Head Chef

The Hospital of St John & St Elizabeth is one of the UKs leading private hospitals renowned for exceptional patient care and a warm welcoming environment. Our Catering Department plays a vital role in supporting patient wellbeing delivering outstanding food that meets clinical nutritional and hospitality standards.

We are now seeking an experienced and inspiring Head Chef to lead our kitchen operations and elevate our culinary offering across the hospital. The Head Chef will oversee all kitchen operations ensuring the delivery of highquality nutritious meals for patients staff and visitors. You will lead a dedicated kitchen team manage budgets maintain compliance with food safety and healthcare regulations and drive continuous improvement across all catering services.

Located in leafy St Johns Wood on the Jubilee line minutes from Central London our independent private Hospital has just been rated the number one in the country for care in the latest Bupa survey. Uniquely all profits fund our onsite Hospice St Johns.

What Youll Be Doing

• Culinary leadership Maintain exceptional standards in food preparation presentation and service.
• Menu development Create menus aligned with nutritional guidelines patient needs allergens and cultural requirements.
• Patient dining excellence Work with dietitians and clinical teams to support patient recovery and wellbeing.
• Team leadership Lead train and develop the kitchen brigade ensuring a positive and highperforming culture.
• Food cost control Manage stock ordering suppliers and budgets to maximise efficiency and minimise waste.
• Safety & compliance Ensure full compliance with HACCP infection control allergen management and all regulatory standards.
• Continuous improvement Innovate menus enhance service quality and support audits and inspections.

What Were Looking For

• Level 3 NVQ Catering or formal chef qualification
• HACCP Level 2
• Knowledge of COSHH Health & Safety food safety and hygiene regulations
• Experience managing a professional kitchen
• Experience working in a healthcare setting
• Minimum 3 years as a Chef including 2 years managing staff
• Ability to cater for large groups and varied dietary needs
• IT literacy (Microsoft Office kitchen management systems)
• Strong leadership and teammanagement capability

Why apply for this role

At our organisation we are passionate about providing our employees with a supportive and engaging environment. As well as ongoing development and training we offer our employees a wide range of benefits;

When you become part of the HJE Family these are some of the benefits you will receive:

• Private healthcare scheme worth up to 20000 per year
• 27 days annual leave
• Blue Light Card discounts
• Interest-free season ticket loans
• Cycle to work scheme
• Free eye check-up vouchers with contribution towards lenses
• Free newspaper and media subscriptions
• Local Business discounts
• Discount in our Hospice Charity shop
• Refer a Friend scheme
• Free Cinema Society Membership offering discounted tickets
• Personal development and training courses
• Annual events and recognition awards
• Career progression and increments

If you are ready for a new challenge and relish the chance to become part of a successful forward thinking organisation then we would love to hear from you.