Support for:
Chefs
Join the
School Food
Revolution
At Chefs in Schools, we believe every child deserves fresh, delicious food and practice food education that empowers them for life. We’re on a mission to transform school food, and we need passionate chefs like you to help make it happen.
If you’re a chef there are multiple ways you can get involved with our work and programmes. If you’re a chef, no matter your background, a career in school food could be for you. We’ve recruited chefs who’ve cooked for the Queen, in Michelin star restaurants, run street food stalls and more – if you’re looking to put your skills and expertise to good use for a meaningful cause, you’re in the right place.
If you’re already a school chef who works in a school as part of a team, but you’re looking to upskill, then our School Chef Educator Course could be for you.
We Need
Talented Chefs
FIND A TRAINING PLACE ON OUR TRAINING PROGRAMME
Click to explore our live projects and apply for a place. Some fully funded places are available.
FIND CHEF ROLES
TO APPLY fOr TODAY
Some of the schools we work with are recruiting now.
“School chefs are changing lives every day at the front line of our school food revolution.”
Nicole Pisani – Co-Founder of Chefs in Schools
WHY WORK
IN SCHOOL FOOD?
Whether you’re looking for a new role in a school kitchen or want to upskill and inspire young eaters through food education, we’ve got something for you.
Working as a school chef is creative, rewarding, and full of impact. You’ll design vibrant menus, lead a team, and inspire hundreds of children every day to eat well and get curious about food.
We’ve welcomed chefs from restaurants like NOPI, River Cottage, and St John—plus award-winning street food vendors and more. They’ve found purpose and balance in schools while transforming the way children eat.
Flexible Hours. Big Impact.
While the hours are a lot kinder – think 7 to 3, Monday to Friday, and your evenings, weekends and summers free for adventure or your own projects, pushing the frontiers of school food is every bit as challenging as working in high-end restaurants.
It’s a role that fits around family life or personal projects, while still offering plenty of creative and professional challenges.
You’ll lead a small team to deliver fresh food daily and run exciting food education projects—from cooking clubs to growing herbs with students. It’s about much more than just lunch service—it’s about creating a food culture.
But you’ll struggle to match the feel-good factor of being hundreds of children’s favourite chef! Seeing kids try your green hulk cake, jerk chicken, school-made fish fingers or freshly made fruit lollies is priceless.
Who are we Looking For?
To thrive in this role you’ll need:
- A passion for great food and child health.
- Leadership skills to run a busy kitchen.
- Creativity, resilience, and curiosity.
- A drive to teach and inspire through food.
Whether you’re a seasoned chef or ready for a new challenge, we’d love to hear from you.
Want to know more? See our FAQs section.
What Chefs Say
Russ Ball
“Half of my job is also going into the classrooms and teaching the children about food, as well as doing after-school clubs and having educational chats with the kids. We talk about whole foods vs ultra processed foods; healthy eating; and preserving in different ways. It makes my job really interesting.”
FAQs
Every school will be different, so every school chef role will be different.
Here are answers to the most common questions chefs have about working in schools, but please check directly with the school you are applying for to get answers on specific roles and responsibilities.
What kind of educational projects do chefs run?
School chefs run a variety of projects. A big part of their role as food educators is to engage students in some kind of food education. Some chefs host cooking lessons with students, others have spaces they can use to grow fresh herbs and produce that children can get involved in tending to.
Do chefs have to run education projects?
We believe that school chefs are uniquely placed to be able to educate students about food, and so schools that work with us incorporate the idea of food education into the role of a head chef.
How much chef experience do I need?
We support schools to recruit chefs from a variety of backgrounds, some with a few years’ experiences, others with decades. If you’re qualified and passionate, there will be a role for you.
How much creative freedom will I have?
As we work with schools who have taken their catering in-house, the level of autonomy and creative freedom chefs and school kitchen teams can have is greatly increased. We have partnerships with brilliant suppliers, and it’s up to chefs to design their menus as they wish, so long as they meet the School Food Standards.