Head Chef

HEAD CHEF

Edinburgh Academy Junior School – Edinburgh EH3

£35,000 per annum | 40 hours per week | Mainly Monday–Friday

Hospitality Doesn’t Have to Mean Sacrificing Every Evening and Weekend

If you’re a passionate chef looking for better balance without losing creativity, quality, or career progression, this could be the role you’ve been waiting for.

At Sodexo and Edinburgh Academy Junior School, we’re creating a catering experience built around fresh, seasonal, nutritious food - while giving our chefs the opportunity to enjoy a healthier work–life balance than traditional hospitality often allows.

With mainly Monday–Friday daytime hours, Christmas and New Year off every year, and genuine opportunities to grow your career through Sodexo’s Culinary Academy, this is a chance to build a long-term future in hospitality without burnout.

If you're and experienced Head Chef looking to step away from relentless restaurant hours, we'd love to hear from you!

The Role

As Head Chef, you’ll take ownership of a well-supported kitchen operation at Edinburgh Academy Junior School, leading the delivery of high-quality food and hospitality services in a professional and welcoming environment.

This is not a “heat and serve” catering environment - fresh food and scratch cooking are at the heart of what we do.

You’ll lead a dedicated kitchen team, creating healthy, balanced meals using fresh seasonal ingredients while bringing creativity and innovation to menus, events, and hospitality offerings throughout the year.

You’ll also play an important role in mentoring and developing your team, helping create a positive kitchen culture where people can thrive and grow.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Lead and inspire the kitchen team day to day
• Deliver fresh, seasonal, nutritious food from scratch
• Create menus that are healthy, balanced, and appealing to young people
• Bring creativity and innovation to the food offering
• Deliver hospitality and special events throughout the school year
• Maintain exceptional food safety, allergen, and hygiene standards
• Manage stock, ordering, rotas, and kitchen budgets effectively
• Support, coach, and develop team members
• Work closely with the wider Sodexo culinary network and support teams

About You

We’re looking for a chef who genuinely cares about food quality, people, and creating a positive dining experience.

You’ll ideally have:

• Experience within a busy professional kitchen environment
• A passion for fresh food and seasonal cooking
• Experience preparing healthy, nutritious meals from quality ingredients
• Strong leadership or supervisory experience
• Excellent organisational and communication skills
• A positive, proactive, and supportive approach
• NVQ Level 2/3 (or equivalent)
• Food Safety Level 2 or above

**A driving licence and vehicle are no longer essential for this role.**

Why Join Sodexo?

At Sodexo, we invest heavily in our people and believe great hospitality starts with great teams.

Through our Culinary Academy and wider learning programmes, we actively support our chefs to develop their skills, confidence, leadership, and careers. We’re passionate about helping our people become not just good at what they do - but truly great.

This role offers both stability and progression within a global organisation that values innovation, development, and wellbeing.

What We Offer

• £35,000 salary
• Mainly Monday–Friday working pattern
• 7am–3:30pm shifts
• 40 hours per week contract
• Christmas & New Year off every year
• Evenings and most weekends free
• Occasional hospitality events planned in advance throughout the school year
• Excellent work–life balance
• Career progression and development opportunities
• Access to Sodexo Culinary Academy programmes
• Supportive and inclusive working culture
• Opportunity to build a long-term hospitality career with Sodexo

Ready for a Better Balance?

If you’re passionate about fresh food, developing people, and building a rewarding hospitality career with genuine work–life balance, we’d love to hear from you.

Sodexo and The Edinburgh Academy are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. A satisfactory PVG check is required for this role. We are proud to be a Disability Confident Leader and welcome applications from all backgrounds.

Please note: This role may close early if a high volume of applications is received.

File Downloads

• HR-5933_Benefits UK Brochure V9.pdf
• Head Chef JD - Edinburgh Academy Jnr.pdf