Role: Chef
Location: Bedford College – Cauldwell Street Campus
Salary/Benefits: Salary is between £26,500 and £27,299 per annum (Pro-Rata) DOE and Qualifications, People’s pension, Retail and Leisure Discounts, excellent professional and personal development opportunities, accessing college courses.
Hours/Weeks: 37 hours per week – 36 week per year
Contract Type: Permanent – Term Time
This is a UK based contract, and you are required to have the Right to Work in the UK. Unfortunately, we’re unable to offer sponsorship and any offer of employment will be subject to evidence of your Right to Work in the UK.
About the role:
We are currently seeking a Chef to join our Catering and Hospitality department at The Bedford College Group.
As a Chef, you play an important role in the success of our students through:
1. Food Preparation & ServiceDelivery – Prepare, cook and present high‑quality meals in line with weekly menus, ensuring sufficient availability across service areas and delivering an excellent customer experience.
2. Kitchen Operations & Compliance – Maintain high standards of food hygiene, cleanliness and safety, ensuring full compliance with HACCP, COSHH and College policies through accurate records and due diligence.
3. Menu Planning, Cost Control & StockManagement – Support menu planning, costings and production schedules, manage food costs and waste, assist with stock control, deliveries and storage in line with budget requirements.
4. Customer Service & Hospitality Support – Provide professional service to customers, support hospitality functions and promotions, and maintain a welcoming environment while resolving issues effectively.
5. Teamwork, Flexibility & Professional Standards – Work collaboratively with catering teams, demonstrate flexibility during busy periods, uphold punctuality and hygiene standards, and comply with safeguarding, EDI, health & safety and training requirements.
About you:
6. Qualifications & Culinary Expertise – Level 2 qualification (or equivalent experience) with Level 2 Food Hygiene, strong cooking skills and ability to enhance flavour, presentation and quality across food production.
7. Kitchen Operations & Cost Control – Experienced in large‑scale catering operations, managing food costs, stock and quality while maintaining high standards in production, plating and buffet presentation.
8. Leadership, Organisation & Performance – Proven supervisory experience, able to lead by example, plan and organise effectively, maintain attention to detail and deliver high performance under pressure.
9. Creativity, Customer Experience & Communication – Passionate about food trends and innovation, creating engaging menus and delivering a welcoming, high‑quality customer experience with strong communication skills.
10. Professional Values, Flexibility & Compliance – Self‑motivated, adaptable and reliable, committed to safeguarding, equality, health & safety and continuous development, with flexibility to meet service demands and maintain professional standards.
For a more detailed breakdown of the job role and the requirements, please see the Job Description attached to this vacancy.
Interviews to be held: TBC
Successful candidates must also be able to demonstrate alignment to our organisational VISION values:
11. Valuing Teamwork - We are one team who by working together can achieve great things, respecting the opinion and valuing the contribution each of us makes.
12. Improving Continuously - We challenge ourselves to always do better by trying new things, sharing knowledge, reflecting on practice and learning from others.
13. Student Centred - At our heart is always doing what is best for our students. We consider students in all of our decision making to create positive outcomes and memorable experiences for every student.
14. Inclusive - We celebrate differences and diversity, recognising that we can learn from each other.
15. Open and Caring - We care about the wellbeing of our staff, our students, our community and wider society, creating an environment built on trust where we listen, engage with and support each other.
16. Nurturing Education Excellence - We promote educational excellence by delivering programmes that challenge our students to achieve their ambitions.
About The Bedford College Group
The Bedford College Group was formed in 2017 following the merger of Bedford College and Tresham College and is now the largest provider of education in the South East Midlands, with over 15,000 students passing through our doors each year.
Today, the Group is made up of a family of colleges across Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire: Bedford College, Central Bedfordshire College and Tresham College in the towns of Bedford, Dunstable, Leighton Buzzard, Corby, Kettering and Wellingborough; Shuttleworth College, a specialist land-based college; The Bedford Sixth Form, (the only dedicated sixth form in Bedford); The Corby Sixth Form, (opened in September 2023); and the National College for Motorsport alongside Silverstone race circuit. To widen accessibility to education and training, the Group also has community-based Learning Centres in Bedford, Corby and Kettering which offer IT training.
Safeguarding our Students
The Bedford College Group is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to thorough vetting process which includes, an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references.
This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Exceptions Order 1975, provides information about which convictions must be declared during job applications and related exceptions and further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS filtering guide. The Bedford College Group's policy on Employment of Ex-Offenders is attached to this vacancy.
Candidates who are barred from working with children are reminded it is a criminal offence to apply for this post.