Head Chef


Company:	Perfect Recruitment
Salary:	£24,460 to £32,614 a year
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	Darwen, BB3
Job type:	Permanent
Posting date:	24 Oct 2026
Closing date:	22 Nov 2026

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Summary

Head Chef – Care Home

£15.68 per hour | 30–40 Hours Per Week | Full-Time, Permanent

We’re recruiting for an experienced Head Chef to lead the kitchen at a well-established nursing home, providing nutritious, well-balanced meals for up to 80 residents.

This is a hands-on role combining daily food preparation, menu planning and kitchen management, with a strong focus on quality, dietary requirements and resident wellbeing. You’ll manage a small kitchen team, ensuring meals are prepared to a high standard and kitchen operations run smoothly throughout the year.

The Role

• Plan, prepare and cook nutritious, well-balanced meals, providing three hot meals daily with two choices at each sitting.

• Create weekly menus and order ingredients and provisions accordingly.

• Ensure all meals are well-presented, appetising and consistently high in quality.

• Cater for residents with special dietary requirements, allergies and modified food consistencies.

• Lead and support a small kitchen team, including a cook and kitchen porters.

• Organise rotas and ensure adequate kitchen cover across seven days a week, 365 days a year.

• Maintain high standards of food hygiene, health and safety, infection control and kitchen cleanliness.

• Manage stock, minimise waste and ensure safe food storage and preparation.

• Liaise with the Home Manager and work collaboratively with care staff to meet residents’ needs.

• Report any equipment faults, hazards, accidents or incidents promptly and follow all relevant policies and procedures.

About You

• Previous experience as a Head Chef, Chef Manager or in a similar kitchen leadership role.

• NVQ Level 2 in Catering.

• HACCP qualification.

• Strong knowledge of food hygiene, health and safety and safe food handling.

• Experience catering for special diets and modified food consistencies, ideally within a care home or healthcare setting.

• Good organisational and leadership skills, with the ability to manage a small team and maintain consistent standards.

• A caring, professional approach with a genuine commitment to residents’ wellbeing.

• Flexible and reliable, with the ability to work a rota covering seven days a week.

Hours & Working Pattern

• 30–40 hours per week.

• Shifts between 7:30am and 5:30pm.

• Rota-based working across seven days a week, including weekends and bank holidays as required.

If you’re an organised, hands-on chef who takes pride in producing quality food and making a positive difference to residents’ daily lives, we’d like to hear from you.

For a confidential conversation, contact Dave Hayes at Perfect Recruitment.

Email: dave@perfect-recruitment.co.uk

By applying, you consent to Perfect Recruitment processing your personal data for recruitment purposes in accordance with applicable data protection legislation.

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