School Catering Manager

Job in Reading, Berkshire, RG1, England, UK

Listing for: Compass Group UK & Ireland

Part Time position
Listed on 2026-05-30

Job specializations:

Hospitality / Hotel / Catering
Catering, Food & Beverage, Event Manager / Planner, Hospitality & Tourism

Salary/Wage Range or Industry Benchmark: 80000 - 100000 GBP Yearly GBP 80000.00 100000.00 YEAR

We're recruiting an experienced Catering Manager who is passionate about exceptional food and world-class customer service, and who can confidently oversee all Compass Group UK&I catering and service operations for Chartwells on a part‑time basis, contracted to 30 hours per week.

As a Catering Manager, you will be responsible for ensuring our kitchens and service counters run smoothly and helping to deliver truly incredible food experiences.

Shift patterns: 5 out of 7 days per week. This role is contracted to 43.6 weeks per year.

Your key responsibilities will include:

Preparing delicious food to the highest standards
Supervising the culinary and catering teams to ensure impeccable food and customer service
Overseeing the efficiency of all in‑unit catering operations, including managing inventories, monitoring budgets, and implementing action plans
Communicating regularly with your line manager to monitor KPIs and targets
Representing Compass Group UK&I and maintaining a positive brand image
Identifying opportunities for new food or service concepts to drive sales
Liaising between customers and the culinary and service teams to exceed expectations
Supporting and training teams, leading from the front to help everyone excel
Implementing and reviewing Health & Safety standards to ensure compliance across all catering and service teams

Our ideal Catering Manager will:

Be passionate about great‑tasting food and exceptional customer service
Have a minimum of two years of catering experience
Have experience managing teams in a similar role
Hold an NVQ Level 1 & 2 or City & Guilds 706/1 and 2
Hold a Basic Food Hygiene certificate
Demonstrate brilliant financial acumen
Have excellent communication and organisational skills
Be an ambitious and motivated individual who is always looking to upskill

Part of Compass Group UK&I, Chartwells is the leading provider of catering and support services to the education sector. Chartwells serves millions of nutritious and delicious meals to pupils and students across the UK.

Job Reference: com/1405///WJ #State Schools

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