Chef Manager - Minehead

Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership, Radstock, BA3 3NQ

9 days remaining to apply

Job start date
1 September 2026
Closing date
5 July 2026 at 11:59pm
Date listed
26 June 2026

Job details

Job role: Catering, cleaning and site management
Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
Working pattern: Full time: Hours: 37 per week, Monday to Friday, term time plus inset days
Contract type: Permanent
Hourly rate: £17.85 - £19.32

What skills and experience we're looking for

Role: Minehead Middle School

Location: Minehead, Somerset

Start Date: 01/09/2026

Hours: 37 per week, Monday to Friday, term time plus inset days

Salary: Grade 7 and scale point 23 - 26, hourly rate £17.85 - £19.32 (Full time equivalent £34,434 - £37,280) and actual annual salary range £29,584 - £32,030

Midsomer Norton Schools’ Partnership is seeking an exceptional Hub Chef Manager to lead our busy catering provisions based at Minehead Middle School. In this vital role, you will oversee the production of high-quality, nutritious meals for up to 550 primary school pupils and staff across multiple local schools.

If you are passionate about fresh food, excellent service, and inspiring a team, we want to hear from you!

Key Responsibilities

As our Hub Chef Manager, you will lead the kitchen team to deliver an imaginative range of dishes while managing budgets and strict safety standards. Your main duties will include:

Food Production & Service: Preparing and cooking nutritionally balanced meals for pupils and staff and overseeing catering provisions at local partner and transport schools.
Strategic Delivery: Assisting with the development of a catering strategy that aligns with the 'Food for Life Partnership Scheme'.
Team Leadership: Supervising, developing, and motivating kitchen staff, identifying strengths and setting clear performance objectives.
Compliance & Safety: Daily management of health and safety, ensuring full compliance with statutory COSHH and HACCP / Safer Food Better Business guidelines.
Financial & Stock Control: Managing the Trust’s budget, planning menus, executing portion control, conducting monthly stock takes and handling cashless catering systems.
Flexibility: Occasional travel to other catering units within a reasonable distance to support the wider Trust network (mileage will be paid).
The ideal candidate will be an approachable, extremely well-organised leader who remains calm under pressure and possesses a genuine commitment to the school's ethos.

Essential Criteria:

Minimum of 2 years’ experience working at Head Chef level.
Relevant catering qualifications (City & Guilds 706/1 & 2 or NVQ Level 2 or 3).
Strong financial awareness (budgeting/cost management) and efficient stock control skills.
Computer literate and comfortable using Google Chrome and cashless systems.
Deep knowledge of nutrition, dietary requirements, food allergies, and COSHH regulations.
Ability to undertake physical tasks including bending, lifting heavy food trays/stores, pushing, and pulling.

Desirable Criteria:

Good general education including English and Maths to GCSE level (or equivalent).
A valid Level 3 Food Hygiene and HACCP certificate.

What the school offers its staff

There are many advantages to working for us. Included in your actual annual salary is generous annual leave entitlement, access to a local government pension scheme, sick pay scheme, cycle-to-work scheme, free eye tests for VDU users and employee assistance helpline. Support staff in schools can also benefit from a range of national discount schemes available to education professionals such as the Blue Light Card offering savings on shopping, travel, and leisure.

We encourage early applications as we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the closing date if we receive sufficient applications for the role.

Further information about the job

The candidate will be required to undergo a full enhanced DBS check and must be eligible to work in the UK.

Visas cannot be sponsored.

If you're interested in teaching or training to teach in England as an international citizen, we can help you understand your next steps.

Commitment to safeguarding

Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff, volunteers and trustees to share this commitment.

Our recruitment process follows the keeping children safe in education guidance.

Offers of employment may be subject to the following checks (where relevant):
childcare disqualification
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
medical
online and social media
prohibition from teaching
right to work
satisfactory references
suitability to work with children

You must tell us about any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.