Head of Culinary & Hospitality

At Athena, we believe that food is far more than nourishment. It is comfort. It is dignity. It is community. It is one of the most important moments in a resident’s day.

We are now seeking an exceptional Head of Culinary & Hospitality to lead and inspire our food and hospitality services across all Athena homes. This is a pivotal leadership role for someone who believes that every meal should be delicious, thoughtfully prepared and served with warmth and that hospitality should feel personal, generous and genuinely caring.

Working closely with our Chefs, Kitchen Teams and Customer Care colleagues, you will help shape dining experiences that residents look forward to, families trust and teams feel proud to deliver.

About Athena Care Homes:
Athena Care Homes is an award winning, family-owned business operating seven residential nursing homes in East Anglia where care and compassion runs through to our very core. 

At Athena we celebrate everyone as an individual. Whether that’s delivering authentic care, supporting our team to make moments for our residents and their loved ones, or whether that’s learning and growing together.

About the role:
The Head of Culinary & Hospitality provides strategic leadership for food and hospitality services across all Athena homes. Reporting to the CEO, this role ensures that every resident experiences meals and dining environments that are nourishing, dignified and genuinely enjoyable.

Working closely with chefs, kitchen teams and customer care colleagues, the postholder drives exceptional culinary standards, strong regulatory compliance and meaningful hospitality experiences. The role combines professional excellence in food safety, nutrition and governance with a deep commitment to warmth, kindness and person-centred care, ensuring that food and hospitality enhance everyday life for residents, families and visitors.

Salary:
Competitive salary plus car allowance.

Shift Pattern:
37.5 hours per week, across Monday to Friday.

Location:
Regional – travelling to all 7 care home locations around East Anglia (Peterborough, Kings Lynn, Cambridge, Ipswich)

Key Duties & Responsibilities:

• Lead and elevate culinary standards across all homes, ensuring creative, nutritious, resident-led menus and consistent 5-star food safety compliance.
• Inspire, develop and support Head Chefs and kitchen teams, building confident, skilled and values-led hospitality professionals.
• Oversee specialist dietary best practice, including dementia-friendly dining and IDDSI-compliant meals.
• Strengthen supplier partnerships to ensure high-quality, sustainable and cost-effective ingredients.
• Champion warm, meaningful hospitality experiences that enhance residents’ daily lives and special moments.
• Collaborate across Customer Care and community teams to embed food and dining at the heart of wellbeing and social connection.
• Lead governance, policy development and continuous quality improvement across all catering and hospitality services.

Training, Skills & Experience Required:

• A recognised qualification in catering, culinary arts, hospitality management or equivalent experience.
• Food Safety Level 3 (or willingness to achieve).
• Significant senior leadership experience within culinary or hospitality services ideally in health, social care or another regulated environment.
• A proven track record of achieving 5-star EHO ratings and maintaining exceptional food safety standards.
• Strong knowledge of HACCP, allergens, IDDSI frameworks, texture-modified diets and dementia-friendly dining.
• Experience of leading improvement across multiple sites or teams.
• The ability to coach, influence and inspire teams to achieve outstanding hospitality services.

What we can offer:

• Fully comprehensive induction.
• Competitive salary.
• 25 days of holiday per year plus bank holidays.
• Free Blue Light Card & access to the Blue Light discount platform.
• Refer a friend scheme.