Barchester Healthcare

Head Chef - Care Home

The closing date is 06 July 2025

Job summary

This is a rewarding Head Chef role at a care home run by Barchester Healthcare, a leading provider of healthcare services in the UK. You will have the opportunity to deliver high-quality, nutritious meals for residents while enjoying a better work-life balance with set working days and no split shifts. The role includes benefits such as performance-based bonuses, staff referral incentives, and access to various discounts and support services.

Main duties of the job

As a Head Chef at Barchester Healthcare, you will be responsible for leading, motivating, and inspiring a kitchen team to create appetizing and nutritious meals for the residents. You will develop menus that cater to individual preferences and dietary requirements, utilising fresh, seasonal produce. Additionally, you will assist the front-of-house team in setting up the dining areas and ensure a warm and welcoming environment. The role also involves managing the kitchen's budget, completing audits, and maintaining strict food safety and hygiene standards.

About us

Barchester Healthcare is a leading provider of healthcare services in the UK, operating care homes and hospitals across the country. The company is committed to delivering high-quality care and creating a positive environment for both residents and staff.

Details

Date posted

08 May 2025

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

£40,000 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time

Reference number

1298534095

Job locations

Barchester Healthcare

Wallingford

OX10 9EG


Job description

Job responsibilities

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

#TJ

Job description

Job responsibilities

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

#TJ

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • You should hold a City & Guilds/NVQ/SVQ or equivalent qualification, and have experience in leading and motivating a team. A good understanding of HACCP, COSHH, and modified diets using the IDDSI framework is also required. A personable and warm approach, with a genuine interest in the wellbeing of residents, is essential.
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • You should hold a City & Guilds/NVQ/SVQ or equivalent qualification, and have experience in leading and motivating a team. A good understanding of HACCP, COSHH, and modified diets using the IDDSI framework is also required. A personable and warm approach, with a genuine interest in the wellbeing of residents, is essential.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer details

Employer name

Barchester Healthcare

Address

Barchester Healthcare

Wallingford

OX10 9EG


Employer's website

https://www.barchester.com/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Barchester Healthcare

Address

Barchester Healthcare

Wallingford

OX10 9EG


Employer's website

https://www.barchester.com/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Recruitment Team

Barchester Healthcare

Recruitment@barchester.com

Details

Date posted

08 May 2025

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

£40,000 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time

Reference number

1298534095

Job locations

Barchester Healthcare

Wallingford

OX10 9EG


Privacy notice

Barchester Healthcare's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)