Head Chef

Job summary

Head Chef Catering and Hospitality - Hazelbrook Care Home Contract:Full TimeSalary:£15.00 Per HourShift Type:DaysContracted hours:40

Hazelbrook Care Home is a modern, purpose-built home offering specialist and complex care for 80 residents across four 20-bed, bungalow-style households. Designed for calm, therapeutic living, it supports people with advanced dementia, complex nursing needs, and mental health conditions.

Head Chef | Hazelbrook Care Home | £15.00 per hour | 40 hours per week

At Hazelbrook Care Home, food is more than nutrition. It is comfort, familiarity, and one of life’s greatest daily pleasures. A favourite meal can spark memories, bring people together, and provide reassurance and joy.

We are now looking for a talented and passionate Head Chef to lead our kitchen and shape an exceptional dining experience for our residents. This is a role where your creativity, leadership, and attention to detail will make a genuine difference every single day.

This is more than running a kitchen. This is about creating meals that nourish, delight, and respect each resident’s individual needs and preferences. As Head Chef, you will lead your team with pride, ensuring every dish is prepared with care, professionalism, and heart.

Working closely with the Home Manager and Group Executive Chef, you will ensure our hospitality standards reflect the warmth, dignity, and quality our residents deserve.

What we offer

• £15.00 per hour, full-time (40 hours per week)
• 5.6 weeks annual leave (based on full-time contract)
• Pension scheme
• Paid DBS
• Uniform provided
• Onsite parking

Your role as Head Chef

As Head Chef, you will take full leadership of the kitchen, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, nutritious meals while maintaining exceptional standards of safety, cleanliness, and efficiency.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Leading the preparation, cooking, and service of high-quality meals that meet residents’ dietary needs, preferences, and nutritional requirements
• Planning and costing balanced, seasonal menus in collaboration with the Home Manager and Group Executive Chef
• Leading, motivating, and supporting the kitchen team, creating a positive and professional working environment
• Ensuring all food hygiene, health and safety, and infection control standards are consistently met
• Managing stock, ordering supplies, checking deliveries, and maintaining accurate records
• Monitoring food storage, fridge and freezer temperatures, and stock rotation to ensure compliance and quality
• Creating staff rotas that ensure effective kitchen coverage and smooth daily operations
• Supporting recruitment, induction, and training of kitchen team members
• Maintaining a clean, organised, and safe kitchen environment at all times
• Working closely with the wider care team to ensure residents’ individual needs and preferences are understood and respected

What you will bring

We are looking for a chef who combines culinary skill with leadership and compassion.

You will have:

• A recognised culinary qualification such as City & Guilds 706/1 and 706/2, or equivalent
• Previous experience leading or supervising a kitchen team
• Strong understanding of food hygiene, safety, and compliance standards
• Experience planning menus and managing kitchen operations effectively
• Excellent organisational and leadership skills
• The ability to work independently while contributing positively to the wider team
• A genuine passion for creating high-quality meals that enhance residents’ wellbeing
• Experience in a care or healthcare environment is desirable but not essential

What you will be part of

Hazelbrook Care Home is part of Willinbrook Healthcare, the specialist division of Care Concern Group, supporting over 130 services across the UK. Our strength lies in our people, and we are united by our values of Trust, Respect, Passion, Kindness, and Inclusivity. We are committed to creating environments where residents feel a true sense of belonging, and where our teams feel valued, supported, and proud of the difference they make.

Ready to lead a kitchen that truly makes a difference?

This is a unique opportunity to shape the dining experience within Hazelbrook Care Home. Your leadership will ensure every resident enjoys meals that bring comfort, dignity, and enjoyment to their daily life.

If you are ready to lead with passion, pride, and purpose, we would love to hear from you.

Apply today and help make Hazelbrook Care Home a place where every meal matters.