Chef – Essex Outdoors Mersea

About the role

Chef – Essex Outdoors Mersea

Fixed Term, Part Time

Up to £23,344 per annum (FTE)

Location: Mersea

Please note this is a fixed term contract opportunity until 26 th August 2024. Successful candidates will be on an annualised hours contract working 20 hours per week. The pro rata salary will be £12,618 per annum.

The Opportunity

Essex Outdoors is a leading provider of outdoor experiences to schools in the East of England and is looking to grow its customer base both within this region and across the country. Our vision is to make the Essex brand recognised as the UK leader in schools’ outdoor residential provision through innovation and customer focus. Essex Outdoors operates within a commercially competitive environment.

The Chef will manage the delivery of a professional catering service ensuring the customer experience meets and aims to exceed their expectations. As the catering provision delivers around one third of the financial composition of the visitors stay and is one of the KPIs that has over 79% of our customers returning, it is crucial that a proficient and consistent offer is maintained.

Possessing Industry standard qualifications 706/1 & 2 or equivalent, a current First Aid & Food Hygiene certificate, plus experience in operational efficiency, planning, preparation and presentation of food and beverages to a high standard within budget limitations.

Click here to find out more about Essex Outdoors Mersea

Accountabilities

Responsible for ensuring the Catering Department delivers against objectives, ensuring best value for money and accurate in-year spend.
Engage with appropriate stakeholders to define requirements and achieve quality, timely and value for money services.
Lead in ensuring correct hygiene practices and regulations are stringently implemented in the kitchen and areas where food is handled/served, whilst maintaining appropriate health and safety standards for all catering and serving areas and ensuring the wellbeing of customers.
Contribute to formal engagement and management of all staff working in the Catering Department, to ensure that all staff clearly understand roles to increase efficiency and continuity of great service.
Manage Vending and Bar operations with accountability for any on site cash and stock purchase and rotation, ensuring all customer requirements are met fully during their visit to the centre.
Lead on the recruitment of staff working closely with the Operations Manager.
Responsible for the efficient ordering of food supplies and stock control, ensuring avoidance of waste and the correct, safe and economical use of equipment and fuel.
Place orders for materials and equipment following the associated procurement, financial and recording processes and managing rotation of stock.
Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.

The Experience You Will Bring

Possesses Industry standard qualifications 706/1 & 2 or equivalent, a current First Aid & Food Hygiene certificate, plus experience in operational efficiency, planning, preparation and presentation of food and beverages to a high standard within budget limitations.
Evidence of continuing professional development with the good knowledge in relevant professional area.
Proven knowledge of managing a team, supporting the work of others and demonstrating good organisational skills, hygiene and health and safety.
Demonstrates a working knowledge and experience of large volume catering/residential operations with the ability to ensure the maintenance of a high standard of cleanliness and hygiene for all resources, to comply with statutory regulations.
Experience of preparation, cooking and service of food and beverages to the required standard and volume, with the ability to create and follow agreed menus and recipes.
Experience of using kitchen and cleaning equipment and training others in the correct use of this equipment.
Ability to manage own time effectively

To read more about us please visit: Climate, Environment and Customer Services

Why Essex?

Essex County Council has a location to be proud of. Our 1,300 square miles stretch from Constable Country to the Thames Estuary, from the dynamic M11 corridor to the traditional seaside resorts of Clacton and Walton. England’s oldest town, Colchester, and two of its newest – Basildon and Harlow – are right here. Along with the City of Chelmsford, the county town, they form our major population centres. It means real choice and makes Essex the ideal place for your career. Read more about us.

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process.

We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

What you should do next

If you are interested in finding out more about this role, we would love to hear from you. Please apply via the Working for Essex website.

As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

If you would like to be kept up to date on other relevant opportunities, blogs, news, events and industry related news at Essex County Council, please join The Essex Talent Community

If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email resourcing.team@essex.gov.uk

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