We are looking for an experienced Chef to join our friendly and committed in-house Catering Team.
The Chef plays an important role in the delivery of a full range of catering services for the Heriot’s Community including pupils, staff, governors and visitors. The Chef will create exciting menus and provide freshly cooked healthy food ensuring all dietary requirements are met. They will work alongside all members of the catering team to provide for a busy daily & hospitality service at George Heriot’s.
Package DescriptionWhen you join the team at Heriot’s, you become part of our community, where the contribution of every individual is important and valued. The Heriot’s motto, to “distribute chearfullie”, is at the heart of our school, so distributing of kindness, of support and of generosity remains as live today as it was in 1628 when George Heriot founded our school.
Our staff survey in 2019 revealed that 97% of employees at Heriot’s feel motivated and happy to work here and we aim to provide a friendly, welcoming and supportive environment for all of our people. This aim is reflected in the package we offer, which, for Support Staff, in addition to basic salary, includes:
• Generous pension scheme
• Family friendly policies
• Annual review and opportunities for training and continued professional development
• Travel to work schemes
• School Fee Remission (non-contractual benefit)
• Opportunities for involvement in the wider school community
We aim to attract and retain a diverse group of talented people, which is committed to upholding the ethos of our school and, as an Equal Opportunities employer, we welcome applications from all sections of the community.
Main ResponsibilitiesPlease see attached job description for full details.
The Ideal CandidateYou will hold the following skills and attributes;
Previous experience of working as a Chef in a formal working environment
Food Hygiene Certificate Level 2
Excellent communication skills
Ability to work both individually and as part of a team in a busy kitchen environment
Willingness to undertake training and development in line with department/school requirements and in line with Food Safety legislation
The ability to remain calm under pressure
The ability to work flexibly to meet the changing needs of the service
The ability to follow instructions
Additional Information
Heriot’s is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share in this commitment.
This post is considered Regulated Work with Vulnerable Children and/or Protected Adults, under the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007 and the successful candidates will be required to obtain membership of the PVG scheme.
Please note that parking is not available on our campus
George Heriot’s Trust is an Equal Opportunities employer and we welcome applications from all sections of the community.
George Heriot’s School is governed by George Heriot’s Trust, Scottish Charity number SC011463
About the school/organisationGeorge Heriot’s School
George Heriot’s School is Edinburgh’s leading independent school. Academically proven and recognised as sector-leading by Education Scotland in June 2024, the school’s best practice expertise in wellbeing, equality and inclusion, and in raising attainment and achievement, is acknowledged. The school has 1,670 pupils aged from 4-18, with a distinct family feel shaped by its 400-year motto: I distribute chearfullie. Working hard, being kind, and being yourself are the values which bind staff and pupils into a cohesive whole. Put simply, Heriot’s cares about its staff and pupils.
As Edinburgh’s oldest school, Heriot’s was founded through the generosity of George Heriot, jeweller and goldsmith to the court of King James VI/I and his wife Queen Anne. Goldsmiths at that time were the principal money lenders and Heriot was able to amass a small fortune which he left to found a school for the ‘poor bairns of Edinburgh’. Since it opened, the Foundation at Heriot’s has developed an unrivalled understanding of providing bereavement support and over the years has educated in excess of 5,700 Foundation pupils, each of whom received a fully funded education in keeping with the Founder’s wishes.
Separately, the school has continued to apply the transformative powers of education, opening 21 Out Schools in the 1800s which educated over 100,000 boys and girls in Edinburgh before the advent of the Children’s Act, and more recently supporting Serbian, Syrian and Ukrainian refugees to build a better life in Scotland. Each year the school spends approximately £1.3 million to support the education of bursary and Foundation pupils.
Today the school is an award-winning beacon: the only school in Scotland to receive the Gold Award from SAPERE for its teaching of philosophy in Junior School; awarded a third consecutive gold award for being a UNICEF Rights Respecting School and being voted the Sunday Times School of the Decade by readers in their Parent Power survey.
