Head Chef

The Catering Department is a busy and multi-functional area of the Hospital, providing meals for patients and staff and meeting the Hospitality Services/Catering requirements for the wider Trust customers., The role extends to the catering provision of our Ellesmere Port Hospital and its patients and will require regular visits to the hospital to ensure catering standards are being delivered and consistently met. A full driving license will be required in order to facilitate the management of this particular objective and this aspect of the role.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and self-motivated individual to join the Catering Services Team for the role of Head Chef. You will support the Head of Catering Services and manage the catering team within the department, producing the finest quality food for our patients and staff as well as delivering excellent customer service.

We are looking for an individual who has achieved a good grounding within the catering business, but would like to further develop and become proficient in all aspects of managing a busy Catering Service within an NHS Hospital., The successful candidate will have achieved good grounding within the Catering Industry, preferably educated to advanced certificate or diploma level minimum NVQ Qualification (Level 3) have relevant equivalent experience. You should have strong time-management and leadership skills and be able to prioritise and delegate well. The role requires a good working knowledge of computer software including Word, Excel and strong, demonstrable skills in all aspects of administration.

The Trust's services are provided from three locations: o The Countess of Chester Hospital: providing 473 general and acute beds. o Ellesmere Port Hospital: providing 60 beds as a rehabilitation, intermediate and outpatient facility. o Tarporley War Memorial Hospital: a base for community services which serve the local rural population. The Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust employs 5,964 staff (headcount) to provide care and treatment to a population of over 400,000 people living in Chester and West Cheshire which includes Ellesmere Port and Neston as well as the Deeside area of Flintshire. The Trust works collaboratively within the wider Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care System. Due to its location on the border with North Wales, the Trust also works closely with the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. The Trust treats patients from England and some parts of Wales. During 2024/2025, there were approximately 643,000 patient attendances (inpatient, A&E,
outpatient and diagnostic) ranging from a simple outpatient appointment to major cancer surgery