Director of Catering

Title: Director of Catering
Location: Bede’s Senior School & Prep, Upper Dicker, Hailsham - East Sussex.
Salary: Up to £60,000 per annum + benefits

Benefits:

• 28 days holiday (including bank holidays)
• 3 volunteering days
• 3 days grandparent leave
• 24 weeks’ enhanced maternity leave
• Bespoke training and development opportunities
• Pension and life insurance
• Discounts via our Perkbox app (high street shops, holidays, cinema)
• Wellbeing hub
• Access to employee assistance programme
• Free meals while at work
• Career development opportunities
• HIT Apprenticeships for all experience levels.

We are delighted to be recruiting a Director of Catering to lead the food and hospitality services across Bede’s Senior and Prep School - a prominent group of co-educational independent schools located in East Sussex, encompassing the Nursery, Prep School, Senior School, and Sixth Form.

This is a five-over-seven operation but offers a sustainable work-life balance – ideal for someone who understands the rhythm of school life and is committed to service excellence throughout the week. We're seeking a hands-on, strategic leader who wants to be close to the day-to-day operation while shaping the bigger picture.

With a strong focus on fresh, seasonal, and modern food concepts, you’ll be responsible for:

• Leading a talented catering team

• Setting a high standard for quality and innovation

• Delivering exceptional, nutritious food that excites students, staff, and guests alike

If you're ready to take on a key leadership role in a vibrant and high-profile school setting – and help shape the future of education catering – we’d love to hear from you.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and implement strategic plans for catering operations aligned with organisational goals.
• Lead and inspire multi-site teams, ensuring high standards of food quality, service, and hygiene.
• Oversee budgeting, forecasting, and financial performance across all catering operations.
• Drive innovation in menu planning, sourcing, and sustainability initiatives.
• Ensure compliance with all relevant food safety, health and safety, and safeguarding policies.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, suppliers, and stakeholders.
• Champion staff development, training, and wellbeing.
   

• Proven leadership experience in a senior catering or hospitality role, ideally an independent or B&I environment.
• Strong financial management and budget control skills.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management abilities.
• Ability to drive operational excellence and continuous improvement.
• Knowledge of current trends in food, nutrition, and sustainability.
• Passion for delivering exceptional customer experiences.

Holroyd Howe is 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.

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.

We pride ourselves on:

Sustainability

Sustainability is at the heart of our thinking; always mindful of the ethics of our sourcing and how we prepare our meals.

Nutrition

We take nutrition seriously and understand the impact a healthy diet has on the fundamental years of development. Meals are always freshly prepared from scratch and packed with nutritious ingredients.

Food Innovation

We offer a wide portfolio of training opportunities and experiences, which attracts chefs who are passionate about culinary excellence and menu innovation to our team.

From tasting tables, theme days and food theatre, to chef demonstrations and supplier showcases, we create engaging and fun dining experiences for our students. We work together to make mealtimes exploratory, quirky, and fun for our pupils, helping them build strong and healthy relationships with food.

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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