Chef Manager

Chef Manager

Be supported and encouraged to be the best that you can be

Start date: September 2026

Salary: Ark Support Staff (Inner London) Band 7: Full time equivalent circa £35,368 - £41,010; actual pro-rata salary circa dependent on the experience and calibre of candidate.

Hours: 36 hours per week Monday - Friday, term time plus two weeks during school holiday periods (41 weeks per year in total)

Location: Ark Atwood Primary Academy, Westminster, London

Nearest Tube station: Royal Oak (Hammersmith & City, Circle) or Warwick Avenue (Bakerloo)

Deadline: Friday 28th August 10am

Ofsted: Outstanding in all areas (2024)

Visits to our school are warmly encouraged; to arrange, please call [phone removed].

Ark Atwood is passionate about life-changing teaching and instilling an eagerness to learn within our pupils. The success of our staff has led to a rating of outstanding by Ofsted, just two years after opening.

In order to help us achieve our vision for success, we are looking for a Chef Manager to join our team. You will be responsible for leading the catering team, creating new exciting menus and leading the food education across the school. You will play a pivotal role in a committed team and make a real impact on the outcomes of our pupils. Great importance is placed on the welfare of the pupils, with the catering operation being central to this.

 As a member of staff at Ark Atwood, you will be part of Ark, an international charity and one of the UK's most successful multi-academy trusts, with a network of 35 schools in 4 locations across the country.

Visit our website for more information on the school.

For an informal, confidential discussion, please contact the Executive Principal via email [email removed]    

Please submit your application online by visiting www.arkatwoodprimary.org  

If you have any technical difficulties, please contact the recruitment team on [email removed] or [phone removed]    

The deadline for applications is Friday 28th August 10am. Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis so early applications are encouraged.

Ark is committed to safeguarding children; successful candidates will be subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check.

Job Description: Chef Manager

The Role

As Chef Manager you will lead the team responsible for ensuring the highest quality of lunches and afterschool refreshments to around 450 pupils, staff and visitors daily, within pre-agreed budgetary terms.

To continuously develop the catering service and education at school through the introduction of innovation and interest, being mindful that all innovation must be to the benefit of the health and well-being of the pupils and the promotion of a healthy well-balanced lifestyle.

Key Responsibilities

Meal Service

·      Continuously develop the catering service at school through innovative planning, prioritising the health and well-being of students and the promotion of a healthy well-balanced lifestyle.

·      Be the lead chef when catering for meals, including special events or functions.

·      Draw up a three weekly menu cycle for each term based on suitability for 4 – 11 year old's, seasonality, fresh ingredients and nutritional balance and market initiative.

·      Create individual menus for specific hospitality events.

·      Order all items required for the production of these menus.

·      Manage costs and stock of all areas of food productions, in keeping with the academy’s catering budget, recording monthly stock counts and calculate food costs accordingly.

·      Keep a record of all kitchen (not plate) wastage and cost this wastage at the end of each week. Calculate the percentage wasted to total food consumption monthly (target 5%).

Finance Management

·      Ensure that the Catering Department operates at maximum efficiency within budgetary targets to deliver the required level of service at all times.

·      At least one term in advance of the start of the budget financial year, draw up a draft catering budget in conjunction with the Headteacher for discussion. Make revisions and agree final budget against which targets will be set.

·      Monitor financial performance monthly and in a format agreed with the Senior Leadership Team. Any overspends to be either justified or an action plan produced which rectifies the overspend in the following reporting period.

·      Evidence of catering financial best practice to be in place such as recipe/dish costings, cost per head calculations, wastage monitoring and minimum monthly stock-takes.

·      Arrange the working rota cover effectively ensuring that all areas are fully covered and that the labour force is used to best effect both operationally and financially.

People Management

·      To be the primary point of contact for the catering team and to be responsible for all matters relating to the welfare, motivation, achievement of best practice and development of this team.

·      To assist with all interviews for the catering team, appointing new employees as necessary. Ensuring induction training, setting early objectives and acting as a guardian/mentor, as appropriate, for new team members.

·      To conduct annual and mid-year appraisals for the Catering Team, identifying areas for improvement, setting new targets and formulating training plans to improve skills etc.

·      Produce Individual and Gr