ESS – Defence, Energy and Government Services
Chef Manager
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Catering Manager – Cawdor Barracks
Salary: £35,000 per annum
Full-time | 5 days out of 7 | Shifts between 6:30am and 8:00pm
We're looking for a Catering Manager to lead the catering operation at Cawdor Barracks, serving up to 60 Service Personnel. This role is ideal for someone with a strong chef background who enjoys being hands-on in the kitchen while also managing the day-to-day operation, financial performance, compliance, and administration of the account.
You'll lead a team of six, ensuring excellent food quality, service standards, and operational performance.
What you'll be doing
- Leading the overall catering operation and managing a team of 6
- Supporting food preparation and service, remaining hands-on in the kitchen when needed
- Delivering high-quality, nutritious meals for Service Personnel
- Managing labour, food costs, stock control, ordering, and budgets
- Completing audits, compliance checks, reports, and site paperwork
- Building strong client relationships and ensuring contract requirements are met
- Training, coaching, and developing team members
- Maintaining high standards of Food Safety, Health & Safety, and hygiene
- Driving customer satisfaction and continuous improvement
What we're looking for
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- Experience as a Catering Manager, Chef Manager, Head Chef, or similar leadership role
- Strong chef background with the ability to support kitchen operations
- Experience managing budgets, food costs, and financial performance
- Confident with reporting, compliance, audits, and administration
- Previous experience leading and developing teams
- Knowledge of contract catering and food safety standards
- Organised, proactive, and commercially aware
- Able to travel to site reliably
This is an excellent opportunity for a chef-led manager who enjoys balancing operational leadership with hands-on catering delivery.
Benefits
We ensure you're rewarded for all your hard work, which is why we offer a comprehensive benefits package which includes but is not limited to:
- Contributory pension scheme
- Grow your career with our Career Pathways and MyLearning programmes
- Quick access for you and your immediate family to a Digital GP, and wider healthcare benefits
- Exclusive travel discounts with TUI, Expedia, Booking.com and many more
- Save money on your food shop with discounts on Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons and many more
- Up to 44% off cinema tickets to enjoy your favourite blockbuster
- Receive cash rewards every time you spend and use them on a wide range of brands
- Un-wind with us with free wellness, mindfulness and exercise classes
- You can share all discounts and offers with your friends and families
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About Us
Part of Compass Group UK&I, ESS is the Defence, Government, and Energy services sector of Compass Group UK & Ireland. We support 250+ UK military establishments, high profile police, secure environments and government sites, along with a range of onshore and offshore facilities including platforms, drilling rigs, floatels and offices for the energy sector. We know that a friendly face makes all the difference, so we look for people who are passionate about delivering excellent customer service, at all levels, to join our teams.
Job Reference: com/0210/94418001/52586535/R/SU #Defence
Compass Group UK&I is committed to fostering an environment where every individual can truly be themselves at work and has equal opportunities to advance in their careers. We strive to build a culture that respects and celebrates the unique talents, beliefs, backgrounds, and abilities of all our team members. We want our colleagues to feel valued, empowered to reach their full potential, and to thrive - because diversity is our strength!
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