Sous Chef / Chef Manager
Location: Birmingham (City Centre)
Monday - Friday
An experienced Sous Chef / Chef Manager is sought to lead and manage a busy contract catering operation within a corporate environment. This position combines strong culinary expertise with operational leadership, ensuring the consistent delivery of high-quality food, excellent hospitality, and solid commercial performance in line with company service standards.
Leads the preparation and delivery of fresh, seasonal, and innovative menus
Ensures consistently high standards of food quality, presentation, and customer experience
Oversees daily service across restaurant dining, hospitality functions, and meeting & events catering
Manages all on-site catering operations, ensuring smooth day-to-day performance
Maintains service delivery in line with contractual expectations and KPIs
Drives continuous improvement, innovation, and development of the food offer
Acts as the primary on-site contact for all catering matters
Builds strong relationships with stakeholders and customers
Responds to feedback professionally and implements service improvements
Manages budgets, food cost control, and gross profit targets
Oversees ordering, stock management, and supplier relationships
Ensures effective labour planning and rota management
Ensures full compliance with food safety, hygiene, allergen, and HACCP standards
Maintains audit readiness, due diligence documentation, and high cleanliness standards
Promotes a strong health and safety culture within the team
Recruits, trains, and motivates a high-performing catering team
Leads by example with a hands-on and supportive management style
Conducts performance reviews and supports ongoing development
Supports sustainability initiatives, including waste reduction and responsible sourcing
Delivers services in line with corporate values and operational standards
Encourages innovation and customer engagement activities
Strong background in fresh food preparation and corporate hospitality
Experience operating within structured catering environments
Excellent organisational, communication, and leadership skills
Strong commercial awareness, including budget and food cost management
Ability to maintain high standards in a client-facing setting
NVQ Level 2 or 3 in Professional Cookery (or equivalent)
Food Safety Level 3
Allergen Awareness Training
IOSH or Health & Safety qualification (desirable)
Mint People: Flexible Hospitality Staffing That Just Works.
At Mint People, we provide fully trained, highly presentable, and dependable staff to the hospitality, leisure, and events industries. Whether it’s one bartender for a last-minute shift or 150 staff for a stadium event, we’re trusted by some of the UK’s best hotels, venues, and operators to deliver quality people – fast.
With over 10 years’ experience, we’ve become known as one of the most reliable and forward-thinking staffing partners in the North – and beyond. From front-of-house professionals to kitchen porters, housekeepers to event managers, our people are trained in-house through our 5-star onboarding and briefing programme to ensure they’re ready to hit the ground running.
Our clients come back year after year because we understand how unpredictable hospitality can be – and we’re built to flex with it. We’re proud to work with national hotel groups, global event brands, leading caterers and independent operators, offering:
• Fast, flexible staffing solutions – no long contracts or tie-ins
• Fully trained, presentable and prepared people
• Front and back of house cover – including chefs, kitchen teams, bar staff, waiters, housekeepers and more
• Festival and stadium-scale team deployment
• National reach with local knowledge
• On-site support and account management
Our quality promise? We only send people we’d trust to represent our own brand – because they are our brand.
If you need staffing support that’s consistent, stress-free and built around you – you’re in the right place.
Mint People – We've got you covered.
