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⚡ Source: ReedRef: 56898250

Head Chef - Care Home

Barchester Healthcare·East Suffolk, Suffolk·Posted 2 weeks ago
💰 £17/hour
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Job description

Original text imported from Reed

Are you a passionate and qualified Chef looking for a better work life balance? If you are keen to be part of a company that is driven by quality and high standards, Barchester is the place to be!

Your Benefits and Rewards

  • Working days and alternate weekends only, across 4/5 days a week

  • Rewarding Excellence' bonus where you will be financially rewarded up to £500* for a Good or Outstanding CQC inspection

  • Unlimited access to our Refer a Friend' scheme, earning up to £500* per referral

  • Access to a wide range of retail and leisure discounts with big brands, supermarkets and travel companies

  • Free access to medical specialists, who are on hand for a second opinion if you need it

  • Confidential and free access to counselling and legal services

  • Tax Code Review Service to check you're on the right code and paying the right level of tax

  • Option to join our monthly staff lottery alongside your colleagues nationwide

Your Experience and Qualifications

  • A personable and warm approach with a genuine interest in the wellbeing of residents

  • Hold City & Guilds/NVQ/SVQ or equivalent

  • Experience in leading, motivating and inspiring a team

  • Experience of working with fresh seasonal food with a good understanding of nutrition

  • The ability to create a warm and welcoming environment within our homes

  • Confidence engaging with residents to create appetising and nutritious menus

  • Experience working with a front of house team to ensure the restaurants are set up to a high standard

  • Good understanding of HACCP and COSHH

  • Knowledge around modified diets using the IDDSI framework (If new to care, we will train and develop chefs on these techniques)

Your Role and Responsibilities

  • Lead, motivate and inspire a team, develop and upskill where required

  • Menu development, tailoring around residents to ensure we deliver person-centred hospitality

  • Work with fresh produce to deliver high quality and wholesome dishes cooked of the highest standards

  • Bake fresh cakes, scones and breads from scratch

  • Assist the front of house team with setting up of the dining areas

  • Work within budget, complete regular audits and stock control

  • Create a warm, efficient and fun environment

  • Ongoing recruitment and retention

  • Managing the performance of the kitchen team and front of house

As a Head Chef at Barchester, you will have the chance to deliver hotel/restaurant standards without the split shifts and long hours. Our chefs have full autonomy in creating nutritious, flavoursome and well balanced menus, whilst also taking ownership of their kitchen and ongoing team development.

We are exceptionally proud of our Barchester Chef Academy, where chefs have the opportunity to learn new techniques and further develop their skills, whilst also sharing their knowledge to support the growth of others across the business. This fantastic academy experience is held throughout the year and is offered to all of our chefs.

Our internal Learning and Development team also offer industry recognised apprenticeships and further qualifications to chefs and hospitality team members who are looking to build upon and/or develop their skills.

Interested? If you are a motivated and dedicated chef who is ready to be part of something special, apply today!

*Terms & conditions apply


8765


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Key skills

AI-extracted from the job advert

Must-have skills
City & Guilds qualificationNVQ culinary qualificationTeam leadership experienceFresh seasonal food experienceHACCP knowledgeCOSHH compliance
Nice-to-have
IDDSI framework knowledgeCare sector experienceModified diet preparationCQC inspection experience
Soft skills
LeadershipTeam motivationCommunicationAdaptabilityAttention to detailProblem solvingTime management
SpeedCV AI

Application advice

5 AI-generated recommendations to maximise your chances.

1

⭐ Highlight your City & Guilds/NVQ qualification prominently as this is essential for the role

2

🍽️ Emphasise experience with modified diets and IDDSI framework - crucial for care home catering

3

👥 Showcase team leadership examples, as you'll manage both kitchen and front of house staff

4

📊 Quantify your menu development achievements: 'Created 28-day rotating menu for 80 residents'

5

🏥 Mention any care sector experience or CQC inspection involvement to demonstrate sector knowledge

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Suggested CV bullets

3 bullets our AI drafted for this specific advert, mirroring its ATS keywords.

How to tailor your CV

Add these 3 bullets under your most recent experience:

  • Led 8-person kitchen team to achieve Outstanding CQC rating, implementing HACCP protocols that reduced food safety incidents by 95%
  • Developed 28-day rotating menu using IDDSI framework for 120 residents, increasing meal satisfaction scores from 78% to 94%
  • Managed £180,000 annual food budget while reducing waste by 22% through improved stock control and seasonal menu planning

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Dear Hiring Manager,

Barchester Healthcare's commitment to delivering hotel-standard dining in care environments aligns perfectly with my culinary philosophy, which is why I am applying for the Head Chef position in East Suffolk. My City & Guilds qualification and extensive experience with HACCP compliance and fresh seasonal cooking make me well-suited to lead your kitchen team while developing person-centred menus for residents.

My background in team leadership and menu development has equipped me with the skills to motivate kitchen staff, manage budgets effectively, and create nutritious meals that meet the specific dietary requirements of elderly residents. I am particularly drawn to the opportunity to work with the IDDSI framework and contribute to maintaining CQC standards.

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SpeedCV AI

Interview questions

10 questions generated from this advert.

Technical

  • How would you implement HACCP principles in a care home kitchen?
  • Explain your approach to creating modified texture diets using IDDSI framework
  • How do you ensure nutritional requirements are met for elderly residents?
  • Describe your experience with menu costing and budget management
  • What methods do you use for stock rotation and waste control?

Behavioural

  • Tell me about a time you motivated an underperforming team member
  • Describe a situation where you had to adapt a menu for specific dietary requirements
  • How do you handle pressure during busy service periods?
  • Give an example of how you've improved kitchen efficiency
  • Describe a time you dealt with a difficult resident food complaint
SpeedCV AINEW

STAR answer examples

Model answers using the Situation-Task-Action-Result framework. Adapt to your own experience.

1Question

Tell me about a time you motivated an underperforming team member

When I noticed one of my sous chefs consistently arriving late and producing inconsistent food quality, I arranged a private meeting to understand the underlying issues. I discovered they were struggling with childcare arrangements and felt overwhelmed by new menu requirements. I worked with them to adjust their shift pattern by 30 minutes and paired them with our most experienced chef for additional training. Over 6 weeks, their punctuality improved to 98% and their dish consistency scores increased from 65% to 89%, ultimately leading to their promotion to senior sous chef.
2Question

Describe a situation where you had to adapt a menu for specific dietary requirements

A new resident with severe dysphagia required all meals to be IDDSI Level 4 texture modified while maintaining nutritional value and visual appeal. I researched specialised thickening agents and worked with the care team to understand their preferences. I developed 14 texture-modified versions of popular dishes, including a pureed Sunday roast that maintained distinct flavours and colours. The resident's food intake increased by 40% over 3 weeks, and the techniques I developed were adopted across our 3 sister homes, benefiting 28 additional residents with similar needs.

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