Job overview
Are you ready to take your catering career to the next level? If you are passionate about food, people, and creating a standout service experiences, we have the role for you!
We're looking for a Deputy Catering Manager to join our vibrant and evolving Catering Team. You will play a key role in shaping and transforming our catering services, brining fresh ideas and energy to our staff restaurants and patient meal service.
From managing a diverse team of catering colleagues to ensuring mealtime excellence across the board. This is a fantastic opportunity to lead a team that makes a real difference to the patient & staff experience every day. You will support the Catering Manager on all aspects of catering and delivering meals that meet dietry and nutritional needs, all within a caring and professional hospital environment.
Main duties of the job
Delivery of catering services, ensuring consistant standards of hygiene, safety and customer satisfaction.
Managing a team of catering staff, overseeing training, rotas, performance and day to day management.
Ensuring compliance with food hygiene and health & safety legislation, including HACCP and Natashas Law.
Working closley with the dietetics and clinical teams to ensure meals meet the individual dietary requirment of patients.
Overseeing kitchen operations, food production and meal distrubution with a focus on continuous improvement.
Managing stock control, ordering, and supplier relationships to maintain cost-effectiveness and service quality.
Supporting the delivery of audits, inspections, and quality assurance frameworks including PLACE, CQC and EA.
Maintain accurate records and documentaion for compliance and governance-ERIC
Promoting a culture of professionalism, respect, and care throughout the team.
Working for our organisation
Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust ranks among the top 10 NHS Trusts nationwide and was named the second-best Trust to work for in the South East in the 2023 and 2024 NHS Staff Survey.
We are a large acute hospital trust in south-east England, providing general hospital services and specialist care to around 600,000 residents in West Kent and East Sussex. With a dedicated and diverse team of over 8,000 staff we are proud to offer specialised cancer services to over two million people through the Kent Oncology Centre.
Fordcombe Hospital, near Tunbridge Wells, became part of the Trust in October 2024. Specialising in planned care, it offers two operating theatres, 28 inpatient and day-care beds, diagnostic services (X-ray, MRI, CT, and endoscopy), and consultation/treatment rooms.
Looking for flexible working?
We are a flexible working-friendly organisation. Whether it’s adjusting your hours or exploring other flexible arrangements, we want to work with you to find the best solution for you, our patients, and the Trust. Talk to us about how we can accommodate your working needs.
Joining us includes a comprehensive benefits package:
• At least 27 days of annual leave plus public/bank holidays (pro-rata for part-time staff).
• Membership in the NHS Pension Scheme, with a 20.6% employer contribution and life assurance benefits
• Blue Light card eligibility
• And more, additional benefits can be found in the benefits documents below
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
We’ve provided all the details you need about this role in the job description and person specification. Please take a moment to review the criteria in the person specification and share specific examples in your application that demonstrate how you meet these requirements. Please also check your application for errors/omissions prior to submission.
Please note that appointment to this post will be subject to a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service Check at Enhanced Level. (Enhanced level now includes regulated checks against vulnerable adults and children).
All successful applicants will be required to complete our corporate trust induction once a start date had been agreed.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
1. NVQ Level 3 in Food Hygiene or equivalent.
2. Food Production Qualifications, City and Guilds 706 1/2 / NVQ Level 3
3. Basic Health and Safety
Desirable criteria
4. NVQ Level 3 Supervision
5. Group Training Techniques Certificate
Experience & Knowledge
Essential criteria
6. Relevant experience of working in a similar food preparation environment
7. Experience of preparing, altering and costings menus.
8. Ability to manage a diverse environment focussing on patient/ customer service
9. Knowledge of Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Point (HACCP) documentation for temperatures of food, fridge freezer, cleaning processes in the kitchen
10. Awareness of the standards of hygiene and cleanliness within a healthcare setting
Desirable criteria
11. Understanding of products and ingredients
12. Previous experience of training chefs
Skills
Essential criteria
13. Good organisational and time management skills
14. Ability to prioritise and organise kitchen work.
15. Ability to work under pressure in order to meet deadlines
16. Demonstrates positive and proactive approach to customer care and service improvement
17. Takes personal responsibility to deliver own work to a high standard
Desirable criteria
18. Stock management and ordering skills