Relief Chef Manager

Job Description:

Hours: 0-hour/flexible (Monday to Friday, Term-time only - 38 weeks per year)

About the Company

The client is a specialist, independent education catering provider built on a genuine passion for fresh, high-quality, exciting school food. As a compact, Midlands-based business with a family feel, they place employee happiness, personal development, and well-being at the heart of their culture. They are dedicated to delivering nutritious meals that bring fun to the school day while offering their teams supportive management, structured training, and clear long-term career growth.

Role Overview & Contract Flexibility

Our client is seeking an energetic, commercially minded, and craft-skilled Relief Chef Manager to take hands-on operational and financial responsibility across primary school catering facilities in the region.

This position is offered on a flexible term-time contract at an attractive £18.00 per hour, working standard Monday-to-Friday daytime hours. It is an ideal fit for skilled culinary professionals seeking work-life balance and schedule flexibility alongside high hourly earnings. As a Relief Chef Manager, you will enjoy a varied working week traveling between school sites, maintaining standard-setting food quality while managing day-to-day kitchen performance.

Key Responsibilities

• Operational Leadership: Lead, inspire, and motivate on-site kitchen staff to consistently deliver exceptional dining experiences aligned with company standards.
• Culinary Excellence: Prepare fresh, wholesome, and appealing meals, actively driving menu innovation and helping make school meal times engaging for pupils.
• Commercial & Financial Control: Take complete ownership of site profitability by rigorously managing food costs, stock, labor, and portion control to hit Gross Profit targets.
• Team Coaching & Development: Mentor and train on-site catering teams to foster high performance, smooth kitchen prep, and a positive team atmosphere.
• Sales & Engagement: Boost student meal uptake through monthly promotions, theme days, and creative food events.
• Client & School Relations: Serve as the professional, approachable face of the catering service, establishing strong relationships with headteachers and school leadership.
• Compliance & Auditing: Maintain 100% adherence to all statutory legislation, Health & Safety guidelines, food hygiene standards, allergen protocols, and routine internal audits.

Candidate Requirements

• Mobile & Flexible: Must hold a full UK driving licence and be willing to travel between school sites across the region.
• Leadership Experience: Proven track record of leading and motivating kitchen teams within commercial catering or educational environments.
• Financial Acumen: Strong understanding of Gross Profit (GP) management, labor allocation, and stock control.
• Culinary Craft Skills: Demonstrable hands-on cooking expertise centered on fresh ingredients and high-quality meal presentation.
• Compliance Knowledge: Up-to-date working knowledge of Food Hygiene, Health & Safety, and Allergen legislation in professional kitchens.
• Qualifications: An OND, HND, or equivalent hospitality management qualification is preferred (though strong practical experience is equally valued).
• Safeguarding: An Enhanced DBS disclosure will be required prior to starting, due to working within a school environment.

Key Benefits

• Exceptional Work-Life Balance: Daytime Monday-to-Friday schedule with no late nights, split shifts, or weekend work.
• Competitive Pay: Outstanding hourly rate of £18.00 per hour during term-time assignments.
• Career Growth: Access to a dedicated Learning & Development team offering funded apprenticeships and professional courses.
• Varied & Rewarding Work: High autonomy across multiple school environments within a supportive, employee-focused business.

Pineapple Recruitment is acting as a Recruitment Agency on behalf of our client for this vacancy.