Vacancies

Lead House Chef / House Chef

Interaction Recruitment are currently recruiting for experienced and enthusiastic chefs to join the catering operation at a leading independent boarding school in Uppingham, Rutland.

We have opportunities available for both a Lead House Chef (£32,495) and House Chef (£30,870), working within the school's individual boarding house kitchens.

Unlike a traditional large-scale production kitchen, these positions offer the opportunity to work within a smaller, more personal catering environment, preparing fresh, nutritious meals and helping create a welcoming dining experience for boarding pupils and staff.

These are excellent opportunities for chefs who enjoy taking pride in their food, building relationships and being an important part of a close-knit community.

The Roles

Working within a boarding house kitchen, you will be responsible for preparing and delivering a variety of meals, ensuring excellent food quality, presentation and service.

• Preparing and cooking fresh, nutritious meals for boarding pupils and staff.
• Supporting breakfast, supper, weekend services and special events.
• Creating varied menus and catering for different dietary requirements.
• Maintaining excellent food safety, hygiene and allergen management standards.
• Supporting food ordering, stock control and reducing food waste.
• Building positive relationships with boarding house staff and pupils.
• Ensuring the kitchen operates efficiently and to a consistently high standard.

Lead House Chef

As Lead House Chef, you will take overall responsibility for the operation of your designated boarding house kitchen, including menu planning, kitchen leadership, ordering, budgets and food safety compliance.

House Chef

As House Chef, you will work alongside the Lead House Chef, supporting the daily catering operation and taking responsibility for the kitchen in their absence.

What We're Looking For

• Previous experience working as a chef within a professional kitchen.
• A professional cookery qualification, such as NVQ Level 2/3 or equivalent.
• A passion for producing fresh, high-quality, nutritious food.
• Good knowledge of food safety, HACCP and allergen management.
• Excellent organisational skills and the ability to work independently.
• A positive, professional and approachable manner.
• The ability to build good working relationships with colleagues and pupils.

For the Lead House Chef position, previous experience of managing a kitchen, supervising staff, stock ordering and food cost control will be particularly important.

Experience within education, contract catering, hospitality or residential catering would be advantageous, although we welcome applications from chefs with transferable experience.

What's On Offer?

• Lead House Chef: £32,495 per annum
• House Chef: £30,870 per annum
• Additional overtime, estimated at £2,000–£3,000 per year.
• The opportunity to work within a welcoming boarding school environment.
• A varied role with opportunities to develop your skills.
• The opportunity to make a real difference to the daily dining experience of pupils.

Working hours will follow a rota, including early mornings, evenings, weekends and occasional special events.

Due to the nature of the working environment, successful applicants will be subject to enhanced DBS and relevant pre-employment checks.

Interested?

Whether you're an experienced chef looking for more responsibility or already managing a kitchen and looking for your next challenge, we'd love to hear from you.

Apply today with your CV and we'll be happy to discuss which opportunity might best suit your experience.

Contact information

Vicky Funnell