We're looking for a talented, experienced Head Chef to lead our kitchen at The Hayes Conference Centre. We are a large residential conference centre,where we serve fresh, home-produced meals for up to 400 guests per sitting, three times a day. If you're passionate about great food, team leadership, and delivering a warm, servant-hearted experience, we'd love to hear from you.
About the Role
As Head Chef, you'll lead a dedicated kitchen team and work closely with our FOH dining team to deliver excellent, well-balanced menus for a diverse range of residential guests. You'll bring creativity—drawing on seasonal and ethnic flavours—while keeping food safety, quality, and consistency at the heart of everything you do.
What You'll Do
* Create enjoyable menus for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks, including options for special diets
* Cook high-volume, fresh food to a consistently high standard
* Lead and motivate a small kitchen team, setting expectations and developing their skills
* Manage ordering, suppliers, stock control, and budgeted GP
* Ensure compliance with all Food Safety, Health & Safety, and internal policies
* Maintain excellent presentation, freshness, and standards at the servery
* Work collaboratively with operations and FOH teams to deliver a seamless guest experience
* Be an ambassador for CCT in all guest and team interactions
Shift Patterns
Our catering operates within set service times, with no late-night food service:
* 6:00am – 2:00pm
* 12:00pm – 8:00pm
(5 days out of 7)
What We're Looking For
* Experienced chef with a background in volume catering (up to 400 covers)
* Confident creating seasonal and ethnic dishes, and designing inclusive menus
* Strong leader with excellent communication skills
* Organised, reliable, and passionate about delivering excellent food and guest experience
* Level 3 Food Hygiene required (training provided). Qualifications welcomed but experience valued
What We Offer
* Competitive salary
* Company pension (6% employer contribution)
* Long Service Holiday Allowance
* Westfield Health wellbeing programme
* Discounted stays for you and your family at our other centres (subject to availability)
* Free meal while on duty
* Free onsite parking
* Uniform provided
* Supportive, friendly working environment
* Opportunities to bring ideas, create new menus, and shape the guest dining experience
* Staff events and ongoing development opportunities
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: £37,500.00 per year
Benefits:
* Company events
* Company pension
* Discounted or free food
* Free parking
* Life insurance
* On-site parking
* Sick pay
Experience:
* Cooking: 2 years (required)
Work Location: In person