Job summary
Were looking for an experienced and enthusiastic Catering Manager to lead the catering team at Dougie Mac Hospice, operating across two sites in Blurton and Trentham. Our catering service runs 365 days a year, delivering high-quality, nutritious meals to patients, staff, volunteers, and visitors.
This is a hands-on leadership role where youll manage kitchen operations, supervise a dedicated team, oversee budgets and stock, and ensure compliance with food safety and hygiene standards. Youll be instrumental in planning and preparing meals that meet a wide range of dietary needs including those for patients receiving palliative and end-of-life care.
Youll be joining a highly regarded, values-led organisation that truly recognises the role catering plays in enhancing the care experience. If you have strong culinary and leadership skills, and a passion for making a meaningful difference, wed love to hear from you.
Main duties of the job
As Catering Manager at Dougie Mac, you will:
Lead the catering service across two hospice sites, working with a team of staff and volunteers.
Plan and prepare fresh, nutritious meals tailored to the needs of patients, staff and visitors.
Manage rotas, stock levels, supplier relationships, and departmental budgets.
Ensure compliance with food hygiene, health and safety, and audit standards.
Collaborate with clinical teams to ensure individual patient dietary needs are met.
Support special events and themed hospitality as required.
This role is full-time (37.5 hours per week), and some weekend working is required on a rota basis. A flexible, hands-on approach is essential.
About us
Dougie Mac is an open-culture organisation, underpinned by clear strategic aims, vision and values and have recently merged with the Donna Louise Childrens and Young Adult Hospice to further develop and expand this excellent service.
By joining Dougie Mac, youll be part of a dedicated team of professionals who are committed to delivering responsive and cost-effective services of the highest quality. And youll be supported in your role to develop your skills and those of the people you work with. Staff at Dougie Mac are well-motivated, with professional development pathways, and given opportunities to be reflective in their roles through supervision, reflective practice and supportive line management.
The Hospice offers a competitive salary and benefits package, including a contributory pension scheme, generous holiday allowance, funded study, free parking, Paycare and much more.
Please see the job description and person specification below.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Principle Duties & Responsibilities:
1.Line manage, mentor and motivate the Catering teams across both sites, supporting their personal development.
2.Lead and maintain a positive team culture so that teams work collaboratively to the best of their ability.
3.Plan menus and prepare meals from fresh for patients, staff and visitors, maintaining high standards and producing a variety of meals and snacks.
4.Responsible for maintaining stock levels i.e. reordering goods/stock from suppliers achieving value and quality whilst forward thinking looking for new products to be proactive.
5.Keep up to date with industry trends to ensure that all food offers are relevant to the patients, visitors, staff and volunteers.
6.Build good relationships with users of the catering service, obtaining feedback and implementing changes as necessary.
7.Management of the budget ensuring good quality produce is obtained from suppliers and is value for money.
8.Participate in staff recruitment, identifying vacancies and improvements to staffing levels. Ensure inductions and training is identified and to the hospice standard as well as carrying out annual and half year reviews as required.
9.Ensure special functions, menus and themed events are organised correctly and to a very high standard.
10.Identify own training needs and show a commitment to person development as well as updating relevant paperwork.
11.Record information as required by Food Hygiene Regulations and the Hospice policies and procedures.
12.Ensure or delegate and oversee that all staff rotas are kept up to date and the department is staffed efficiently to accommodate Hospice needs.
13.Discuss dietary needs with individual patients as required and have knowledge of various requirements i.e. Allergens. Working with a dietician to ensure menus and recipes are to the required standard.
14.Take the lead or delegate and oversee and support with volunteer recruitment and training.
15.Ensure the till system is used to its full capacity as required for finance and stock taking.
16.Ensure the Catering department and work areas are compliant with Health and Safety at Work legislation, proactively identifying improvements where required.
17.Manage the assets in the kitchen ensuring a programme of potential replacement is identified.
18.To carry out any other duties as and when required thought reasonable within the scope of this role.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Principle Duties & Responsibilities:
1.Line manage, mentor and motivate the Catering teams across both sites, supporting their personal development.
2.Lead and maintain a positive team culture so that teams work collaboratively to the best of their ability.
