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 Performance Chef 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.

For more information on the company see Careers in Sports and Leisure

Role Responsibility

• Provide food and beverages of the highest nutritional value possible, showing understanding of the nutritional breakdowns.
• 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, exciting menus in line with our nutritional philosophy and development of SOPs to ensure consistent delivery. Dishes must be developed to complement the training demands of players.
• Whilst consistency must be maintained throughout the season, monotony must be avoided through imagination, execution and variety.
• Seek feedback from players and staff in order to evaluate food services and menus.
• Thorough communication with hotels when 1st team players travel away from home in order to ensure all the necessary steps have been taken to deliver top class food when on the road. A member of the catering team will be required to travel with the 1st team and responsibilities will include preparation of post-match catering.
• In conjunction with the catering staff at the St James Park, help ensure quality meals in preparation for and recovery after home matches.
• Control stock-check, ordering and replenishment whilst working to an annual budget and ensuring financial performance
• Along with the Club Doctor/Performance Coach/Head of Catering, deliver educational sessions in cooking, nutrition and basis food hygiene at the club’s Academy site and support the Academy chefs in implementing menus and dishes appropriate to the scholars and youth players.
• Accompany the first team on away trips both domestically and internationally as required

The Ideal Candidate

• Hold relevant catering industry qualifications
• Experience of previously delivering catering in high level sport
• Previous experience of catering for professional sport teams
• Strong people management skills with the ability to lead and instruct a team
• Good communication skills and ability to build rapport with staff and athletes
• Ability to work well under pressure and remain calm
• Highly motivated to continually drive standards of self and the team
• A creative flair in the kitchen and a passion for creating outstanding flavoursome dishes
• Knowledge of performance nutrition
• Passion to drive to continually develop and seek improvement
• To adhere and communicate the Club’s brand values to stakeholders whenever the opportunity arises.
• A commitment to continuing professional development
• To undertake regular Club safeguarding training updates (CPD) appropriate to the role

Package Description

£35,000 + benefits

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 some 36,000 employees to deliver integrated facilities management services to clients at over 2,000 locations in the energy, corporate, healthcare, education, leisure, defence and justice sectors. With an annual turnover of over £1bn, we provide everything from catering, cleaning and reception to security, laboratory and grounds maintenance services, enabling our clients to focus on their core business.

At Sodexo we are committed to a leading role in promoting equality opportunities and valuing diversity and inclusion. We seek to create a work environment based on mutual respect for all individuals, building a culture that appreciates and values the experiences and skills brought by each person to benefit our organisation and work hard to ensure that all people, whatever their race, colour, sex, gender identity  disability, nationality, national or ethnic origin, religion or belief, marital/partnership or family status, sexual orientation, age, social class, educational background, employment status, working pattern, are welcome to and included within our organisation.

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.