Chef

Post: Chef

Salary: £27,000 per year (full-time equivalent, based on 37.5 hours per week)
This role is 30 hours per week, with an actual basic salary of around £21,600 per year plus enhanced rates of pay for weekends:

Location: Ashgate Hospice, Chesterfield

Hours:   30 hours per week, Monday to Sunday. Weekend cover required is on a 2 out of 3 weekend rota basis.

Closing date: 18th June 2025

Interview date: TBC

Join Our Compassionate & Skilled Catering Team!

Are you a passionate and experienced chef looking for a rewarding role where your skills make a real difference? We are looking for a talented and dedicated individual to join our hospice catering team, delivering high-quality, nutritious meals to patients, visitors, and staff.

Why Join Us?

At our hospice, food is more than just a meal—it’s a source of comfort, care and connection. Every dish we prepare is made with thoughtfulness, attention to detail, and a deep understanding of our patients’ needs. This is not a "heat-and-serve" role — we prepare fresh, seasonal, and thoughtfully presented meals from scratch, each one carefully designed to support wellbeing and provide comfort, even in the most difficult of times.

You'll be part of a warm, supportive, and close-knit team that takes great pride in its work. The kitchen is a genuinely positive place to be, where your ideas and input are valued, and where the impact of your work can be seen and felt every single day.

This is a busy, detail-focused kitchen environment – but it’s a different kind of pressure. Instead of high volumes or quick turnarounds, you’ll focus on creating nutritious, high-quality meals with care and precision, especially for patients with specific dietary needs that can change daily – or even hourly.

If you're ready to move away from the fast-paced world of traditional catering and want to use your skills in a more rewarding and meaningful setting, this could be the role for you.

What You’ll Be Doing:

• Leading the kitchen during shifts, ensuring high standards of food quality and safety.
• Preparing and serving fresh, nutritious, and often bespoke meals for patients, visitors, and staff.
• Supervising and supporting Catering Assistants and volunteers, helping to organise tasks and oversee service.
• Maintaining a safe, clean, and well-organised kitchen, upholding food hygiene and HACCP standards.
• Continuously improving our catering service, working with the team to develop menus and uphold best practices.
• Mentoring and training team members, sharing knowledge and supporting professional development.

For full details of what the role includes please read the attached Job Description or call Mark Taylor on 01246 568801.

What the role offers:

• No late evenings – typical working shifts: 8am–2pm and 12:30pm–6:30pm
• Varied weekly patterns, including one in three weekends off and Bank Holidays worked on a rota basis
• A positive, values-driven team that takes real pride in preparing fresh meals that matter

What you’ll bring:

We are looking for a dedicated and experienced catering professional who is a true team player. You will hold an NVQ Level 2 in Food Preparation (or equivalent) and a Level 2 Food Hygiene Certificate, and bring with you at least three years’ experience working in a busy catering environment, ideally within a healthcare or similar care-focused setting.

You must be confident in preparing meals from scratch, with a strong understanding of nutritional needs and dietary requirements, ensuring every dish supports the health and wellbeing of our patients.

Compassion and respect are central to this role, so we’re looking for someone with a caring and sensitive approach to patients and their families, and a friendly, professional manner when working with staff, volunteers, and visitors.

You’ll also need to demonstrate the ability to support and guide volunteers, contribute positively to team meetings and training, and show flexibility in supporting different areas of the catering service as needed.

About Ashgate:

Ashgate Hospice, based in North Derbyshire, offers free palliative and end of life care for adults with life-limiting or incurable illnesses, including cancer, neurological diseases, and advanced heart, kidney, and lung conditions. Last year, we cared for over 2,400 people. Our aim is to support our patients by keeping them informed, managing their symptoms, and improving their quality of life from diagnosis onwards.

We also provide vital support to the people who are important to them, offering practical assistance and emotional support, including bereavement services.

We’re more than a care provider. We’re a campaigner for sustainable end of life care funding in the UK, and we continually invest in our services and workforce.

Our values are at the heart of everything we do:

• We are compassionate.
• We are a team.
• We are respectful, open, and inclusive.

