Head Chef

Job Introduction

We are currently looking to recruit an experienced Retail Head Chef to ensure the delivery of a high quality, timely, responsive, cost-effective and pro-active retail/catering and hospitality service across the site, to meet the needs of the visitors and staff at the Birmingham Children’s Hospital.

You’ll be directly responsible for the current performance and delivery of the existing Restaurant Catering operation, whilst working towards a successful delivery of the fresh food keeping abreast of new ways of working and themed days, health promotion activities, along with the hospitality.

You’ll ensure that all food is produced in a safe and hygienic manner at all times - focusing on a high standard of presentation. You will produce a varied menu to increase footfall and compete with local competition, making the in house food provision on-site the place people choose to go first.

We are looking for someone who will support contract retention, bring innovation and keep abreast of new ways of working.

Sodexo Healthcare is a leading provider of services to the NHS and private healthcare organisations in England. We provide quality of life services that improve patient and staff experience, raise standards and deliver financial benefits to our clients. We help to enhance the patient environment (including patient dining, cleaning/housekeeping, retail services), provide clinical support (diagnostic pathology as part of a joint venture, equipment sterilisation) and manage technical estates teams (estates management, asset management, land maintenance and energy management).

Role Responsibility

• Assist with the preparation of food and the serving of all meals to customers
• Supervise a team to ensure that the kitchen and service areas are clean and tidy
• Undertake front of house live theatre cooking, forward facing, focusing on theme days, team participation and a sense of fun
• Cook food to order, Theatre/ line to customer
• Focus on presentation on the plate to the customer and portion size of the dishes
• Ensure all food and health and safety regulations are followed
• Efficient financial management of the client business within agreed budgets and targets
• Ensure high levels of customer satisfaction are monitored, measured and managed
• Be responsible for ordering of all goods and stock control
• Responsible for recruitment, training and management of staff, including personal development, reward and recognition, appraisals, health & safety, and communication of shared goals.

The Ideal Candidate

• Experience of supervising employees within a service environment and maximising the performance of the team
• Strong craft skills background, with proven catering experience
• Knowledge and experience of menu planning , cost and budget control
• Good interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build effective relationships with colleagues, patients and clients
• Good level of numeracy, literacy and IT skills
• Ability to work under pressure in a busy environment
• Ensure that all statutory regulations regarding safety, fire and hygiene are compiled along with any Trust specific codes of practice
• Good working knowledge  of HACCP

Qualifications / Certificates:

• C&G 706/1 & 2 or NVQ 3 equivalent
• Level 3 in Food Safety
• IOSH Managing Safely

Package Description

Predominantly Monday to Friday, with availability to support hospitality events in evenings or weekends as required.

About the Company

In the UK and Ireland, Sodexo employs some 35,000 employees to deliver integrated facilities management services to clients at over 2,000 locations in the corporate, healthcare, education, leisure, defence and justice sectors. With an annual turnover of over £1bn, we provide everything from catering, cleaning and reception to security, laboratory and grounds maintenance services, enabling our clients to focus on their core business.

We are building on our support to the Armed Forces community through the development of specific pathways within our recruitment process to  support ex-forces personnel and reservists, those applying for jobs with us who meet the ideal candidate criteria for the role advertised are guaranteed to progress to the selection process.

Sodexo and our clients are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults within a regulated activity. Certain roles will require applicants to undergo screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and/ or Disclosure Scotland.