About us

Part of Compass Group UK&I, Lodestone House is the leading provider of catering and support services to the education sector. For over a quarter of a century, Lodestone House has been focusing on helping those in education to build strong bodies, sharp minds and lead long healthy lives. Every week, Lodestone House serves millions of nutritious and delicious meals to pupils and students in primary and secondary schools, academies, independent schools, colleges, and universities across the UK.

About the role

We're currently recruiting a School Head Chef to join Lodestone House on a full time basis, contracted to 35 hours per week, working Monday to Friday, days.

You'll lead the kitchen and shape the food offer, inspiring your team, running a tight operation and creating menus our customers come back for.

Please note: This role is contracted to 5.6 weeks per year

What you'll do

• Preparing delicious, high-quality food that delights our clients and customers
• Creating a positive kitchen where your team feel welcomed and supported
• Identifying opportunities to improve our food service
• Ordering food, managing stock and controlling food waste
• Managing budgets and meeting financial targets
• Overseeing kitchen cleaning and complying with Food Hygiene and Health & Safety standards

What we offer

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

• Aviva Digicare - Free annual healthcare check
• Employee Assistance Programme - Mental health support, offering confidential advice and resources to help you navigate personal and professional challenges
• Perks at Work - Access to exclusive benefits and wellbeing resources
• Career training & development opportunities - Including Apprenticeships and Career Pathways
• Earn up to £500 when you refer a friend
• Comprehensive pension scheme and life assurance

About you

Our ideal School Head Chef will:

• Hold a City & Guilds 706/1 & 2 or NVQ equivalent
• Have experience in a similar School Head Chef role
• Be passionate about food
• Create a positive work environment where the whole team can thrive
• Be a brilliant communicator who easily builds relationships
• Be able to work under pressure, with a safety-first mindset

Lodestone House is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expect all employees to share this commitment. Any offer of employment will be subject to successfully completing pre-employment checks, including an enhanced DBS disclosure and a Children's Barred List check. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and we ask applicants to declare all previous convictions and cautions in order to assess their suitability to work with children.

Job Reference: com/0411/86219001/52844349/BU #LodestoneHouse

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!