We value diversity and inclusion and encourage applicants from all backgrounds.

We strive to create a workplace that’s happy, safe, and supportive – and our team seems to agree! In fact, 86% of staff would recommend Ashgate Hospice as an employer.

We know how important wellbeing and work-life balance are, which is why we’re open to flexible work arrangements, including job-sharing.

As part of our team, you’ll have access to training opportunities to help you grow, both personally and professionally. Whether you want to develop in your current role or explore new career paths, we’ll support you every step of the way. Want to know more about what it’s like to work with us? Visit our website, check out our social media channels, or listen to our podcast, The Life and Death Podcast. It’s a great way to get a sense of the Ashgate team and the difference we make.

Benefits of joining us

At Ashgate, we take care of the people who take care of others. Here are some of the benefits we offer:

• Generous holiday entitlement, with the option to increase it through our Annual Buy and Sell Leave Scheme.
• A flexible working approach to help meet your needs and ours, including options like job-sharing.
• A Cycle to Work scheme and a Tech Benefit scheme to help spread the cost of your next bike or gadget.
• The Westfield Health Cash Plan, giving you money back on treatments like physiotherapy, dental care, and eye tests.
• Free access to Westfield Rewards, with discounts at hundreds of high-street retailers.
• A confidential Employee Assistance Programme, offering free, round-the-clock support when you need it.
• A pension scheme with up to 7% employer contribution, helping you save for the future.
• A life assurance scheme, giving peace of mind for you and those important to you, up to age 65.
• A commitment to your personal and professional development, with training opportunities to help you grow.
• Free, on-site parking whenever you're working at the hospice.
• Discounted, onsite café at our Old Brampton site, available to all staff
• A wide range of initiatives to support your wellbeing, and the time out to practice self-care

Ready to make a difference?

To learn more about the role, please contact Mark Taylor, Head Chef, at 01246 568 801 or email mark.taylor@ashgatehospice.org.uk . You can arrange to visit the hospice to see what it would be like to work with us.

Please note: Applications must be submitted via the ‘Apply Now’ button on our website. Applications sent directly to HR or the recruiting manager will not be accepted.

Additional information:

• If you're successful, you'll need to complete a DBS check as part of our pre-employment process. You can find more details in the candidate assistant notes.
• As a healthcare provider, we prioritise the safety of our patients, staff, and visitors. That's why we encourage and recommend all staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and receive the flu jab—unless there's a compelling reason not too
• If you need any help with the recruitment process, our HR team is here to assist. You can reach them at hr@ashgatehospice.org.uk  or call 01246 568 801.

• Additional support for candidates
• We’re committed to ensuring our recruitment process is inclusive, fair, and accessible to everyone.
• Reasonable adjustments: We are pleased to offer reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process for individuals with disabilities, neurodiverse conditions, or long-term health needs.
• Shortlisting commitment: In line with our commitment to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion, we guarantee to shortlist any disabled candidate who meets the essential criteria for the role.
• Interview preparation: All shortlisted candidates will receive their interview questions in advance to help you feel fully prepared.

Accessibility resources:

• If you need assistance completing your online application, you can contact the Disability Employment Service/Youth Employment Service by emailing ASCH.Disability.EmploymentProject@derbyshire.gov.uk .
• We encourage you to complete and share your Health Adjustment Passport. This helps us understand any adjustments or support you might need. Even if you choose not to share it, the passport can be a valuable tool for your own benefit.. This helps us understand any adjustments or support you might need. Even if you choose not to share it, the passport can be a valuable tool for your own benefit.
• You can also access support through the Access to Work scheme. a government initiative designed to help you start or remain in work if you have a health condition or disability. This includes support for the recruitment process. Learn more on the Access to Work webpage

For further guidance or information, these resources may also be helpful:

• Looking for work if you are disabled
• Reed in Partnership, Chesterfield Office: Call 0124 695 6275
• Disability Employment Service, Derbyshire County Council
• If you have any questions about adjustments or the recruitment process, please contact our HR team at hr@ashgatehospice.org.uk  or call 01246 568 801.