Sous Chef

Job Description

JOB SUMMARY

We are different, so forget about what you believe we do.

We’re searching for a Sous Chef who shares our enthusiasm for great food to join us on our quest to create the best campus dining experience. This is a senior position within our team that will require collaboration with our Aspiring Chef team. This position will help any aspiring cooks improve their essential abilities and future advancement within the team.

We make fresh, nutritious, and delicious dishes from scratch, and our menus change daily to reflect seasons across six kitchens. ‘Remarkable Kitchens at a Remarkable University’ was how Radio 4’s Food Programme described us after visiting us. As a global leader in teaching and research in and around Agriculture, Food, Nutrition, and Sustainability, as well as having our own farms that supply our kitchens, the University’s passion of food runs deep. We have an ambitious vision to be the greatest!

We are committed to Menus of Change’s 24 Principles, which guide our thinking on nutrition and sustainability. We are the inaugural European member of the Menus of Change Universities Research Collaborative (MCURC). MCURC is a consortium of 70 universities dedicated to combining academic and operational research to promote human and environmental health.

For further information, visit www.reading.ac.uk/menusofchange.

Because we are a small staff, all of our Chefs frequently travel between locations, trading in various styles. We urge everyone to contribute to the next menus and look forward to hosting development days where your ingenuity is only limited by your imagination! Regardless of their function, all of our colleagues, including a huge number of students who work for us, contribute equally to our operations. We don’t allow shouting in any of our kitchens, and everyone is addressed by their preferred first name.

Learn more about working in hospitality at a university: https://youtu.be/r97ujErXPS8?feature=shared.

Team Structure

The University has three Chef teams, each reporting to a Head Chef, who cover our hotel, cafes, bars, event catering, and large dining halls. Staff rotate between different teams on a regular basis to ensure their professional development.

You’ll have:

• City and Guilds Hospitality and Catering – Level 2 (7132), or comparable experience in a variety of hospitality environments.
• Level 3 Food Hygiene Certificate
• Keen interest in cuisine, ability to create recipes, and knowledge of components.
• Experience directing a team
• Excellent customer service focus.
• Ability to stay joyful and composed under pressure.

Closing date: August 26, 2024

Interviews will be place at Eat @ Square from August 28, 2024 forward.

Contact Name: Karlene Gaskell

Contact Job Title: Executive Chef

Contact Email Address: k.e.gaskell@reading.ac.uk

Alternative Contact Name: Alex Maria

Alternative Contact Job Title: Head Chef

Alternative email address: a.c.maria@reading.ac.uk.

We accept applications from both internal and external candidates. As part of the University’s continued commitment to professional growth, this position may be considered on a seconded basis for current employees. Internal candidates should discuss this with their line manager before applying.

We will not consider applications for this post from anyone who do not have the right to work in the UK.

All applications must be submitted via the University’s website.

Aoplicants from job seekers requiring sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be reviewed alongside all other applicants. Non-UK candidates who do not currently have permission to work in the UK should be aware that, according to the appropriate SOC code for this post, sponsorship will not be available through the Skilled Worker Route. The UK Visas and Immigration Website provides more information about this.

The University is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workforce, endorses the Athena SWAN Charter for Gender Equality and the Race Equality Charter, and promotes LGBT+ equality. Applications for job-sharing, part-time, and flexible working arrangements are encouraged and will be considered based on business needs.