Operational Culinary Delivery Lead

South West Larder: Togetherness, Nurture, Pride, Planet

Hours: Full Time

Salary: £55,005 gross per annum plus benefits (more may be available for an exceptional candidate)

Location: Bridgwater area, Somerset

Contract Type: Permanent

Want to work for a company where Togetherness, Nurture, Pride and Planet are at the heart of everything they do? Then look no further, Somerset Larder produces fresh food and meals to go using locally sourced ingredients from all over the west country. Our philosophy is to nourish the community with amazing produce, to employ local people and to train apprentices for future careers in the catering and hospitality sector.

At Somerset Larder, our Values have been set by our staff. Our Values exist for the good of our working lives and company performance. Our Values are:

• Togetherness - Be a tractor not a trailer.
• Nurture - You grow, I grow, we grow.
• Pride - We can and we will
• Planet - We're part of a bigger picture

Are you a passionate and experienced catering professional ready to take the lead in a dynamic, high-quality culinary environment? We are seeking an Operational Culinary Delivery Lead to drive excellence in food production across our catering operations.

In this role, you will strategically and operationally manage our culinary teams, ensuring the highest standards of food preparation, production, and service are consistently achieved. With a focus on motivational leadership, you will guide, inspire, and develop our teams to deliver exceptional culinary and customer experiences.

Key Responsibilities

• Leadership & Team Management: Lead and motivate operational culinary teams to achieve consistent standards in food production and service through inspirational and inclusive leadership.
• Inspiring Excellence: Engage and empower managers and team members to continuously raise standards of culinary competence and professional credibility.
• Performance Monitoring: Monitor team performance, providing constructive feedback to foster professional growth and operational improvements.
• Collaborative Networking: Build and maintain proactive relationships with colleagues, suppliers, professional associates, and stakeholders to drive continuous improvement and meet strategic KPIs.
• Culinary Standards & Planning: Oversee food preparation, production, and menu planning, ensuring all operations meet agreed quality standards and customer requirements.
• Compliance Management: Ensure compliance with Food Safety Quality Management Systems (FSQMS), including SOPs (standard operating procedures) and HACCP.

About You

You'll bring a wealth of expertise, experience and qualifications to this role, including:

• Leadership Experience: Proven ability to lead and manage catering teams with an inclusive and motivational approach.
• Culinary Expertise: High standards of culinary and catering knowledge, supported by professional chef qualifications
• Operational Experience: Extensive experience in large-scale catering services, ideally in a multi-site and 24/7 operational setting.
• Quality Focus: A track record of raising culinary standards through tangible actions, influence, and persuasion.
• Communication Skills: Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, capable of engaging large groups and individual conversations.

• Chef qualified (e.g., City & Guilds 706/1 & 2, NVQ Level 2, or Commis Chef Level 2) 
• Food Safety qualification (with the ability and desire to achieve Food Hygiene Level 4)
• Good knowledge of food safety management (FSM)
• Good knowledge of HACCP systems operation

Why Join Us?

• Be part of an organisation committed to culinary excellence and continuous improvement
• Enjoy a role where your leadership and expertise will shape the future of catering operations
• Work in a supportive environment with the values of Togetherness, Nurture, Pride and Planet

Employee Benefits Menu

At Somerset Larder, we believe our people are the secret ingredient to our success. Here's a flavourful look at the benefits we've cooked up for our amazing team:

Generous Time Off

Savour a well-balanced blend of work and personal time with our generous annual leave allowance (33 days including bank holidays)

Pension Contributions with Extra Spice

Prepare for your future with a pension plan that goes beyond the basics - 5% from you, matched with a hearty 5% from us

Life Assurance

Our life assurance plan is here to provide peace of mind, so you can focus on serving up excellence

Cycle Scheme

Get a healthy and eco-friendly start to each day with our cycle scheme - perfect for working up an appetite!

Comprehensive Family Leave Benefits

When life serves up big changes, we're here to support you with a menu of family leave benefits designed so you can make memories as you care for your family.

Free Food and Drink on Shift

Enjoy a daily free meal/drink so you can fuel up and stay energised.

Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)/Mental Health First Aiders

Tap into our 24/7, all-year round helpline and portal Wisdom, loaded with resources on health, finances, legal advice and lifestyle tips - a full menu of support options

Christmas Shutdown

Relax during the festive period whilst the operation is closed between Christmas and New Year - a rarity for the Hospitality industry (option to volunteer for skeleton staffing)

Learning, Development and Apprenticeship Opportunities

Stir up new skills with a range of development and apprenticeship opportunities to help you grow your career and cook up success in the culinary world.

Access to Occupational Health

As a perk of being part of the HPC project, you will have access to Health Partners, the UK's leading provider of workplace health services

Refer a Friend Scheme

Use our employee referral programme and benefit financially by adding people from your professional network to our workforce.

Monthly Recognition: A Toast to you

Each month, we raise a glass to our star team members who go above and beyond, as nominated by their colleagues

Long Service Awards

Celebrate the milestones! Receive our heartfelt gratitude and special recognition at your 5- and 10-year anniversaries

Annual Team Awards

Join us for our annual awards event as we honour the outstanding contributions and achievements of our team. It's our way of saying cheers to you!

This benefits menu is our recipe for a rewarding and fulfilling career, where you can develop your talents and delight in the journey ahead.

Pre-Employment Screening

Successful applicants will be required to provide a three-year employment history and five-year address history to work on Hinkley Point C.

They must be able to provide in date photographic ID and their right to work in the UK so that security clearance can be obtained as these roles are based on a nuclear regulated site.

Closing Date: Monday 20 January 2205

1st stage interviews: 22 to 29 January 2025

2nd stage interviews: early February 2025

Take the next step in your culinary leadership journey - apply today and help us deliver outstanding food and service experiences!