Head Chef – Cawdor Barracks

Salary: £35000 per annum
Full-time | 5 days out of 7 - Shifts between 6.30am and 8pm

We’re recruiting a Head Chef for a new role at Cawdor Barracks, leading a catering operation serving up to 60 Service Personnel. This position is ideal for an experienced contract catering chef who enjoys being hands-on, developing their team, and managing a well-structured kitchen in a military environment.

You’ll take full responsibility for the kitchen operation, leading a team of six and ensuring high standards of food quality, safety, and service delivery.

‍ What you’ll be doing

• Preparing and delivering high-quality, nutritious meals for Service Personnel
• Leading a hands-on kitchen operation, setting the standard from the front
• Managing daily feeding activities in line with contract requirements
• Line managing and developing a team of 6
• Training, coaching, and supporting team members to build capability and confidence
• Managing food ordering, stock control, audits, and minimising waste
• Ensuring excellent food presentation, consistency, and service standards
• Maintaining full compliance with Food Safety and Health & Safety regulations
• Taking ownership of kitchen audits, paperwork, and compliance checks

 What we’re looking for

• Proven experience as a Head Chef or Senior Chef, ideally within contract catering
• Experience managing and developing kitchen teams
• Strong knowledge of stock management, ordering, and auditing processes
• Confident trainer with experience developing others
• Calm, organised, and comfortable working in a structured catering environment
• Reliable, flexible, and able to adapt to changing business needs
• Able to travel to site reliably

We ensure you're rewarded for all your hard work, which is why we offer a comprehensive benefits package which includes but is not limited to:

• Contributory pension scheme
• Grow your career with our Career Pathways and MyLearning programmes
• Quick access for you and your immediate family to a Digital GP, and wider healthcare benefits
• Exclusive travel discounts with TUI, Expedia, Booking.com and many more
• Save money on your food shop with discounts on Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons and many more
• Up to 44% off cinema tickets to enjoy your favourite blockbuster
• Receive cash rewards every time you spend and use them on a wide range of brands
• Un-wind with us with free wellness, mindfulness and exercise classes
• You can share all discounts and offers with your friends and families

About Us

Part of Compass Group UK&I, ESS is the Defence, Government, and Energy services sector of Compass Group UK & Ireland. We support 250+ UK military establishments, high profile police, secure environments and government sites, along with a range of onshore and offshore facilities including platforms, drilling rigs, floatels and offices for the energy sector. We know that a friendly face makes all the difference, so we look for people who are passionate about delivering excellent customer service, at all levels, to join our teams.

Job Reference: com/0209/94418001/52586535/SU #Defence

Compass Group UK&I is committed to fostering an environment where every individual can truly be themselves at work and has equal opportunities to advance in their careers. We strive to build a culture that respects and celebrates the unique talents, beliefs, backgrounds, and abilities of all our team members. We want our colleagues to feel valued, empowered to reach their full potential, and to thrive - because diversity is our strength!