{"id":2334285,"url":"https://alion.io/job/chester-zoo-head-chef","title":"Head Chef","company":{"id":1777803,"name":"Chester Zoo","domain":"chesterzoo.org","url":"https://alion.io/company/chesterzoo","size_band":null,"is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Jobtrain","truth_index":null},"role":"Hospitality","role_family":"Hospitality","seniority":null,"employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Chester, United Kingdom"],"countries":["GB"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":40430,"max":null,"currency":"GBP","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":53509},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":null,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[],"status":"closed","first_seen_at":"2026-10-12T09:41:23Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-12","last_verified_at":"2026-11-01T03:16:05Z","board_verified":false,"closed_at":"2026-11-01T03:16:05Z","days_open":19,"trust":{"level":"not_scored","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":19},"description":"Head Chef\nHow would you like to create, cultivate and curate some of the best menus at any visitor attraction in the UK. We’re moving towards our next step in our transformation by using fresh picked ingredients, connecting our food to our mission and showing our conservation principles in the story we tell our visitors on their plates. This is a highly creative, but disciplined role. You will need to deliver consistency, compliance led as well as having the ability to spot talent and inspire them to be the best they can be.\nWe have an exciting vacancy for a Head Chef to join our Food & Beverage team reporting directly to the Executive Head Chef. As part of the Food & Beverage management team you will deliver quality catering across the business at all levels. Specifically delivering at concept stage of menu creation, primarily focusing on the award winning venues The Square and The Oakfield, as well as events across our whole site.\nWe’re passionate about the hospitality industry - and we expect you to be the same. As other business’ in the UK have struggled, we have thrived, and will continue to do so. It is important that you are a people person, understand the difference between leadership and management, and how to get the best results whilst getting the very best from your people.\nThe Role\nTo source, select, develop and procure suitable food products ensuring all transactions fall within company ethical business and sustainable purchasing guidelines whilst exceeding the needs of the business and our visitors.\nTo work with the Executive Head Chef and Procurement Manager, on new projects to ensure quality of products and offers across the department exceed customer expectations and departmental revenue and margin KPI’s are achieved. To deliver training of new offers and manage the new implementation process.\nTo manage internal and external stakeholders, working closely with existing suppliers to ensure that best value is achieved for the organisation with the aim of meeting agreed departmental target KPIs.\nTo support the Executive Head Chef in leading the Chef team to ensure optimal people performance, making customers a priority every day for you and your team.\nManage stock efficiently to guarantee effective yield management of produce to ensure a comprehensive sales return, and successful delivery of margins.\nTo build your network both internally and externally to maintain a good understanding of current catering trends, monitor market changes and competitor activity to ensure you are able to generate new ideas and ensure the Zoo are leaders within the industry.\nResponsible for supporting the management of the correct day to day operation of catering systems, including Food safety, HACCP, health and safety, stock management systems (FIFO).\nThe Package\nYou’ll be working a variety of shifts, across our core zoo opening hours as well as early mornings and evenings for events as required. Contract hours are 40 per week, worked 5 days out of 7.\nPermanent contract\n£40,430 per annum based on 40 hours per week\n33 days annual leave\nAnnual holiday buy/sell scheme\nStaff pass so you can visit the zoo during your time off plus multiple complimentary tickets for your friends and family\nCycle to work scheme\nHealthcare cash plan and employee assistance programme\nDiscounted gym membership\nDiscounts on cinema tickets, restaurants, high street shops and more via Perks\nPension scheme with generous employer contributions up to 9%\nExcellent training and development opportunities\nOur Requirements\nThe successful candidate will:\nHave significant Chef experience operating at a senior level within a quality food environment, menu development and a broad knowledge of global food trends.\nHave proven ability to develop new products in line with current market trends.\nBe able to clearly communicate at different levels and gain buy in.\nHave experience of training and developing teams in a multi-unit environment.\nHave a minimum intermediate health and hygiene certificate, advanced certificate would be preferable.\nHave good practical knowledge of budgeting, forecasting and setting targets.\nHave practical experience of managing chef teams and managing health and hygiene practices in a multi-unit environment.\nHave excellent communication skills at all levels.\nHave strong analytical and data analysis skills with specific F&B experience.\nBe a natural trader with the ability to spot a commercial opportunity.\nHave the ability to understand and work with colleagues whose priorities may differ from those in F&B.\nWhat makes Chester Zoo a great place to work?\nAs the UK’s biggest and best zoo, we have ambitious goals, exciting plans, and there’s always lots going on here. We’re an inclusive and diverse organisation, made up of over 600 permanent and up to 500 temporary team members, and we know how important it is to invest in our colleagues to help boost their career development. We have ambitious goals, and we want you to be with us for the long term.\nPlease be aware we reserve the right to close our vacancies earlier than the listed date if we have received a high level of applications. We would recommend that if you do wish to be considered that you complete the application as promptly as possible as shortlisting and interviews may be taking place whilst the advert is live.","description_format":"text","description_chars":5338,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":null,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":null,"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Annual leave","Gym membership"],"hiring_locations":[],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Hobbies & Leisure"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-10-12T09:41:23Z"},{"event":"close","at":"2026-11-01T03:16:05Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":null,"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":53509,"is_top_pay":true},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/chester-zoo-head-chef","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/chester-zoo-head-chef.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-11-02T15:57:33Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":22169,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-11-03T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":1777803},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=1777803"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fchester-zoo-head-chef"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fchester-zoo-head-chef"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fchester-zoo-head-chef"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/chester-zoo-head-chef\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fchester-zoo-head-chef"}],"agent":{"mcp":"https://alion.io/mcp/jobs","mcp_open":"https://alion.io/mcp/open","next":[{"tool":"get_job","arguments":{"id":2334285}},{"tool":"search_jobs","arguments":{"company":"chesterzoo.org","detail":"compact"}},{"tool":"match_people","arguments":{"job_id":2334285},"note":"people open to offers who fit this vacancy"}],"note":"The same data through MCP tools: https://alion.io/mcp/open needs no sign-in (compact searches, postings, people); https://alion.io/mcp with an Alion account has everything. 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