Assistant Performance Chef - Newcastle United Football Club

Job Introduction

In a highly competitive world of sports, it is all about the marginal gains to get that edge over your rivals and we believe our Chefs play their part in it too. Do you think you have what it takes to push a professional football team closer to a victory?

We are looking for an experienced Chef ideally with a background in catering for professional sports teams to join the Sodexo catering team at the Newcastle United Performance Centre and Academy. You should be passionate about nutrition and elevating the food offer, you should also be flexible to work around training schedules and accommodate regular business travel with the team.

You will be required to focus on the nutritional needs of the Clubs first team players on match days, ensuring that food provision is carefully tailored to meet the demands of high performing athletes and particularly when travelling to away fixtures. In this role you will support the Performance Chef to meet the nutritional needs of the players when training and recovery.

This is an amazing opportunity to join a world leading food and facilities management company, which can offer unrivalled opportunities for career progression.

Our heritage is built on catering and hospitality experience and fuelled by our passion for exceptional food and service. For over 40 years we have been providing bespoke catering and hospitality services for sports stadia, racecourses, visitor, attractions, historic venues, major events and premium airline lounges. Recognised across the globe for hospitality, we help create exceptional moments at extraordinary events such as Royal Ascot, Tour de France and RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

Role Responsibility

• Provide food and beverages of the highest nutritional value possible, showing understanding of the nutritional breakdowns.
• Accompany the first team on away trips both domestically and internationally as required
• The ability to tailor individual meals for certain players in order to meet their dietary requirements, allergies or performance needs.
• Planning and creation of new and exciting menus in line with our nutritional philosophy. Dishes must be developed to complement the training demands.
• Seek feedback from players and staff in order to evaluate food services and menus.
• Thorough communication with hotels prior to away matches in order to ensure all the necessary steps have been taken to deliver top class food when on the road. With this said, you may then be required to travel ahead of the 1st Team to opposition hotels to help execute the delivery of the menu to the taste of our squad.
• In conjunction with the catering staff at the St James Park, help ensure quality meals in preparation for and recovery after home matches.
• To ensure the quality of product and standards of hygiene within the Kitchen facilities conform to the criteria set out in the SOP.
• Reporting all defects of equipment, damage to materials and any incidents involving theft to management.
• Preparing orders in accordance with company procedures, verifying accurate delivery against delivery note/ invoice and the original order itself.
• Ensure completion of all necessary stock control documentation in accordance with internal accounting procedures.
• Ensure that accurate fridge and food temperatures are recorded.
• Ensure all protective clothing is worn and personal hygiene and appearance is adhered to

The Ideal Candidate

Essential

▪ Hold relevant catering industry qualifications

▪ Previous Chef experience

▪ Good communication skills and ability to build rapport with staff and athletes

▪ Knowledge of performance nutrition

▪ Organisation Skills

▪ Good Administration Skills

▪ Must be available to work weekends

Desirable

▪ IOSH and Food Safety Level 3 Certificates

Package Description

£26,000pa + excellent benefits

Location: Newcastle United Training Ground

Permanent

Work Pattern – 40 hrs pw 5/7 Flexibility to travel with team essential

We also offer Sodexo Discounts site promoting discounted mobile phone tariffs, savings across restaurant chains and days out, where you and your family can save money on everything from your weekly food shop to the latest cinema blockbuster and much more!

About the Company

In the UK and Ireland, Sodexo employs around 30,000 people, and partners with clients in many sectors across business and industry; schools and universities; sports and leisure; energy and resources; government and agencies; healthcare; justice and defence.

Sodexo’s connected; people-centric approach brings together a diverse range of expertise. The breadth of services it offers ranges from food and hospitality; cleaning; reception; concierge (Circles); security; property management and technical services through to data driven workplace strategy and design (Wx); employee engagement and recognition services (Sodexo Engage) and personal home services through Prestige Nursing + Care and the Good Care Group.

Vital Spaces is Sodexo’s value proposition that puts people at the heart of everything we do, bringing together services and solutions and focusing on the productivity and wellbeing of people wherever they are.

Sodexo is committed to being an inclusive employer; we welcome and encourage applications from people with a diverse variety of experiences, backgrounds and identities.

We’re a Disability Confident Leader employer. We’re committed to changing attitudes towards disability, and making sure disabled people have the chance to fulfil their aspirations.

We are building on our support to the Armed Forces community through the development of specific pathways within our recruitment process to  support ex-forces personnel and reservists, those applying for jobs with us who meet the ideal candidate criteria for the role advertised are guaranteed to progress to the selection process