Summary
About us:
Aspens Services Ltd is a market-leading contract catering company specialising in school food. By combining our understanding of the education sector and our knowledge of what's on trend in the food world, we encourage creativity and excitement in our kitchens, allowing our teams to do what they do best and provide fantastic food experiences for the children.
By providing excellent care and services to both clients and children, we have ensured the successful growth of the company and to keep up with the rapid pace of this growth, we are now looking for an experienced Group Chef and Engagement Manager to join us.
The role:
As the Group Chef and Engagement Manager, you will support the Operations Team in smoothly delivering student-facing and community projects, aiming to enhance student engagement with food, provide valuable programs across the MAT, drive parental involvement in food services, and participate in community activities.
You will liaise with Operations Managers to maximize the impact of these initiatives in line with the company's visions and values through a planned calendar of events. Additionally, you will support the curriculum by coordinating with the Aspens central resource team to schedule key events and assist Operations teams and the Development Chef in coordinating mobilization tasks, delivering WOW training days, and hospitality events, ensuring the Food Team's effectiveness across the business.
This role is:
- 40 hours per week
- 44 weeks per year
- £40,000 - £45,000 per annum
Your responsibilities will include:
Working with the operations team to develop suitable core added-value events to enhance meal service, presenting your ideas at the Regional Operations Manager's meetings
Ensure that all of the added value events are recorded, capturing each event so that they can be used in the future (sharing best practise).
Ensure that a diary of student council meetings is maintained
Designing, leading and supporting activities to promote paid and Free School Meal uptake
Developing an ongoing programme of events, which maintain and strengthen our partnership with the Academies and the Trust
Supporting regional development teams with the development, progress and performance of unit-based staff
Creating regional innovation events, linking food team initiatives to the individual schools, and engaging with the individual site managers to ensure that they implement their own added value days
Ensuring effective QHSE requirements, particularly Food Safety and Allergy management, are adhered to throughout the added value process, and into operational delivery
Promote a pro-active QHSE culture and support QHSE performance improvement
Liaising with the L&D Manager to identify training requirements within the business and support the development of the training tools to meet them
Help roll out new company initiatives and continue to comply with, and enforce, existing policy.
Support the development, testing and trialling of specific recipes and menus in line with the annual development plan and communicate using the most appropriate, economical and up-to-date media available
Support the Executive Chef to develop, implement and evolve the hospitality food offer whilst providing the tools to measure its success
Communicating professionally and effectively at all times and in line with the company communication policy
Operating in accordance with the company confidentiality policy and agreement.
About you:
You'll currently work in a development or senior culinary role and can demonstrate creativity and flair in the food you produce. With strong industry acumen, you keep up to date with industry trends, developments and innovations. You have a strong financial understanding including budgets and costs and are able to pass this understanding on. With a high level of emotional intelligence, and proven ability to communicate at different levels, you drive company initiatives and engage audiences. Having worked in a compliance-led environment previously, you understand the importance of following policies and procedures.
to motivate those around you. You have a proven ability to succeed, helped by your keen eye for detail over all aspects of your role.
Why join us?
As one of the UK's fastest-growing independent businesses you'll be joining a company where people are at our core and the opportunity to develop your career is endless. We offer fantastic learning and development programmes and the ability to gain qualifications whilst supporting you all the way
We understand that the health and wellbeing of our employees is vital so as well as a competitive salary and car allowance/car, we've just launched our brand new benefits programme which includes important things like private healthcare and enhanced parental leave, ways to save money and the opportunity to spend your birthday doing something special to you rather than working!
Please note, we expect all staff to share our commitment of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children/young people so an enhanced DBS disclosure will be sought by the company
