A fantastic opportunity has arisen for a Catering Manager at Chigwell Primary Academy.
*Previous applicants need not apply*
About the Role
We are seeking an experienced and enthusiastic Catering Manager to lead the day‑to‑day running of our busy school kitchen. You will be responsible for preparing tasty, nutritious meals for our students and staff, ensuring high standards of food quality, hygiene, and safety at all times. This is a hands‑on role that involves cooking, serving, supervising kitchen staff, ordering supplies, and keeping the kitchen clean, organised, and compliant with food safety regulations.
Key Responsibilities:
* Prepare, cook and serve meals in line with school menus and nutritional standards.
* Supervise and support kitchen staff, ensuring a smooth meal service.
* Order and manage food supplies and stock levels within budget.
* Maintain excellent hygiene, cleanliness, and food safety standards.
* Keep accurate records for compliance and inspections.
About You
We're looking for someone who is:
* Experienced in catering or food preparation (school or similar setting preferred).
* Qualified in Food Hygiene (Level 2 or 3 certificate required).
* Organised, reliable, and able to lead a small team.
* Passionate about providing healthy, appealing food for students.
Our children deserve the best and as a Catering Manager you will be part of our innovative approach to school catering – REAch2EAT. You will have a passion for cooking and providing high quality meals using fresh, local produce as well as delivering exceptional service to our children.
Food served in school forms a part of our healthy school’s ethos, and exceptional nutrition supports our drive for exceptional opportunities for learning. The successful applicant can expect to work as part of a committed school team as well as a wider support network of our REAch2EAT Catering Team.
Benefits
A friendly supportive school environment; Term‑time only working (school holidays off). Opportunities for training and professional development. A role that makes a real difference every day! A firm commitment to your professional development.
* Generous annual leave – healthy work‑life balance.
* Professional development: Access diverse CPD and training opportunities.
* Flexible & family‑friendly: Support for flexible working, including part‑time, term‑time, home working, etc.
* Exclusive discounts: Blue Light Card offers and employee perks.
* Well‑being support: Comprehensive well‑being and employee assistance for you and your family.
Safeguarding, Safer Recruitment and Data Protection
At REAch2 we recognise that those who work in an academy are in a unique position in their care of children. The responsibility for all staff to safeguard pupils and promote their welfare, as stated in Section 175 of the Education Act (2002) is one that is central to our ethos, our policies and our actions. All children are deserving of the highest levels of care and safeguarding, regardless of their individual characteristics or circumstances, and we are committed to applying our policies to ensure effective levels of safeguarding and care are afforded to all our pupils.
We will seek to recruit the best applicant for the job based on the abilities, qualifications, experience as measured against the job description and person specification. The recruitment and selection of staff will be conducted in a professional, timely and responsive manner and in compliance with current employment legislation, and relevant safeguarding legislation and statutory guidance. An enhanced DBS disclosure will be requested for all successful candidates, including a Children’s Barred List check if the role meets the criteria for regulated activity.
For more information about our safer recruitment processes, please click here for our Safer Recruitment Policy.
All information is stored securely, and any information supplied by unsuccessful candidates will be destroyed through a confidential waste system six months after the decision has been communicated, in accordance with our information and records retention policy.
The Trust ensures all applicant data is stored and processed appropriately. For further details on how your information will be managed during the recruitment process please refer to our Privacy Notice for Job Applications.
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