Barchester Healthcare

Head Chef - Care Home

The closing date is 13 October 2025

Job summary

Barchester Healthcare is a leading provider of high-quality care homes in the UK. The Head Chef role at their Greenock care home offers a unique opportunity for a passionate and qualified chef to deliver hotel/restaurant standards without the typical long hours and split shifts. This role provides a chance to have full autonomy in creating nutritious, flavoursome, and well-balanced menus, while also taking ownership of the kitchen and ongoing team development.

Main duties of the job

As the Head Chef at Barchester's Greenock care home, you will lead, motivate, and inspire a team to deliver exceptional hospitality and dining experiences for the residents. Your responsibilities will include menu development, working with fresh produce to create high-quality and wholesome dishes, baking fresh cakes and breads, and assisting the front-of-house team with setting up the dining areas. You will also manage the kitchen's performance, budget, and stock control, while creating a warm, efficient, and fun environment. The role offers a better work-life balance with working days and alternate weekends only, across 4/5 days a week.

About us

Barchester Healthcare is a leading provider of high-quality care homes in the UK, driven by a commitment to quality and high standards. The company offers a range of benefits and rewards, including a 'Rewarding Excellence' bonus for Good or Outstanding CQC inspections, a 'Refer a Friend' scheme, and access to a wide range of retail and leisure discounts, as well as free access to medical specialists, counselling, and legal services.

Details

Date posted

14 August 2025

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

£15.39 an hour

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time

Reference number

1362494615

Job locations

Barchester Healthcare

Greenock

PA16 8DY


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

5432

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

5432

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • The ideal candidate will hold a City & Guilds/NVQ/SVQ or equivalent qualification, have experience in leading and motivating a team, and a good understanding of nutrition and working with fresh seasonal food. They should also have experience in working with a front-of-house team to ensure the dining areas are set up to a high standard, and a good understanding of HACCP and COSHH. Knowledge of modified diets using the IDDSI framework is desirable, but training and development will be provided if necessary.
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • The ideal candidate will hold a City & Guilds/NVQ/SVQ or equivalent qualification, have experience in leading and motivating a team, and a good understanding of nutrition and working with fresh seasonal food. They should also have experience in working with a front-of-house team to ensure the dining areas are set up to a high standard, and a good understanding of HACCP and COSHH. Knowledge of modified diets using the IDDSI framework is desirable, but training and development will be provided if necessary.

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

Greenock

PA16 8DY


Employer's website

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

Employer details

Employer name

Barchester Healthcare

Address

Barchester Healthcare

Greenock

PA16 8DY


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

14 August 2025

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

£15.39 an hour

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time

Reference number

1362494615

Job locations

Barchester Healthcare

Greenock

PA16 8DY


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