3.Plan menus and prepare meals from fresh for patients, staff and visitors, maintaining high standards and producing a variety of meals and snacks.
4.Responsible for maintaining stock levels i.e. reordering goods/stock from suppliers achieving value and quality whilst forward thinking looking for new products to be proactive.
5.Keep up to date with industry trends to ensure that all food offers are relevant to the patients, visitors, staff and volunteers.
6.Build good relationships with users of the catering service, obtaining feedback and implementing changes as necessary.
7.Management of the budget ensuring good quality produce is obtained from suppliers and is value for money.
8.Participate in staff recruitment, identifying vacancies and improvements to staffing levels. Ensure inductions and training is identified and to the hospice standard as well as carrying out annual and half year reviews as required.
9.Ensure special functions, menus and themed events are organised correctly and to a very high standard.
10.Identify own training needs and show a commitment to person development as well as updating relevant paperwork.
11.Record information as required by Food Hygiene Regulations and the Hospice policies and procedures.
12.Ensure or delegate and oversee that all staff rotas are kept up to date and the department is staffed efficiently to accommodate Hospice needs.
13.Discuss dietary needs with individual patients as required and have knowledge of various requirements i.e. Allergens. Working with a dietician to ensure menus and recipes are to the required standard.
14.Take the lead or delegate and oversee and support with volunteer recruitment and training.
15.Ensure the till system is used to its full capacity as required for finance and stock taking.
16.Ensure the Catering department and work areas are compliant with Health and Safety at Work legislation, proactively identifying improvements where required.
17.Manage the assets in the kitchen ensuring a programme of potential replacement is identified.
18.To carry out any other duties as and when required thought reasonable within the scope of this role.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- - Professional Cookery Level 3 or equivalent in Catering.
- - Level 2 Food Hygiene
Desirable
- -Advance Food Hygiene certificate or working towards.
Experience
Essential
- - Management experience in a catering environment.
- - Experience as a Chef / Cook
- -At least 3 years experience within a catering environment, a least 1 years at a higher level
- - Experience of managing budgets, audits and stock control
Desirable
- - Catering experience in a healthcare setting.
- - Management of multi-site
Additional Criteria
Essential
- -Excellent communication skills.
- -Able to lead and work as part of a team.
- -Ability to set quality standards and train other to work to these standards.
- -Health and Safety knowledge within a kitchen environment
- - IT skills including Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook and Powerpoint)
- - Ability to manage commercial relationships.
- - Self motivated and have initiative.
- - Resourceful and creative.
- - Ability to prioritise tasks, appropriately delegate and manage time effectively.
- - Flexibility towards the changing needs of the patients.
- - Hold a current clean driving licence and access to a vehicle.
- - Have a flexible approach to hours and days of work, including occasional weekend working.
- - Dress in a manner that conforms to accepted formal codes of business dress
Desirable
- - Knowledge of asset management
- - Forward thinking approach and application, change for the service and adaptation of the organisation.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- - Professional Cookery Level 3 or equivalent in Catering.
- - Level 2 Food Hygiene
Desirable
- -Advance Food Hygiene certificate or working towards.
Experience
Essential
- - Management experience in a catering environment.
- - Experience as a Chef / Cook
- -At least 3 years experience within a catering environment, a least 1 years at a higher level
- - Experience of managing budgets, audits and stock control
Desirable
- - Catering experience in a healthcare setting.
- - Management of multi-site
Additional Criteria
Essential
- -Excellent communication skills.
- -Able to lead and work as part of a team.
- -Ability to set quality standards and train other to work to these standards.
- -Health and Safety knowledge within a kitchen environment
- - IT skills including Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook and Powerpoint)
- - Ability to manage commercial relationships.
- - Self motivated and have initiative.
- - Resourceful and creative.
- - Ability to prioritise tasks, appropriately delegate and manage time effectively.
- - Flexibility towards the changing needs of the patients.
- - Hold a current clean driving licence and access to a vehicle.
- - Have a flexible approach to hours and days of work, including occasional weekend working.
- - Dress in a manner that conforms to accepted formal codes of business dress
Desirable
- - Knowledge of asset management
- - Forward thinking approach and application, change for the service and adaptation of the organisation.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
