Head Chef - Care Home

This is a Head Chef role at Barchester Healthcare, a leading provider of care homes in the UK. The position offers a great work-life balance with regular working hours and weekends off, as well as a range of attractive benefits. The successful candidate will be responsible for leading and developing a team of kitchen staff, creating nutritious and appetizing menus for residents, and ensuring a high standard of service in the dining areas.

As a Head Chef at Barchester, you will have the chance to deliver hotel/restaurant standards without the split shifts and long hours. Our chefs have full autonomy in creating nutritious, flavoursome and well balanced menus, whilst also taking ownership of their kitchen and ongoing team development. You will be responsible for leading, motivating and inspiring a team, developing and upskilling where required, as well as menu development, working with fresh produce to deliver high quality and wholesome dishes, baking fresh cakes, scones and breads, assisting the front of house team, working within budget, and creating a warm, efficient and fun environment.

Barchester Healthcare is a leading provider of care homes in the UK, with a focus on delivering high-quality care and support to residents. The company is committed to investing in its staff and providing them with the training and development opportunities they need to excel in their roles.

Are you a passionate and qualified Chef looking for a better work life balance? If you are keen to be part of a company that is driven by quality and high standards, Barchester is the place to be!

• Working days and alternate weekends only, across 4/5 days a week
• Rewarding Excellence' bonus where you will be financially rewarded up to £500
  * for a Good or Outstanding CQC inspection
• Unlimited access to our Refer a Friend' scheme, earning up to £500
  * per referral
• Access to a wide range of retail and leisure discounts with big brands, supermarkets and travel companies
• Free access to medical specialists, who are on hand for a second opinion if you need it
• Confidential and free access to counselling and legal services
• Tax Code Review Service to check you’re on the right code and paying the right level of tax
• Option to join our monthly staff lottery alongside your colleagues nationwide

• A personable and warm approach with a genuine interest in the wellbeing of residents
• Hold City & Guilds / NVQ / SVQ or equivalent
• Experience in leading, motivating and inspiring a team
• Experience of working with fresh seasonal food with a good understanding of nutrition
• The ability to create a warm and welcoming environment within our homes
• Confidence engaging with residents to create appetising and nutritious menus
• Experience working with a front of house team to ensure the restaurants are set up to a high standard
• Good understanding of HACCP and COSHH
• Knowledge around modified diets using the IDDSI framework (If new to care, we will train and develop chefs on these techniques)

• Lead, motivate and inspire a team, develop and upskill where required
• Menu development, tailoring around residents to ensure we deliver person-centred hospitality
• Work with fresh produce to deliver high quality and wholesome dishes cooked of the highest standards
• Bake fresh cakes, scones and breads from scratch
• Assist the front of house team with setting up of the dining areas
• Work within budget, complete regular audits and stock control
• Create a warm, efficient and fun environment
• Ongoing recruitment and retention
• Managing the performance of the kitchen team and front of house

As a Head Chef at Barchester, you will have the chance to deliver hotel/restaurant standards without the split shifts and long hours. Our chefs have full autonomy in creating nutritious, flavoursome and well balanced menus, whilst also taking ownership of their kitchen and ongoing team development.

We are exceptionally proud of our Barchester Chef Academy, where chefs have the opportunity to learn new techniques and further develop their skills, whilst also sharing their knowledge to…