Job overview
We’re looking for a skilled, passionate chef to join our Catering team at Royal Hampshire County Hospital.
If you’re energetic, hardworking and committed to delivering high-quality, freshly cooked, nutritious food, this is an exciting opportunity to make a real difference to the experience of our patients, staff and visitors.
About the Role
As a Chef within our busy hospital kitchen, you will play an important role in ensuring our meals are fresh, wholesome and attractively presented. You will work as part of a supportive and experienced team, preparing meals to meet nutritional standards and supporting our wider catering service.
Our Catering Department is one of only a handful within the NHS that delivers true fresh-cooked catering on-site for both patients and retail services. We are proud to be recognised as one of only seven Exemplar Fresh Cooked Sites nationally, showcasing best practice in high-quality, nutritious food provision. Our chefs work closely with dietitians, nutritionists and clinical teams to cater for a wide range of medical, cultural and specialist dietary requirements — ensuring every patient receives safe, appropriate and nourishing meals tailored to their needs.
Main duties of the job
- Preparing and cooking dishes using fresh ingredients
- Ensuring meals are cooked to a high standard and well presented
- Working to forecasted meal numbers and maintaining portion control
- Supporting the delivery of function and event catering when required
- Maintaining high standards of food safety, allergen awareness and nutritional knowledge
- Operating effectively in a high-volume production kitchen
We are looking for someone who can thrive in a busy environment, stay calm under pressure, and is motivated by producing quality food every day.
About You
To succeed in this role, you will need:
- Previous experience working as a chef in a quality-driven kitchen
- Strong practical skills and confidence preparing food from scratch
- Good knowledge of allergens, dietary requirements and nutritional content
- A positive attitude and genuine passion for food
- Ability to work effectively as part of a team
- Flexibility to work shifts across a 7‑day rota, including some weekends
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
For further information about this role please see Job Description document attached.
If you have any further queries, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Person specification
Skills and Ability
Essential
- Effective team member with the ability to work unsupervised.
- Ability to work as part of a team
- Effective interpersonal and communication skills.
- Effective organisational skills and ability to manage time and prioritise work
- Attention to detail
- Agility to change work pace to meet needs of service.
- Ability to make judgements unaided and to work pro-actively.
Experience and Knowledge
Essential
- Experience of large scale food production
- Ability to work autonomously
- HACCP, COSHH
- Working knowledge of Health and Safety
Desirable
- Experience working in an NHS Catering environment
- Knowledge of legislation – The Food Act 1990
- Food Hygiene Regulations 1995
Training and Qualifications
Essential
- Basic food hygiene certificate
- City and Guilds 706/1 and 706/2 or equivalent
Desirable
- Intermediate food hygiene certificate
- City and Guilds 706/3
- Computer literate
Other role specific requirements
Essential
- Professional manner and organised approach
- Enthusiastic, determined and assertive
- Ability to work on own initiative
- Flexible
- Calm under pressure
- Occasional flexibility in working hours may be required
- High levels of personal hygiene
- Physically fit
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Bank Chef with Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in Winchester. It is listed as a Band 3 Estates and facilities role. The advertised salary is £13.17 ph. The contract type is Bank. The application deadline is 01 Sep 2026.
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