Chef - Ilford Park 

£14.91 per hour/ 37 Hours Per Week

Working Pattern:

• Sunday: 7:00am - 6:00pm
• Monday: 7:00am - 6:00pm
• Tuesday: 7:00am - 6:00pm
• Wednesday: 7:00am - 1:00pm

We're looking for a passionate and caring Chef to join our team, delivering nutritious, high-quality meals within a specialist care environment.

This role is about much more than cooking. You'll play a key part in enhancing the daily lives of residents through food, ensuring meals are prepared to the highest standards while supporting a range of dietary, nutritional and individual care requirements.

Whether you have previous experience in care, healthcare, education, hospitality, or contract catering, we're keen to hear from chefs who take pride in their work, understand the importance of consistency and compliance, and genuinely enjoy making a difference through great food.

What You'll Be Doing

• Preparing and serving fresh, nutritious meals for residents and staff
• Supporting menu planning and implementing seasonal menu changes
• Catering for a variety of dietary requirements and nutritional needs
• Maintaining excellent food quality, presentation, and portion control
• Managing stock levels and supporting efficient ordering processes
• Ensuring the kitchen remains clean, organised, and audit-ready
• Following all Food Safety, Health & Safety, and infection control procedures
• Building positive relationships with residents, colleagues, and wider care teams
• Identifying opportunities to improve the dining experience and food offer

What We're Looking For

• Previous experience as a Chef, Senior Chef, Sous Chef, or similar
• A passion for producing high-quality food and delivering excellent service
• Understanding of food safety, allergen management, and kitchen compliance
• Experience working with special diets or nutritional requirements is desirable
• A calm, organised approach and the ability to work independently
• Experience supervising or supporting other team members
• A recognised catering qualification (City & Guilds, NVQ, or equivalent)
• Food Hygiene certification

Why Join Us?

• A rewarding role where your food genuinely impacts people's wellbeing
• Structured working hours with no late-night finishes
• Opportunity to work within a supportive and dedicated care team
• Ongoing training and development opportunities
• A stable environment where quality and care come first

If you're looking for a role where your cooking skills can make a real difference every day, we'd love to hear from you.

We ensure you're rewarded for all your hard work,which is why we offer a comprehensive benefits package which includes but isnot limited to:

• Free meals
• Onsite free car parking
• Subsidised gym membership
• 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.

Could you bring your spark to Defence? Apply today, we'd love to hear from you.

Job Reference: com/3010/96065001/52843335/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!