and other IT products (specifically google products)
Demonstrate a willingness and enthusiasm for training and progression.
Able to communicate with all kitchen, school staff and pupils.
Able to work on own and within a team.
Able to help lead and motivate staff.
High personal hygiene and professionalism
Work effectively in a busy and hectic environment.
Desirable: Professional Cookery NVQ, Culinary Arts Diplomas or Degree in hospitality management
Experience delivering food education or cookery classes
Liaise with co-workers regarding world cuisines and new skills
Able to understand seasonality and seasonally appropriate foods
Able to encourage children to select a balanced meal.
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