Lead Cook Manager

As a Lead Cook Manager for Sodexo, you will oversee catering operations across multiple sites, including Grey Court School, Ham St, Richmond TW10 7HN, Chessington School, Garrison Lane, Chessington KT9 2JS, and Hollyfield School, Surbiton Hill Rd, Surbiton KT6 4TU.

This is a senior, hands-on cooking role with approximately 80% of your time based at Grey Court School, where you will work closely alongside the Chef and kitchen team to lead and enhance the food offer for up to 1,500 students each day. The key focus of the role is to drive improvements in food quality, menu development, presentation, and the overall dining experience, ensuring that Grey Court School delivers one of the strongest school catering offers in the region.

In addition to your responsibilities at Grey Court School, you will provide leadership and support across Chessington School and Hollyfield School, overseeing food quality, service standards, and special events to ensure consistency across the Trust. You will support the Cook Managers with the day-to-day running of their kitchens, including stock takes, ordering, operational support, and sickness cover where required.

We are looking for an individual with a strong craft background who is passionate about food and has the culinary expertise to improve and develop the catering offer. Whilst strong management skills are essential, it is equally important that you have previous experience as a Chef or Cook Manager in a similar high-volume environment, enabling you to lead by example and continuously raise food standards across all three schools.

You will be responsible for managing all aspects of food and beverage services, as well as overseeing the financial performance of each school kitchen. Your attitude will influence your team's daily lives as the person they go to for direction and support, helping to create a vibrant and productive work environment. As well as this, you will not work unsociable hours and you will get public holidays off… including Christmas!

Join Sodexo and be part of something greater. You belong in a team where you can act with purpose and thrive in your own way.

What you do

• Lead and continually improve the food offer at Grey Court School, serving up to 1,500 students each day.

• Work closely with the Chef and kitchen team to drive food quality, presentation, innovation, and customer satisfaction.

• Oversee food quality and catering standards across Chessington School and Hollyfield School, ensuring consistency throughout the Trust.

• Support Cook Managers with the day-to-day operation of their kitchens, providing guidance, coaching, and operational support.

• Lead, mentor, train, and inspire kitchen teams to achieve the highest standards.

• Manage the creation and development of menus that are nutritious, appealing, and commercially successful.

• Control the complete catering operation, including labour, food, and stock costs.

• Manage and optimise all costs that are under your control.

• Ensure consistency in food and service standards provided to staff, visitors, and students.

• Support and oversee hospitality and special events across the schools.

• Conduct routine audits to ensure standards, food safety, and compliance requirements are maintained.

What you bring

• A strong craft background with proven experience as a Chef, Head Chef, Cook Manager, or similar catering professional.

• Experience working in a high-volume catering environment, ideally serving large numbers of customers daily.

• A passion for food quality and a proven ability to improve catering standards and develop food offers.

• Previous management or supervisory experience with the ability to lead and motivate teams.

• Experience developing menus and working with fresh ingredients and produce.

• Strong understanding of food safety, health and safety, and kitchen compliance requirements.

• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities across several sites.

• Ability to work under pressure and maintain high standards in a busy catering environment.

• Professional, positive, and able to lead by example.

Qualifications

• NVQ Level 2 (or equivalent).

• Level 2 Food Safety Certificate.

• Previous experience in a similar Chef, Cook Manager, or catering management role.

• Training in Food Hygiene and Health & Safety will be provided.

Why Sodexo?

“For a job that’s a perfect mix of passion, perks and potential”

• £22.50 per hour
• 40 hours per week
• Working pattern: Monday - Friday (7am - 3pm)
• Term Time only (39 week Working Contract paid over 52 weeks)**
• Must have a Full UK Driving and access to your own vehicle

**Equated pay (sometimes known as spread-over pay) is a method of paying you for your contracted hours, working weeks and holiday pay spread over 12 months instead of just receiving pay during the months that you work and none during the school closures/non-working weeks. This means that you get paid equal amounts of pay every month. Further information will be supplied at interview stage.**

File Downloads

• HR-5933_Benefits UK Brochure V9.pdf