Catering Manager (Chef-led)
Confirmed on the employer's own hiring board on Oct 18, 2026. First seen by Alion on Sep 21, 2026.
We're looking for a hands-on, Chef-led Catering Manager with strong cooking ability to lead the kitchen and catering operation at our site. You'll be cooking and running the kitchen day-to-day, while a dedicated Front of House Supervisor manages the dining room and service — so this role is firmly food-focused.
You'll take ownership of menus, food standards and kitchen operations, alongside the commercial performance of the catering offer, working closely with your FOH Supervisor to deliver a great overall experience for residents, visitors and guests.
What you’ll be serving up…
Cooking and leading kitchen production, ensuring food is prepared and presented to a consistently high standard
Managing food costs, stock, wastage and purchasing to hit budget and GP targets
Leading, training and developing the kitchen team
Creating rotas that meet operational needs within labour budget
Maintaining full compliance with food safety, HACCP and health & safety standards
Working alongside the FOH Supervisor to align kitchen output with service and events
Building genuine relationships with residents, getting out into the dining room to talk food and take feedback, even though FOH handle day-to-day service
Reviewing weekly/monthly performance against budget and identifying opportunities to improve profitability
The ingredients you'll bring...
Solid chef/kitchen management background — able to cook to a high standard, not just supervise
Previous experience in catering, hospitality, contract catering, restaurants or hotels
Commercial awareness — comfortable with budgets, labour, stock and GP
Strong food safety and allergen knowledge
Confident leading and developing a kitchen team
Warm and approachable, comfortable building relationships with residents and enjoys spending time with them, not just running the pass
Organised, proactive, and comfortable taking ownership of the kitchen operation
Genuine passion for food and cooking
Strong organisational skills, able to manage competing kitchen priorities
Flexibility — some evenings, weekends and bank holidays may be required around events