Head Chef

Job Description

Organisation: Leicestershire County Council

Work Location: Beaumanor Hall. LE12 8TX & Tithe Barn CV13 0AD

Salary: £32,070 - £34,359 per annum (pro rata for part-time) Pay award pending

Working Hours: 18.5 Hours per week

Contract Type: Fixed term for 18 months

Closing Date: 25th Aug 2026

Interview Date(s): TBC

We are seeking to recruit an experienced and motivated Head Chef to lead and develop our catering operations at Beaumanor Hall and Tithe Barn. This is a pivotal role within the service, responsible for driving high standards of food quality, customer satisfaction, team performance and commercial success.

About the Role

The successful candidate will bring creativity, leadership and a passion for exceptional food, developing innovative menus for weddings, events, hospitality functions and educational catering whilst ensuring the efficient day-to-day management of kitchen operations. Managing a team of chefs and kitchen staff, the Head Chef will play a key role in maintaining excellent food safety and hygiene standards, controlling costs, managing stock and suppliers, and delivering a first-class customer experience.

This is an excellent opportunity for a talented culinary professional looking to make a significant impact within a thriving hospitality and events environment while developing and inspiring a dedicated team to achieve excellence.

About You

To apply for this post, you must

• Intermediate/Advanced Level Food Hygiene Certificate
• City and Guild 706 1 / 2 / 3 or NVQ 3 HNC or equivalent experience
• Good working knowledge of Health and Safety Procedure
• Good working knowledge of current food trends and special dietary requirements
• Strong communication and staff motivation skills.
• Proven experience in Budget Management, Supervising Staff ,Developing Staff rotas , Sourcing and purchasing supplies.
• Experience of working in commercial and similar environment. Capable of meeting targets under pressure
• Providing high quality civic and event catering to planned menus

In addition, we also expect you to share our commitment to our values and to delivering accessible and inclusive services which meet the needs of all of our residents. You will be asked to demonstrate your understanding of these commitments as part of the selection process.

Reasonable adjustments will be considered for applicants with a disability. We are a Disability Confident Employer.

Interested in Flexible Working?

We are open to discussions about flexible working, which may include part time working, job sharing, term-time working, flexible start and finish times, and hybrid working, depending on the requirements of the role and the service. If you would like to discuss the possible flexible working options that might be applicable to this role, please contact the person named below.

For more information or an informal discussion, please contact:

Nathan Brown - Hospitality & Leisure Manager

Telephone: 01509 890119

Email: nathan.brown@leics.gov.uk

How to Apply

At Leicestershire County Council we’re looking for top talent from all walks of life. Whoever you are, wherever you’re from, and whatever your background - we care about what you bring to our organisation, not just what’s on your CV. That’s why we’ve designed a recruitment process that’s fair, accessible, and focused on potential. And with benefits that support people at every age and stage of life, we make sure you can thrive - both personally and professionally.

If you share our passion to make a difference for the people of Leicestershire, we’d love to hear from you. Click the apply button to submit your application, ensuring that you upload a supporting statement that explains how you meet the criteria listed in the ‘About You’ section above. Without this information, we won’t be able to assess your suitability for the role, and your application will be rejected. For tips on how to write your statement, see the How to Apply section on our career site.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

If you have any technical issues when trying to apply for this post or you want to request an application pack in an alternative format, please contact our Employee Service Centre by telephoning 0300 3030222 (select option 2) or raising a ticket via our online portal: https://emss.org.uk/support.

By applying for this post, you agree to our Terms and Conditions.

About us

About Leicestershire County Council

At Leicestershire County Council, we're committed to making a real difference in people's lives. Our aim is to work with communities and partners to deliver public services that make Leicestershire the best possible place to live and work for everyone.

Our employees play a key role in supporting this goal and helping us deliver the vital services we provide to the people of Leicestershire. Whether you're starting your career or looking for your next challenge, you'll find a place with us where your ideas are valued, and your work has purpose.

For further information on what it’s like to work for us and the benefits we offer, please refer to the following:

Our Recruitment Process
Our Organisational Values
Our Employee Benefits
Working for Us