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Head Chef – Serving Those Who Serve at RAF Leeming
Location: RAF Leeming, Northallerton, DL7 9NJ
Salary: £35,000 per annum
Contract: Permanent, full-time – 40 hours per week, 5 days out of 7 (includes some weekends)
Shift times: Structured shifts between 06:30 and 20:00 – protecting your evenings and personal time
Make your leadership count in a role with real purpose
As Head Chef at RAF Leeming, you’ll play a vital role in supporting the Armed Forces community, delivering high-quality, nutritious meals that sustain service personnel through training, operations, and daily life on base.
This is more than a kitchen leadership role — it’s an opportunity to bring consistency, care, and pride to food that genuinely matters. Working in a secure, respectful, and disciplined environment, you’ll lead by example and make a positive impact every day.
At Aramark UK, we’re proud of our longstanding partnership with the military. We understand the importance of structure, teamwork, and reliability — and we value chefs who share those principles.
Aramark UK are making a work life balance achievable whilst still working in hospitality, cultivating your culinary career with a world leading organisation. Aramark provides world-class contract catering services to our extensive list of clients across the UK, including Defence and Judicial, private industry and Education. We are lucky to have some of the best Culinary and Catering talent that the UK has to offer working within our teams. At RAF Leeming, we also offer 2 weeks off over Christmas and the New Year!
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Your role in supporting the RAF community:
You’ll have responsibility for running a professional, compliant kitchen while motivating your team to deliver excellent food and service:
- Lead the preparation and service of meals, ensuring high standards, consistency, and minimal waste
- Deliver formal dining and hospitality for functions, events, and distinguished visitors
- Train, develop, and support your kitchen team, embedding strong standards and clear procedures
- Maintain food quality through recipe compliance and effective production control
- Manage stock, ordering, and kitchen documentation in line with contractual and military compliance
- Uphold food safety, hygiene, and temperature controls with diligence and accuracy
- Support daily and weekly kitchen deep cleans, always keeping the operation inspection ready.
What you’ll bring:
- A recognised culinary qualification (NVQ Level 1/Level 2 or equivalent)
- Level 3 Food Safety (or above)
- Proven leadership skills and a calm, professional approach
- A strong team ethic and respect for structured working environments
- Flexibility, resilience, and a commitment to continuous improvement
- UK residency for the past 3 years (required for security vetting)
- Ability to pass an Enhanced DBS and full military security clearance.
Why Aramark UK?
- Free onsite parking
- Uniform and safety footwear provided
- Employee Benefits App – Online GP, EAP support, discounts & more
- Generous holiday allowance, with the option to buy additional days
- Life assurance and pension contributions
- Genuine career progression within Defence and wider Aramark contracts
- Apprenticeships and structured training to support long-term development.
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Join a team that supports the Forces
If you’re a Head Chef who takes pride in leadership, values teamwork, and wants to contribute to the wellbeing of the Armed Forces community, this is a role you can be proud of.
Apply now and help deliver food that fuels those who serve.
About Aramark UK
At Aramark UK, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone is valued and empowered to thrive. As a proud Disability Confident and Forces Friendly employer, we actively encourage applications from individuals of all abilities and are dedicated to supporting employees with disabilities throughout their career journey.
We ensure our recruitment process is accessible, and reasonable adjustments are available at every stage, from application to interview and employment. If you require any accommodations or have any questions, please reach out to our recruitment team – careers@aramark.co.uk.
All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.
If you are applying for this role and you already work for Aramark, you must notify your line manager before submitting your application.
Job reference: 658142.
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