Sous Chef – Prestigious Independent School
Hammersmith, West London
£41,000 – £43,000 per annum
Permanent | Full-Time | Monday–Friday
An excellent opportunity has arisen for an experienced Sous Chef to join the in-house catering team at a prestigious independent secondary school in West London.
This is a senior, hands-on position working closely with the Executive Head Chef and supporting the day-to-day running of a high-quality school kitchen. The catering operation provides fresh lunches for approximately 825 pupils and 250+ staff, alongside private lunches, canapé receptions, dinners and other school functions.
This would suit an experienced Sous Chef, Chef Manager or Head Chef who enjoys producing high-quality fresh food but is looking for a role offering a much better work-life balance than traditional hospitality.
The Role
As Sous Chef, you will act as second-in-command to the Executive Head Chef and help oversee a kitchen team consisting of chefs and kitchen porters.
Your responsibilities will include:
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Supporting and deputising for the Executive Head Chef
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Leading the kitchen team during daily food production and service
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Supervising food preparation, cooking and presentation
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Maintaining consistently high standards of fresh food and presentation
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Assisting with menu planning and development
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Managing stock levels, ordering, rotation and waste
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Supporting food-cost and budget control
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Training, mentoring and supporting junior members of the kitchen team
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Ensuring full compliance with HACCP, COSHH, food hygiene and allergen procedures
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Liaising with the front-of-house team to ensure smooth service
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Supporting catering for private lunches, canapé receptions, dinners and school events
About You
We are looking for an experienced chef with strong kitchen leadership experience who is comfortable remaining hands-on.
You should ideally have:
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Significant experience as a Sous Chef, Head Chef or Chef Manager
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Previous experience supervising or managing a kitchen team
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A recognised professional chef/cookery qualification
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Food Safety/Hygiene qualification – ideally Level 3
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Strong knowledge of HACCP, allergens and kitchen compliance
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Experience with ordering, stock control and food-cost management
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Experience producing fresh food to a consistently high standard
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Confidence deputising for a Head or Executive Chef
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Good communication and organisational skills
Previous experience within an independent school, education catering or another high-quality institutional catering environment would be a strong advantage, particularly where you have also catered for functions and events.
Working Hours
Term time – approximately 36 weeks:
Monday–Friday, 7:00am–4:00pm
School holidays – approximately 16 weeks:
Monday–Friday, 8:00am–2:30pm
There is a 30-minute unpaid lunch break.
There are occasional evening or weekend school events. Time off in lieu is available for some larger/weekend events.
Benefits
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£41,000–£43,000 salary, depending on experience
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Permanent, 52-week contract
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Monday–Friday working
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Significantly reduced hours during school holidays
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25 days' annual leave plus bank holidays
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Free lunch, tea and coffee
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Contributory pension
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Excellent work-life balance compared with traditional hotel and restaurant kitchens
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Opportunity to join a highly regarded independent school catering operation
Annual leave must generally be taken during school holiday periods
