Job summary
- Main area
- Catering
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 4
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 282-F396
- Employer
- The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- The Royal Marsden Sutton
- Town
- Sutton
- Salary
- £31,081 - £33,665 per annum inc HCAS
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 01/05/2025 23:59
Employer heading

Head Chef
NHS AfC: Band 4
Job overview
The Royal Marsden Hospital Sutton requires a full time a Head Chef within the catering department providing food for patients, staff and visitors. Experience in similar role essential.
Main duties of the job
To provide and maintain the highest level of catering service possible. Retain the safe production and monitoring of meals and catering services. Ensure that our high standards are maintained and improved. Safeguarding hygienic and safe working practices are carried out by all staff, and to monitor the standards set within the department on a day-to-day basis. Ensure that food for staff, patients, visitors and functions is of the highest possible standard on the NHS Wards, Private care Wards, Crèche (Sutton Only) and all Retail areas commensurate with financial constraints.
Working for our organisation
The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust is a world-leading cancer centre. Our role is to offer our patients the best cancer care available anywhere in the world, and to continue to make a global contribution to finding better ways of diagnosing and treating cancer. We employ over 4,500 staff in a diverse range of careers including nursing, medical, science, radiography, pharmacy, occupational therapy, finance and administrative services. We have two hospitals – one in Chelsea, London, and one in Sutton, Surrey – as well as a Medical Daycare Unit in Kingston Hospital.
At The Royal Marsden, we deal with cancer every day, so we understand how valuable life is. When people entrust their lives to us, they have the right to demand the very best. That's why the pursuit of excellence lies at the heart of everything we do.
At the heart of the hospital is our dedicated team. We offer a stimulating and dynamic working environment, a wide range of staff benefits, learning and development opportunities and clear career pathways. There are opportunities to work flexibly across a range of areas and specialities and we welcome flexible working requests from point of hire to support employees work life balance. We are looking for employees who aspire to excellence, share our values and can play a crucial role in our on-going achievements.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
For further information on this role, please see the attached detailed Job Description and Person Specification
- The Responsible for ensuring a safe and efficient catering service in the absence of management.
• Manage all operational aspects of the catering service in the kitchen on a day-to-day basis including the distribution of all foodstuffs produced and provided.
• Implement and review with the management all control systems for the service, using appropriate recognised techniques, to ensure that good practices prevail and exercises sufficient monitoring and controls to ensure that the HACCP plan and all others are adhered to.
• Ensure appropriate recruitment and selection of staff and the compilation of cost-effective staff rotas.
• Formulate and implements appropriate monitoring packages for the business of the service. Highlights any cost improvement, income generation and change of practice ideas. Maintain good security practices with reference to cash handling and stock controls.
• Take action when necessary, in accordance with the Trust’s disciplinary and grievance procedures.
• The preparation, presentation and service of food items for patients, crèche, staff and functions, using standardised recipes, to quality standards set by the Deputy Catering Manager, Operational Manager and Head Chef, for the numbers determined by the Catering Office and to a skills level determined by a minimum of C&G 706 1 and 2 or NVQ equivalents (Level 3 will need to be attained). HACCP L3 and advance food hygiene L3 food safety
Person specification
Skills and Abilities
Essential criteria
- Knowledge of fresh food production
- Ability to write/speak clearly.
- Evidence of intermediate IT skills and data entry accuracy
- Knowledge of numeracy and financials
Desirable criteria
- Knowledge of fresh production
Personal Qualities
Essential criteria
- Ability to undertake a support role
- Able to follow written instructions
- Attention to detail & accuracy
- Good communication skills and be able to use initiative
Specific Experience
Essential criteria
- Recognised qualifications in Maths & English, good education
- Certified Knowledge of Advanced Food Safety
- Certified Knowledge of HACCP (Level 3 or 4)
- Certified Cookery Qualifications (L1, 2 & 3)
- Demonstrable experience of working within catering
- Experience & knowledge of duties required to support senior staff gained by experience in a similar role
- Able to understand and follow Operating Procedures
- Awareness and ability to follow food safety, hygiene, allergen awareness, risk management and H&S practices for handling or a willingness to undergo training in these areas
- Good understanding of task prioritisation & demonstration of practice
- Understanding of quality management & experience of delivering good quality service
- Experience of managing a team of catering staff
Desirable criteria
- Dietary, Nutritional & Allergen Training
Applicant requirements
The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Roni Forson
- Job title
- Senior service catering Manger
- Email address
- [email protected]
If you have problems applying, contact
- Address
-
Recruitment Support Team
- Telephone
- 01629 690825
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