Chefs Enquiry Form
In 2021 the Craft Guild of Chefs recognised school food as a creative and fulfilling career choice for chefs who like a challenge. Your day as head of a school kitchen team will involve menu planning, working with suppliers like Belazu and Natoora, cooking for and interacting with hundreds of hungry kids who will give honest reviews and who are eager to learn. Chefs from the likes of NOPI, River Cottage, and St John have now turned to a career working in school food. Being a Chefs in Schools chef is an enriching and affirming career option with a healthy work-life balance.
If you are a chef and would like to find out more about working in a school, please tell us about yourself by answering the questions below or email us your CV to chefs@chefsinschools.org.uk
Thank you. We will get back to you as soon as we can.
Don’t take our word for it, here’s what School Head Chefs have to say:
“Chefs love what they do and I was always very passionate about food but I came to a point where I thought I wanted to do something different. I loved food and wanted to pay it forward. I answered a tweet by Henry Dimbleby to be a chef in his children’s state school in Hackney – called Gayhurst – and the rest is history.
I now feel very valued in what I do.”
Nicole, Former Head Chef at NOPI, now Co-founder and Exec Chef, Chefs in Schools
“The best thing about working in school food is seeing children engage and flourish. They start to see food as something to be excited about – not just to sustain them.
When the kitchen shutters go up, there’s a buzz and you hear them talking about the food. When the shutters go down, they’ll give us a thumbs up as they are quiet and busy eating – you know then they’re enjoying it and it’s down to good teamwork.”
Charlie at Stormont Hose
“I was cooking beautiful food, leading a team of 20 chefs – it was a big team and quite different. Children are the toughest critics though. They will tell you if it’s not good, but most of the time it’s thumbs up. It is important to get a balance between taste and nutrition. They must enjoy eating good food. The right balance is key.”
Hans at Stanwell Fields