Find your place in the field of good food

Our goal is to connect good people with good food. We advertise sustainable food jobs and training opportunities to help jobseekers and employers find each other.

Roots to Work is a project of Sustain: the alliance for better food and farming.

Job description

It is an exciting time to join FareShare North East as we expand our activity with a new Hub. The new site has a new commercial kitchen and training kitchen facilities, designed to support the local area to further utilise surplus food.

FareShare North East is looking to recruit a Head Chef/ Community Chef, a new role supporting FSNE to maximise the kitchens’ impact and value in the Tees Valley area. We are looking for someone who is innovative, creative and passionate about making more food available to more people and reducing food waste.

The successful candidate will oversee the commercial kitchen function, which will include preparing meals from surplus food for our volunteers and visitors, being an active part of projects and initiatives that include prepared food and oversee catering for larger events (as required).

The role’s main responsibility will be to oversee the daily operations of the kitchen, ensuring the production of high-quality meals, maintaining food safety standards, and managing a small team of culinary volunteers. This will involve creativity in menu planning, cost management, and delivering excellent inclusive culinary experiences.

The role will also oversee the training kitchen function, which will include delivering workshops and masterclasses to volunteers and community groups, providing them with the skills needed to prepare meals themselves using surplus food.

The postholder will work closely with the Director of Social Enterprise, the Operations Team as well as the broader Senior Leadership Team.

You will be someone who enjoys playing a major part of a skilled, supportive team within a values-led organisation. This is the sort of role where you can get involved in all aspects of what we do and where no two days are the same. You’ll be contributing to a culture of togetherness, inclusivity, respect and passion in a vision that no good food goes to waste in the North East of England, maximising the social value of surplus food through the groups the organisation supports.

Job Description

Food Preparation & Cooking: 

• Prepare, cook, and present dishes of the highest quality in a timely manner.
• Ensure all food is made according to the recipe and portion control standards. 
• Adapt menus based on seasonality and availability of surplus food.
• To supervise volunteers supporting the preparation of dishes and production of food.  

Menu Planning & Development: 

• Develop and create new recipes in collaboration with volunteers and local organisations and for corporate events.
• Innovate dishes that align with the organisations concept and demand. 
• Monitor food trends and implement them in the menu, while maintaining FareShare NE’s brand and ethos.

Kitchen Management: 

• Oversee kitchen team, including training, scheduling, and managing daily tasks. 
• Ensure proper stock control, including the procurement of ingredients, maintaining inventory, and minimising food waste.
• Manage food costs, portion control, and kitchen efficiency to meet budgetary requirements. 
• Communicate effectively with team members and foster a positive work environment and a smooth and efficient service. 

Health & Safety Compliance:

• Compliance with the Health and Safety at Work Act, with specific responsibility for the health safety and welfare of all personnel within their control including themselves and for ensuring the overall safe and compliant planning, implementation and monitoring of all activities. 
• Report all accidents and/or incidents and near misses in accordance with the organisation’s procedures.
• Responsibility for the implementation of HACCP procedures and liaison with the relevant Environmental Health Officer.
• Follow all sanitation and food safety guidelines, ensuring all kitchen practices meet regulatory requirements. 

Training: 

• To develop and coordinate the delivery of cookery courses to individuals of all ages and abilities within the new Hub kitchen. 
• To supervise members of staff supporting the delivery cookery classes.  
• To undertake further training as required.

Impact & Evaluation

• Collate information and data on outputs and outcomes from activity delivered from the kitchen and contribute to appropriate project meetings and reports.
• Share learning within FareShare NE and the wider FareShare network.

Project development & social enterprise:

• Support the Director of Social Enterprise in the development of new projects to support FSNE’s mission and vision.
• Contribute knowledge and experience to FSNE projects (where appropriate) and be creative and innovative with surplus ingredients to produce meals to achieve outputs.

Person Specification

Essential Criteria

• Minimum of 3-5 years in a Chef/Kitchen Manager or similar role. 
• Expertise in various cooking techniques and styles. 
• Ability to engage with a wide range of people across the local community.
• Strong leadership, time management, and organisational skills. 
• Ability to work under pressure and handle multiple tasks. 
• Knowledge of kitchen safety, food hygiene, and sanitation regulations.
• Intermediate food hygiene level 3.
• First Aid Certificate.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience of working in a charitable organisation.
• Experience of working with volunteers in a charitable setting.
• Experience within the education/ training sector.
• Experience of running Chef Development Programmes.
• Experience of working with surplus food.
• Culinary degree.

Competencies and behaviours

• Creativity and passion for food.
• Attention to detail.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills. 
• Team-oriented and a strong leader.
• A commitment to Equal Opportunities.
• An understanding of, and sympathy with FareShare NE’s mission.
• Flexibility of approach and ability to work in a team and across other internal teams.

Application information

To apply, please refer to the Job Description and email a detailed CV along with a cover letter to joe.dunne@fareshare-northeast.org.uk . Your cover letter should highlight what makes you a suitable candidate, how you meet the skills and experience set out in the job description and any other supporting information relevant to the role.

The deadline for applications is 21th April 2026 at 10am.

To arrange a chat about the role, please email Joe with your availability.

Please mention Roots to Work when applying for these jobs