Deputy Head Chef

Looking for a Chef role that offers you a great work-life balance?

At St Leonard’s Hospice, we are recruiting for a passionate and food focussed Deputy Head Chef to lead on the day to day kitchen operations in the absence of our Head Chef. Ensuring the catering team strive for excellence in everything within its remit, you will help to source local seasonal produce and interact with patients to truly meet their individual and changing needs.

On a day-to-day basis, you will:

• Consistently deliver high levels of exciting, delicious and inventive catering for our patients, staff and visitors
• Work with the Head Chef to review the catering offer to meet the needs of the organisation
• Support and develop a collaborative team
• Help maintain our 5* EHO rating

This is a full time role, working 37.5 hours per week, 5 days over 7 working alternate weekends. The Catering team’s shift patterns are normally worked between 7.30am – 6.30pm (either an early or late, based on a 7.5 hour shift length), which allows our team to have a great work-life balance. Full flexibility is essential though as no two days are the same and it is imperative the needs of the Hospice and Catering Team are met at all times.

To fulfil the Deputy Head Chef role, you will need:

• Excellent food presentation skills
• Experience of managing a team in a catering environment
• Comprehensive knowledge of food hygiene and food safety regulations
• The ability to manage and prioritise your workload
• To be a team player
• Effective verbal communication skills

What’s in it for you as Deputy Head Chef:

• Shift enhancements for working unsociable hours
• Generous annual leave entitlement of up to 41 days
• Attractive pension schemes
• Extensive employee discounts on shops, holidays and lifestyle choices and Blue Light Card discounts
• Opportunities to grow your skills and career
• Free onsite car parking
• Day shifts which allow you to have a great work/life balance
• A supportive and friendly working environment

To apply for this role, please complete our online application form. The closing date for this role is 1 March 2026, however we reserve the right to extend or close this post earlier. 

If you wish to discuss this role further, please contact the Hospice’s HR Team by email at hr@stleonardshospice.org.uk.

Interviews are available immediately and we reserve the right to withdraw this post at any time.     

No recruitment agencies please.

We do not have sponsorship status and therefore all our offers are made conditional upon our candidates submitting evidence of their right to work in the UK in conjunction with our other pre-employment checks.