Deputy Catering Manager

Job summary

Are you ready to take your catering career to the next level? If you are passionate about food, people, and creating a standout service experiences, we have the role for you!

We're looking for a Deputy Catering Manager to join our vibrant and evolving Catering Team. You will play a key role in shaping and transforming our catering services, brining fresh ideas and energy to our staff restaurants and patient meal service.

From managing a diverse team of catering colleagues to ensuring mealtime excellence across the board. This is a fantastic opportunity to lead a team that makes a real difference to the patient & staff experience every day. You will support the Catering Manager on all aspects of catering and delivering meals that meet dietry and nutritional needs, all within a caring and professional hospital environment.

Main duties of the job

Delivery of catering services, ensuring consistant standards of hygiene, safety and customer satisfaction.

Managing a team of catering staff, overseeing training, rotas, performance and day to day management.

Ensuring compliance with food hygiene and health & safety legislation, including HACCP and Natashas Law.

Working closley with the dietetics and clinical teams to ensure meals meet the individual dietary requirment of patients.

Overseeing kitchen operations, food production and meal distrubution with a focus on continuous improvement.

Managing stock control, ordering, and supplier relationships to maintain cost-effectiveness and service quality.

Supporting the delivery of audits, inspections, and quality assurance frameworks including PLACE, CQC and EA.

Maintain accurate records and documentaion for compliance and governance-ERIC

Promoting a culture of professionalism, respect, and care throughout the team.

About us

Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust ranks among the top 10 NHS Trusts nationwide and was named the second-best Trust to work for in the South East in the 2023 and 2024 NHS Staff Survey.

We are a large acute hospital trust in south-east England, providing general hospital services and specialist care to around 600,000 residents in West Kent and East Sussex. With a dedicated and diverse team of over 8,000 staff we are proud to offer specialised cancer services to over two million people through the Kent Oncology Centre.

Fordcombe Hospital, near Tunbridge Wells, became part of the Trust in October 2024. Specialising in planned care, it offers two operating theatres, 28 inpatient and day-care beds, diagnostic services (X-ray, MRI, CT, and endoscopy), and consultation/treatment rooms.

Looking for flexible working?

We are a flexible working-friendly organisation. Whether it's adjusting your hours or exploring other flexible arrangements, we want to work with you to find the best solution for you, our patients, and the Trust. Talk to us about how we can accommodate your working needs.

Joining us includes a comprehensive benefits package:

o At least 27 days of annual leave plus public/bank holidays (pro-rata for part-time staff).o Membership in the NHS Pension Scheme, with a 20.6% employer contribution and life assurance benefitso Blue Light card eligibilityo And more, additional benefits can be found in the benefits documents below