Head Chef - Care Home

Job summary

Are you a passionate and qualified Chef looking for a better work life balance? If you are keen to be part of a company that is driven by quality and high standards, Barchester is the place to be! Your Benefits and Rewards Working days and alternate weekends only, across 4/5 days a week Rewarding Excellence' bonus where you will be financially rewarded up to £500* for a Good or Outstanding CQC inspection Unlimited access to our Refer a Friend' scheme, earning up to £500* per referral Access to a wide range of retail and leisure discounts with big brands, supermarkets and travel companies Free access to medical specialists, who are on hand for a second opinion if you need it Confidential and free access to counselling and legal services Tax Code Review Service to check you're on the right code and paying the right level of tax Option to join our monthly staff lottery alongside your colleagues nationwide Your Experience and Qualifications A personable and warm approach with a genuine interest in the wellbeing of residents Hold City & Guilds/NVQ/SVQ or equivalent Experience in leading, motivating and inspiring a team Experience of working with fresh seasonal food with a good understanding of nutrition The ability to create a warm and welcoming environment within our homes Confidence engaging with residents to create appetising and nutritious menus Experience working with a front of house team to ensure the restaurants are set up to a high standard Good understanding of HACCP and COSHH Knowledge around modified diets using the IDDSI framework (If new to care, we will train and develop chefs on these techniques) Your Role and Responsibilities Lead, motivate and inspire a team, develop and upskill where required Menu development, tailoring around r

Main duties of the job

The job opportunity for a Head Chef at Barchester Healthcare focuses on providing an enhanced quality of work-life balance while ensuring high standards in food options for care home residents. Employees will work only on designated days including alternate weekends within a 4/5 day workweek. The company offers several benefits, including a 'Rewarding Excellence bonus up to £500 for a superior CQC inspection, up to £500 for every successful referral, and discounts on various retail and leisure services. Employees gain free access to medical specialists for second opinions and confidential counselling services, while staff lotteries and tax code review services are also available. The ideal candidate should possess a personable approach with a caring interest in residents' wellbeing, holding relevant professional qualifications equivalent to City & Guilds/NVQ/SVQ. Experience in leading teams, using fresh ingredients, understanding nutrition, and creating welcoming environments is necessary. If new to care, training would be provided to help chefs learn about IDDSI frameworks related to modified diets. Additionally, organizing the kitchen with a focus on budget management, conducting audits, and maintaining stock control are key responsibilities.

About us

Barchester Healthcare operates under a mission-driven approach, encouraging quality and high standards in its services. They dedicate resources towards enhancing the well-being of residents with great care, offering a wide range of opportunities for their employees for professional development and career growth. Central to their operations is the desire to foster a supportive and vibrant environment within their care homes. They underscore creating person-centric service experiences for its residents, exemplified by their ongoing chef academy which allows chefs to gain new skills and share their knowledge with others within the company. Barchester emphasizes nurturing a collaborative culture, effectively creating conditions for fulfilling work-life experiences for their staff through evident support, as demonstrated by the provision of various benefits, bonuses, and access to tools for mental and physical wellness. Trading on their commitment to employee growth, Barchester provides learning initiatives, indeed acquiring industry-recognized qualifications and apprenticeships for its workforce to ascend further in their respective career trajectories in hospitality and culinary domains.

Details

• Date posted: 11 June 2026
• Pay scheme: Other
• Salary: £21 an hour
• Contract: Permanent
• Working pattern: Full-time, Part-time
• Reference number: 1512477985
• Job locations: Barchester Healthcare, Horsham, RH12 5HT, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities

Are you a passionate and qualified Chef looking for a better work life balance? If you are keen to be part of a company that is driven by quality and high standards, Barchester is the place to be!

Your Benefits and Rewards

• Working days and alternate weekends only, across 4/5 days a week
• Rewarding Excellence' bonus where you will be financially rewarded up to £500* for a Good or Outstanding CQC inspection
• Unlimited access to our Refer a Friend' scheme, earning up to £500* per referral
• Access to a wide range of retail and leisure discounts with big brands, supermarkets and travel companies
• Free access to medical specialists, who are on hand for a second opinion if you need it
• Confidential and free access to counselling and legal services
• Tax Code Review Service to check you're on the right code and paying the right level of tax
• Option to join our monthly staff lottery alongside your colleagues nationwide

Your Experience and Qualifications

• A personable and warm approach with a genuine interest in the wellbeing of residents
• Hold City & Guilds/NVQ/SVQ or equivalent
• Experience in leading, motivating and inspiring a team
• Experience of working with fresh seasonal food with a good understanding of nutrition
• The ability to create a warm and welcoming environment within our homes
• Confidence engaging with residents to create appetising and nutritious menus
• Experience working with a front of house team to ensure the restaurants are set up to a high standard
• Good understanding of HACCP and COSHH
• Knowledge around modified diets using the IDDSI framework (If new to care, we will train and develop chefs on these techniques)

Your Role and Responsibilities

• Lead, motivate and inspire a team, develop and upskill where required
• Menu development, tailoring around residents to ensure we deliver person-centred hospitality
• Work with fresh produce to deliver high quality and wholesome dishes cooked of the highest standards
• Bake fresh cakes, scones and breads from scratch
• Assist the front of house team with setting up of the dining areas
• Work within budget, complete regular audits and stock control
• Create a warm, efficient and fun environment
• Ongoing recruitment and retention
• Managing the performance of the kitchen team and front of house

As a Head Chef at Barchester, you will have the chance to deliver hotel/restaurant standards without the split shifts and long hours. Our chefs have full autonomy in creating nutritious, flavoursome and well balanced menus, whilst also taking ownership of their kitchen and ongoing team development.

We are exceptionally proud of our Barchester Chef Academy, where chefs have the opportunity to learn new techniques and further develop their skills, whilst also sharing their knowledge to support the growth of others across the business. This fantastic academy experience is held throughout the year and is offered to all of our chefs.

Our internal Learning and Development team also offer industry recognised apprenticeships and further qualifications to chefs and hospitality team members who are looking to build upon and/or develop their skills.

Interested? If you are a motivated and dedicated chef who is ready to be part of something special, apply today!

*Terms & conditions apply

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