Chef Manager - Abbey Primary School

Make a difference every day by helping provide healthy, delicious meals to children at school

At Olive Dining, we believe great food brings people together — and there’s no better place to do that than in schools, where young minds are growing every day. We’re a dedicated school catering company serving fresh, nutritious meals to students across London, Kent, Surrey, and Essex. Now, we’re on the lookout for a Chef Manager to take the lead in the kitchen.

If you’re passionate about food, love working in a team, and thrive in a fast-paced environment with purpose — this could be the perfect role for you.

• Family-Friendly
  
  Hours:
  
  Term time only, so you can enjoy school holidays too!
• Weekends Off:
  Yes, really.
• Supportive Team Culture:
  You're never just a number here.
• Free Meals on Duty:
  Because chefs should never work hungry.
• Wellbeing First:
  Access to an Employee Assistance Programme including free CBT, health, and financial support.
• Room to Grow:
  We believe in promoting from within and helping our people thrive.

As Chef Manager, you’ll be the friendly face leading the kitchen team and the driving force behind everything we serve.

• Cook up exciting, balanced meals that keep students happy and energised
• Lead, train, and inspire your team to deliver top-notch service every day
• Keep things running smoothly — from ordering supplies to managing kitchen finances
• Maintain high standards of food safety, cleanliness, and compliance
• Gather feedback from students and staff (yes, kids have opinions!) and use it to keep improving
• Keep a close eye on stock, costs, and quality
• Report on performance, meet KPIs, and help the site shine in every way
• And the completion of any other reasonable requests given by your manager

• A genuine passion for good food and great service
• Experience in a similar chef or catering manager role
• Strong leadership and team-building skills
• Comfortable with kitchen finances, stock control, and compliance records
• Great communication skills – with both adults and young people
• A positive, proactive mindset and a love for working in education settings
• IT literacy and good organisational skills
• A sense of humour (trust us, it helps!)

• Want to make a real impact in a school community
• Enjoy variety and hands-on leadership
• Like the idea of work-life balance that includes school holidays
• Are ready to bring your ideas, creativity, and energy to the table

If you’re ready to take the next step in your catering career and want to work somewhere that values people, flavour, and fun — we’d love to hear from you.