Culinary Administration Team Leader

Position Purpose

As the Culinary Administration Team Lead, you are responsible for ensuring the smooth, efficient and compliant running of all kitchen administration activities, while coordinating and leading the Culinary Admin team. You will support the Head of Food, Executive Chef and the wider culinary operation by maintaining accurate recipe, costing, allergen and production data; managing supplier information; overseeing HR and rota administration for the kitchen team; and acting as a key liaison between chefs, suppliers, operations, food safety and technical teams.

You will coordinate workflows and project priorities, ensuring the team delivers all administrative and recipe-related outputs on time, in full, and to the highest standard. You will champion food safety, operational excellence, system accuracy, effective communication, and continuous improvement across the kitchens, acting as the primary point of contact for all suppliers, recipe, data, HR and administrative queries.

Principal Responsibilities

1. Team Leadership & Coordination

· Coordinate all Culinary Administration projects in line with deadlines and business priorities, including compliance, new product development and BAU requests.

· Allocate tasks to Culinary Admin teams and manage the admin workflow and backlog.

· Liaise daily with the Senior chefs to support smooth kitchen operations.

· Lead regular team meetings and communication sessions to ensure alignment and optimise performance.

· Provide hands-on support to the admin team, ensuring accuracy, timeliness and best practice.

· Build strong working relationships with chefs, Food Safety/Technical teams, Buying, suppliers, clients and internal departments.

· People management of Culinary Admin team, supporting training, development, motivation and performance.

· Act as first point of contact for kitchen team & site managers queries related to operations, suppliers, HR and administrative processes.

2. Administration & Operational Support

Recipe, Menu & Product Management

· Input, update and maintain recipe order management and procurement systems (Kafoodle, Spoonfed & Foodbuy), ensuring accurate ingredients, suppliers, quantities, methods, photos, allergen and nutritional data.

· Establish and maintain accurate specification sheets for new and existing recipes; refine and update specs as changes occur.

· Ensure end-to-end product lifecycle management is adhered to across all recipe systems.

· Provide recipe and article costing to culinary teams as required.

· Support NPD by testing new recipes in systems prior to rollout.

· Produce and proofread internal and client-facing menus, allergen sheets, production reports and POS material.

Daily Operational Flow

· Manage and check daily site orders in Spoonfed; liaise between site leads and senior kitchen team to ensure all requirements are accurate.

· Coordinating & communicating operational updates, menu changes, feedback, and issue resolutions

· Coordinating with chefs & sites and monitoring menu submissions, deadlines, allergen checks, and sign-offs

· Oversee all Hospitality orders to ensure accuracy and efficient service, and support the team in resolving customer queries and complaints when needed.

· Resolve operational, logistical, or system-related problems

· Coordinate maintenance tasks for the CPU and ensure any issues are resolved in a timely manner to prevent operational disruption.

· Add orders to Foodbuy, print production reports, labels, order sheets and all documents required for kitchen workflow.

· Prepare internal and external menus for circulation and client communication.

· Assist in waste recording and reduction initiatives.

· Ensure accurate monthly stocktakes, checking stock levels, pricing and reporting.

Supplier Management

· Collect, update and file supplier product and price lists, ensuring all product and price files are kept up to date on Kafoodle.

· Compare prices, negotiate value and follow purchasing policy.

· Source new suppliers and products, liaising with Foodbuy to open accounts, agree prices and communicate updates to the kitchen team.

3. HR, Rota & People Support

· Administer rota and HR systems (e.g., Ourtime): publish rotas, approve attendance, track hours, add holidays and HR documents.

· Ensure correct hours are logged, approved and paid.

· Manage temporary staff bookings and agency timesheets.

· Assist recruitment including posting job ads, shortlisting, scheduling interviews/trials and preparing offer letters and HR documentation.

· Conduct new starter inductions to set employees up for success.

· Support the Executive and Head Chefs in training, developing, rewarding and motivating kitchen staff.

· Minute team meetings and ensure clear communication across the entire kitchen team.

4. Compliance, Food Safety & Documentation

· Ensure robust implementation and documentation of all food safety systems and kitchen records.

· Maintain accurate records of recipe versions, approvals and adjustments.

· Ensure all staff training in food safety and health & safety is up to date and correctly filed.

· Notify Food Technical of any recipe or ingredient changes.

· Collaborate closely with Technical teams on food safety concerns or queries.

· Ensure allergen information and documentation is accurate and available for all events and sites.

· Maintain hygiene standards and ensure full adherence to regulations.

5. Divisional & Cross-Functional Administration

· Produce status reports for the Grazing leadership team.

· Act as the primary contact for all recipe-related queries across Restaurants & Kitchens.

· Support the Grazing Store Person & the Executive Chef with data integrity, stocktake activity and administrative oversight.

· Cover Line Manager and Admin Assistant duties when needed.

· Support continuous improvement of systems, processes and team capability.

What We're Looking ForExperience & Skills

• Proven experience in culinary administration, kitchen coordination or operational support.
• Strong organisational, communication and negotiation skills.
• Excellent accuracy and attention to detail—especially with data.
• Confident working across multiple systems (experience with Kafoodle a bonus).
• Customer-focused with a continuous improvement mindset.
• Calm, proactive and reliable under pressure.

Behaviours

• Builds rapport quickly and communicates clearly.
• Thrives in a dynamic, deadline-driven environment.
• High personal standards and a commitment to excellence.

Location: Bermondsey

Salary: £35000 to 38000 per year – depending on experience

Benefits Include:

• 28 days paid holiday – which increases with length of service
• Free lunch every day
• Company pension scheme
• Benefits & wellbeing package from Rewards Gateway

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: £35,000.00-£38,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Company pension
• Employee discount
• Health & wellbeing programme
• Referral programme

Work Location: In person