Great food in the workplace isn’t simply about fuel.
It’s about increasing productivity and improving performance; it’s about happy, motivated people and inspiring environments. Our customers are at the heart of everything we do – we live to bring food and people together.

We are brave, bold and curious adventurers in food and drink. Never shy of being different, always challenging the conventional.

Our passionate team of chefs, baristas, servers, nutritionists and much more, love nothing more than creating memorable moments that enrich the everyday. Come and join our award-winning teams – we are currently recruiting for a  Hospitality Head Chef to join our team at University College London.

Location: University College London, WC1E 6BT

Working Pattern: Predominately Monday - Friday with occasional evenings and weekends

Rate of Pay: £54789 per annum

Key Responsibilities: 

• Lead the day-to-day kitchen operation, ensuring consistently high standards of food quality, presentation and service.
• Deliver a strong hospitality offer across meetings, events, functions and special occasions.
• Create fresh, seasonal and innovative menus that appeal to a diverse university community and event guests.
• Manage and develop the kitchen team, creating a positive, supportive and high-performing environment.
• Ensure food is prepared and delivered efficiently, particularly during busy hospitality and event periods.
• Manage food ordering, stock control and waste, while making the best use of ingredients and resources.
• Work closely with the wider catering and hospitality teams to plan upcoming events and functions.
• Maintain excellent standards of food safety, hygiene, allergen management and health & safety.
• Support budget and cost management while maintaining quality and value.
• Continuously develop the food offer, bringing fresh ideas and keeping menus engaging and relevant.

Our Ideal Candidate:

• Experienced Head Chef or Senior Sous Chef from a hospitality, education or contract catering background.
• Passionate about fresh, seasonal food with strong menu development skills.
• Confident delivering hospitality, functions and events alongside daily service.
• A positive leader who can motivate and develop a kitchen team.
• Strong knowledge of food safety, allergens, stock control and kitchen costs.

What's in it for you? 

Working with Gather and Gather/UCL has its perks! People are at the heart of everything we do, so we've developed a range of benefits to keep you happy. 

• 27 days holiday plus Public Holidays plus your birthday off & UCL closure dates off
• Fantastic (UCL-aligned) Pension scheme
•  Food allowance
•  Volunteering days
•  Personal Development and Training opportunities – We are passionate about our team growing with us.
• Online wellbeing centre – including access to our Employee Assistance Programme, salary, recipes, exercise, and financial advice
•  Family friendly support
•  Regular social events
•  Recognition schemes and people awards
•  Long service awards
•  High street discount vouchers
•  Cycle to work scheme
•  Discount gym Membership (campus gym)

Job Reference: com/1910/48609001/52694138/SU #Gather and Gather

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!