Sous Chef

Job details
Posting date:	05 January 2026
Salary:	£18.21 per hour
Hours:	Full time
Closing date:	04 February 2026
Location:	Sevenoaks, Kent, TN15 0JU
Company:	Holroyd Howe
Job type:	Permanent
Job reference:	1450987776

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Summary

Company Description

Job Title: Sous Chef
Location: Sevenoaks Preparatory School, Sevenoaks, Kent

Contract Type: Term Time, 35 working weeks a year
Salary: £26,500 per annum

Why Join us?

28 days holiday (including bank holidays)
3 volunteering days to give back to causes you care about
3 days grandparent leave for those special family moments
24 weeks enhanced maternity leave
Bespoke training & development opportunities
Pension & life insurance
Discounts on high street brands, cinema & holidays via the Perkbox App
Wellbeing hub & access to employee assistance programme
Free meals while at work
Career development & HIT Apprenticeships for all experience levels

About the role:

We are looking for a committed and enthusiastic Sous Chef to join the kitchen team at Sevenoaks Preparatory School, Sevenoaks, Kent. You’ll support food preparation, help maintain high standards, and play a vital role in the delivery of daily meals and special events.

You will be joining Holroyd Howe, one of the UK’s leading contract caterers, providing fresh innovative food services solely to independent schools and colleges. We are a team of experienced professionals who tailor our catering service provision specifically to suit children of all ages in order to meet the bespoke requirements of each school.

Our mission is simple: To provide our teams with the right skills to succeed in their jobs, we invest in their training and development. Our exceptional teams of seasoned specialists customise our catering services to fit children of all ages and satisfy the unique needs of our clients.

Job Description

Specific Responsibilities:

To ensure food production, standards, costs & menu planning are carried out in a timely fashion, as agreed with the Chef Manager.
To carry out the smooth and efficient running of the section as appropriate.
To assist the Chef Manager with compiling food orders and developing new food concepts.
To plan, prepare, cook and present food to the standards required by the company and the client.
To ensure that the company’s reputation for excellent food and service is enhanced with the client and customers.

Client Service:

To ensure that customers are given a prompt and efficient service and expectations are consistently exceeded.
To be customer focused at all times; approachable and quick to exceed expectations in fulfilling customer needs.
To ensure all food is cooked, presented and served in line with company standards, using innovation in the method and style of presentation and food service.

People Management:

To assess kitchen team performance and recognise training needs and potential as appropriate.

To assist in the development of the kitchen team by empowering it, supporting it, encouraging it and maintaining an ‘open door’ policy.
To motivate and lead by example, ensuring you and your team have fun at work and are proud of your efforts.
To treat your team at location as you would expect to be treated.

Financial Management:

To ensure all financial controls, costings, wastage and orders are met within the client budget.
To ensure purchasing is made using nominated suppliers and a system for quality and credit controls is maintained.

Health & Safety, Food Safety, the Environment:

To ensure that the kitchen meets statutory and company requirements of Health and Safety, Food Safety and environmental legislation and procedures.
To ensure all equipment is well maintained and is in good working order.
To ensure safe working practices are followed and equipment faults are reported to the Chef Manager.
To ensure that all company procedures and work instructions are fully understood and practised by all employees.
To promote and encourage environmental improvement initiatives as appropriate within the business.

Additional Responsibilities:

To ensure compliance with the company’s policy on safer recruitment and safeguarding children and young adults at all times whilst at work.
To take responsibility for contributing towards your own development with the guidance of the Chef Manager and attending training courses as identified.
To show commitment to company values in all aspects of your role.
To act as a positive ambassador for the business.
To attend to any reasonable request made by the client or Holroyd Howe Management.
To assist / deputise for the Chef Manager.

Additional Information

We pride ourselves on:

People first
We’re a company of individuals, united in doing our best for our clients.

Great food, always
Using only the best ingredients, our food is fresh, authentic and tailored to each school, age group, and specific needs and preferences.

Food education
We educate pupils through food, encouraging them to understand and develop their own personal tastes and make informed food choices.

Respect in everything we do
Our respectful codes of conduct inform how we behave towards our clients and customers, suppliers and business partners, and each other.

Fresh thinking
New ideas for food, service and ways of working help us maintain our position as creative leaders in school catering.

In order to be considered for this role you must be able to demonstrate that you have the Right to Work in the UK.

Holroyd Howe is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all employees to share this commitment. All roles within Holroyd Howe involve regulated activity. It is a criminal offence for individuals barred from working with children to apply for such roles. An Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, including a Barred List check will be required for all successful applicants. Shortlisted applicants will be asked to provide information about relevant criminal offences and will be subject to an online search of publicly available information. This search helps identify any issues that may affect suitability to work with children.

This appointment is offered on the return of satisfactory professional references.

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