Catering Team Leader- Head Chef

We are looking for an enthusiastic and experienced Catering Team Leader to join our busy and friendly Hospital Catering Department. This is a hands‑on leadership role where you'll play a vital part in providing nutritious, high-quality meals to both patients and visitors, while leading a team committed to delivering excellent service across our hospital site. About You Food-focused with a genuine passion for creating nutritious, tasty meals. Positive and proactive, with excellent organisational and leadership skills. Experienced in catering management or senior chef roles, ideally within a healthcare or large-scale catering environment. Knowledgeable about food safety, allergen management, and HACCP systems. Creative and detail-oriented, with the ability to design menus that balance quality, cost, and variety. A team player, eager to contribute to a department with great potential and a shared commitment to achieving excellent results. Why Join Us? A supportive and collaborative team environment. Regular working hours – mainly Monday to Friday, with no late nights. The opportunity to make a real difference in the experience and wellbeing of our patients, staff, and visitors. Ongoing training and development opportunities within a growing catering service. Main duties of the job You will take the lead in hands‑on cooking, menu design, dish costings, and daily kitchen operations, ensuring that all catering services meet the highest standards of quality, safety, and compliance with food hygiene and health & safety legislation. Lead, motivate and support the catering team to deliver outstanding food and service. Plan and prepare balanced, appealing menus for patients, staff, and visitors, ensuring dietary and cultural needs are met. Oversee the day‑to‑day running of the staff & visitor restaurant and patient meal service. Manage food production and portion control, ensuring cost‑effective use of resources. Ensure all catering operations are fully compliant with current food safety, hygiene, and health & safety legislation. Support team training and development, fostering a positive and professional working environment. Work collaboratively with colleagues to continually improve catering standards and customer satisfaction. If you're a motivated catering professional who takes pride in great food and great teamwork, we'd love to hear from you. About us A wide range of staff benefits are available to our staff including staff development, enrolment in the NHS pension scheme, auto‑enrolment to our Temporary Workforce Service, access to onsite nurseries, staff restaurants and accommodation. In addition to an internal Occupational Health department, all staff also have access to free psychological support through our confidential Employee Assistance Programme. Onsite parking is available from only £50 a year. There has never been a better time to join East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, submit your application today. Statement on the Use of AI We value the individuality that each candidate brings to the application process. While we understand that AI tools are widely available, we strongly discourage applicants from using AI‑generated content when applying for jobs with us. We believe that your application should reflect your true skills, experiences, and motivations, which are best conveyed through your own words and unique perspective. Using AI for your application may not accurately represent your knowledge, skills, and experience and may result in a disconnect between your qualifications and our assessment of your application. We encourage applicants to take the time to thoughtfully complete your applications; by doing so, you allow us to better understand your true potential and ensure a fair and transparent evaluation of your application. Over reliance on AI‑generated content may diminish your chance of success. Person Specification Qualifications Essential Evidence of basic standard of education City & Guilds or NVQ 3 in Catering or equivalent Additional training and / or experience to diploma equivalent to include: Intermediate Food Hygiene Certification, Supervisory Management qualification or equivalent experience, Knowledge of relevant legislation, Knowledge of HR Policy. Desirable Advanced Food Hygiene Certification HACCP training Experience Essential Evidence of career path in a similar role. 1‑3 years Supervisory experience. Managing Health & Safety / Food Safety. Skills Essential Knowledge and good understanding of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP). Good organisational & communication skills Able to work under pressure, prioritise own & others work to meet competing demands. Ability to work within a team or on own initiative. Ability to motivate team. Desirable Knowledge of special diets. Full driving licence. Word processing / IT skills. Train the Trainer qualification. Disclosure and Barring Service Check. This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions. Certificate of Sponsorship Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website. Employer details Employer name East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust Address Conquest HospitalThe RidgeSt. LeonardsTN37 7RD Employer's website (Opens in a new tab) Salary £27,485 to £30,162 a year pro rata, per annum Job Reference #J- #J-18808-Ljbffr