Culinary Engagement Lead

We ensure you're rewarded for all your hard work, which is why we offer a comprehensive benefits package which includes but is not limited to:

• Electric vehicle charging points
• Contributory pension scheme
• Grow your career with our Career Pathways and MyLearning programmes
• Quick access for you and your immediate family to a Digital GP, and wider healthcare benefits
• Exclusive travel discounts with TUI, Expedia, Booking.com and many more
• Save money on your food shop with discounts on Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons and many more
• Up to 44% off cinema tickets to enjoy your favourite blockbuster
• Receive cash rewards every time you spend and use them on a wide range of brands
• Un-wind with us with free wellness, mindfulness and exercise classes
• You can share all discounts and offers with your friends and families

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the delivery of BTCK engagement activities to clients. Examples of this but not limited to - Parent Tasters, School Food Council meetings, Thumbs Up, Recipe trails, restaurant evenings, picnic events, parent forum events etc
• Provide training to the in-unit culinary teams on craft skills
• Write, monitor and oversee implementation of Medical Diets in contract and liaise with key stakeholders throughout the process.
• Ensure counter presentation is consistently delivered in accordance with Chartwells brand standards.
• Implement menus on time as per menu cycle in accordance to FFL Silver standard by engaging with all stakeholders during the process to ensure deadlines are met.
• Support implementation of Theme days and hospitality events, including costing menus and ensuring recipe compliance.
• Support other culinary activities that celebrate the food culture, Nutrition and healthy eating
• Support continuous food service delivery in schools through ad hoc Chef manager cover.
• Over the course of a year, you should expect your time to be split (as required) between direct support and coaching, development/execution of menu offer in contract, and engagement activities as outlined above.
• Work closely with the Operations Team to manage and deliver Gross Profit targets and pro-actively monitor and address stock purchasing, recipe compliance, and waste reduction in accordance with Compass Net Zero initiatives and commitments.

Key Relationships

• Regional Manager
• Group Manager
• Unit based Catering Managers and teams
• Nutrition Team
• Client representatives

Person Specification

• A real passion for food and healthy eating
• Engaging personality
• Good presentation skills and ability to engage with captive audience during workshops and events
• Interest and level of knowledge in nutrition
• An ability to demonstrate knowledge of food trends and healthy eating in a way that is inspiring and motivating for our clients
• Creative food/food service or registered Nutritionists or dietician background
• Understanding of purchasing/sourcing products/ingredients
• Experience of working in a fast paced/forward thinking environment
• Strong people skill with an ability to communicate effectively and influence
• Ability to build relationships with lots of different types of people
• Knowledge of different food production methods
• Strong project management skills

About Us

Part of Compass Group UK&I, Chartwells is the leading provider of catering and support services to the education sector. For over a quarter of a century, Chartwells has been focusing on helping those in education to build strong bodies, sharp minds and lead long healthy lives. Every week, Chartwells serves millions of nutritious and delicious meals to pupils and students in primary and secondary schools, academies, independent schools, colleges, and universities across the UK. Chartwells is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expect all employees to share this commitment. Any offer of employment will be subject to successfully completing pre-employment checks, including an enhanced DBS disclosure and a Children's Barred List check. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and we ask applicants to declare all previous convictions and cautions in order to assess their suitability to work with children.

Job Reference: com/0808/J47701/52748038/R/SU #State Schools

Compass Group UK&I is committed to fostering an environment where every individual can truly be themselves at work and has equal opportunities to advance in their careers. We strive to build a culture that respects and celebrates the unique talents, beliefs, backgrounds, and abilities of all our team members. We want our colleagues to feel valued, empowered to reach their full potential, and to thrive - because diversity is our strength!