Area Development Chef

Firstly, the happiness of our employees is of utmost importance to us, our friendly environment will make you feel supported and part of a family.

This role is:

• Monday to Friday working - no more weekends!
• 40 hours per week
• 39 weeks per year
• £32,000 per annum pro rata

You will also benefit from:

• Working for a fast-growing company who would like you to grow with them
• A dedicated L&D team to support you in developing your skills, including apprenticeships and training courses that are available for everyone.

We expect all staff to share our commitment of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children/young people and an enhanced DBS disclosure will be sought by the company.

As Development Chef, you will lead, support, and develop catering managers/chefs to deliver a high-quality catering experience aligned with company standards and financial targets across multiple sites. Plan, organise and oversee events like cookery workshops and nutritional awareness. parents' evenings, and cultural celebrations to enhance brand visibility and customer experience.

• Event Management: Plan and coordinate cookery workshops, parents' evenings, and nutritional awareness events. Handle stock ordering, preparation, and setup. Collaborate with school staff for successful sessions.
• Staff Development: Train, coach, and support new and existing Chef Managers. Provide site visit reports, assist with menu planning, and support team calls and forums.
• Operational Support: Assist with WOW days, mobilisations, supporting the production of new menus including special diet menus, meeting with parents, and school coverage during absences.
• Food Quality & Service: Adapt menus to school needs, ensuring high-quality food and presentation considering cost and nutritional standards. Oversee kitchen management, ordering, and hospitality standards.
• Team Management: Lead, motivate, and train the catering team, fostering a quality-driven and customer-focused environment.
• Compliance & Safety: Ensure adherence to food safety, hygiene, allergen, and health and safety policies.
• Financial Performance: Complete all entries on the company workbook system and achieve sales targets and gross profit margins while controlling labour and sundries costs.
• Customer Satisfaction: Provide a polite, friendly and personal service, striving for nil customer complaints and achieving total customer satisfaction.

We are looking for somebody who shares our passion for serving great-tasting food and providing excellent service, maintaining the highest standards at all times, along with the following:

Knowledge, Skills and Experience:

• Excellent communication skills
• Ability to work under pressure and use own initiative
• Good financial knowledge
• Confident using IT
• Gross profit and budget understanding
• Experience supervising a team within a kitchen
• Experience working in a customer-focused environment

Education & Qualifications:

• NVQ Level 3 or equivalent
• Intermediate Food Hygiene
• Health & Safety at Work
• Food Craft Qualification & Experience

Other Essential Requirements:

• Full UK Driving Licence
• Clear Enhanced DBS
• Clean and tidy appearance
• Flexible working approach to duties and hours
• Attend training courses as and when required
• Commitment to health and safety

Miquill is a specialist school catering business born out of passion for great-tasting food since 2009. We’re not just serving lunch; we’re all about providing fresh, delicious and exciting food that brings a healthy dose of fun to the school day!

We're a small, independent, Midlands-based company with a genuine family feel. Building strong relationships is key—that means you are important to us! Your well-being, development, and growth opportunities matter. We focus on rewarding our teams and recognising hard work to make sure you feel happy and valued every day.