Role: Minehead Middle School
Location: Minehead, Somerset
Start Date: 01/09/2026
Hours: 37 per week, Monday to Friday, term time plus inset days
Salary: Grade 7 and scale point 23 - 26, hourly rate £17.85 - £19.32 (Full time equivalent £34,434 - £37,280) and actual annual salary range £29,584 - £32,030
Midsomer Norton Schools’ Partnership is seeking an exceptional Hub Chef Manager to lead our busy catering provisions based at Minehead Middle School. In this vital role, you will oversee the production of high-quality, nutritious meals for up to 550 primary school pupils and staff across multiple local schools.
If you are passionate about fresh food, excellent service, and inspiring a team, we want to hear from you!
Key Responsibilities
As our Hub Chef Manager, you will lead the kitchen team to deliver an imaginative range of dishes while managing budgets and strict safety standards. Your main duties will include:
- Food Production & Service: Preparing and cooking nutritionally balanced meals for pupils and staff and overseeing catering provisions at local partner and transport schools.
- Strategic Delivery: Assisting with the development of a catering strategy that aligns with the 'Food for Life Partnership Scheme'.
- Team Leadership: Supervising, developing, and motivating kitchen staff, identifying strengths and setting clear performance objectives.
- Compliance & Safety: Daily management of health and safety, ensuring full compliance with statutory COSHH and HACCP / Safer Food Better Business guidelines.
- Financial & Stock Control: Managing the Trust’s budget, planning menus, executing portion control, conducting monthly stock takes and handling cashless catering systems.
- Flexibility: Occasional travel to other catering units within a reasonable distance to support the wider Trust network (mileage will be paid).
- The ideal candidate will be an approachable, extremely well-organised leader who remains calm under pressure and possesses a genuine commitment to the school's ethos.
Essential Criteria:
- Minimum of 2 years’ experience working at Head Chef level.
- Relevant catering qualifications (City & Guilds 706/1 & 2 or NVQ Level 2 or 3).
- Strong financial awareness (budgeting/cost management) and efficient stock control skills.
- Computer literate and comfortable using Google Chrome and cashless systems.
- Deep knowledge of nutrition, dietary requirements, food allergies, and COSHH regulations.
- Ability to undertake physical tasks including bending, lifting heavy food trays/stores, pushing, and pulling.
Desirable Criteria:
- Good general education including English and Maths to GCSE level (or equivalent).
- A valid Level 3 Food Hygiene and HACCP certificate.
There are many advantages to working for us. Included in your actual annual salary is generous annual leave entitlement, access to a local government pension scheme, sick pay scheme, cycle-to-work scheme, free eye tests for VDU users and employee assistance helpline. Support staff in schools can also benefit from a range of national discount schemes available to education professionals such as the Blue Light Card offering savings on shopping, travel, and leisure.
We encourage early applications as we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the closing date if we receive sufficient applications for the role.
Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We particularly welcome applications from under represented groups including ethnicity, gender, transgender, age, disability, sexual orientation or religion.
