Chef Manager – Wychwood School

Oxford, Oxfordshire
Miquill

Chef Manager – Wychwood School, Oxford

We are looking for the perfect candidate to take on the coveted position of Chef Manager at one of our prestigious independent boarding schools, Wychwood School in Oxford.

Wychwood School is an independent boarding school for 124 girls aged 11 to 18, situated in Oxford. Founded in 1897, Wychwood has a long and rich history of educating girls. From the beginning, their founders had a clear vision of what a small girl’s school should be and what Wychwood girls can achieve. With a history spanning over 120 years the school are becoming a co-educational school from September 2023. With such a vast history and bright future we are recruiting for a Chef Manager who can become engrained within the culture of the school and grow the food provision.

As Chef Manager you will have full responsibility for the catering department and will lead the team in delivering freshly produced lunches for the pupils and school staff which operates 7 days a week during term-time. There will also be a requirement for delivering various hospitality requests for meetings, events at sports teas. Within this role, your key focus will be delivering the highest quality of food and service for our pupils and ensuring that the catering offer is exciting and innovative through the development of your team and continuous review and improvement.

Details of the position

• Predominately Monday to Friday (occasional weekend availability required for staff cover, open days, events etc)
• 40 hours per week
• 52 weeks
• £37,500 per annum

Benefits

• The opportunity to work within the friendly and inviting setting of this prestigious school
• Great work life balance
• Meals provided whilst at work
• Life Assurance
• Annual pay reviews
• Personal training and development plan
• Opportunities for progression within a growing company

• Lead, develop, coach, train, and inspire your team
• Build and maintain a professional and friendly relationship with school staff and pupils to deliver a true partnership with Bredon School
• Ensure consistency of food and service standards
• Deliver added value events such as theme days, tasting tables to make the food offer exciting and encourage meal uptake
• Manage the school’s catering budget while ensuring the best quality of service and food offer
• Liaise with the school and pupils to ensure we are delivering on and where possible, exceeding expectations
• Oversee the kitchen and menu development
• Deliver exceptional food and customer service
• Maintain company systems & procedures, and legislation

• Excellent craft skills with a genuine love of food
• Understanding of nutrition and healthy eating
• A flair for food presentation and an understanding of current food trends
• A real people person who will immerse themselves in the culture of both the school and Palmer & Howells and drive our values within the catering team
• Knowledge of health and safety management
• Financial understanding of cost controls and waste management
• Previous experience managing a team in a similar setting