About the Company

[Employer hidden — sign up to reveal] Group (IFG) is one of England’s fastest-growing school food providers, serving around one million students every day across more than 1,500 schools. We are dedicated to delivering high-quality, nutritious meals that support student wellbeing and enjoyment.

Our brands include Innovate, Cucina, Chapter One (Independent Schools), Hutchison, and Dolce, reflecting our breadth of experience and reach across the school catering sector.

The Role

Job Title: Chef

School Location: The Sittingbourne School, ME10 4NL

Working Days: Monday to Friday

Shifts & Working hours: 6:30am-3:30pm (45 hours per week)

Working Weeks: 39 weeks per year (term time, inset days and 3 additional weeks)

Pay Details: £28,000 Annum

What will I be doing?

As a Chef, you’ll take full responsibility for running a high-volume kitchen, serving fresh, seasonal meals to hundreds of students every day. This is a hands-on, leadership role where you’ll manage your team, maintain high standards, and ensure smooth, efficient service.

• Leading, motivating, and developing your catering team
• Preparing and serving fresh, seasonal meals at high volume
• Managing stock, and controlling budgets
• Ensuring all food hygiene, safety, and compliance standards are met
• Building strong relationships with onsite clients and stakeholders
• Overseeing the smooth running of service, from prep to finish

What are we looking for?

We’re looking for an experienced Chef with a passion for high-volume catering and strong leadership skills.

• Previous experience managing a kitchen, ideally in schools or high-volume catering environments
• Proven ability to cook fresh, seasonal food at high volumes
• Strong people management and team leadership skills
• Experience managing kitchen operations, stock, and compliance
• Excellent organisational and communication skills
• A proactive, hands-on approach and pride in maintaining high standards

What’s in it for you?

We offer a fantastic work-life balance: daytime hours, no evenings or weekends, all school holidays off, free meals on shift and uniform provided.

• Ongoing training, development, and career progression opportunities
• Access to free qualifications
• Staff discount scheme across 850+ retailers
• Monthly team incentives with the chance to win shopping vouchers

Next Steps

If you think you’ve got what it takes, we’d love to hear from you!

Please note: An interview, trade test and kitchen visit will be required as part of the recruitment process.

[Employer hidden — sign up to reveal] are committed to the safeguarding of children, and our employees share this commitment. Successful candidates are required to undergo an enhanced DBS disclosure and children’s barred list check, which [Employer hidden — sign up to reveal] will pay for.

We are a committed equal opportunities employer - if you require any assistance for the interview process, please detail within your application. All information is kept confidential and in compliance with GDPR requirements.

Additional Information

Posted: Posted yesterday

Closing date: 16/06/2026

Job reference: CCSITTSCH0505