Job Introduction

Deputy Patient Dining Manager – Addenbrooke’s Hospital

Sector: Healthcare – Medirest
Employer: Compass Group UK & Ireland
Location: Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge
Hours: Flexible, covering varied shift patterns

Help Us Deliver Safe, Compassionate, and High‑Quality Patient Dining Services

We’re looking for a dedicated and people‑focused Deputy Patient Dining Manager to support the delivery of exceptional ward‑level catering at Addenbrooke’s Hospital. Working as part of Medirest—the specialist healthcare division of Compass Group—you’ll play a key role in ensuring patients receive the right meal, at the right time, in the right way.

If you’re passionate about food safety, service excellence, and leading teams in a healthcare environment, this is a fantastic opportunity to make a real difference to patient experience every day.

What You’ll Be Doing

In this role, you will support the Patient Dining Manager and act as an operational lead when required. You will:

• Help coordinate daily ward‑level meal services (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and specialist meals) ensuring punctual, accurate, and compassionate delivery.
• Monitor meal presentation, portioning, nutritional compliance, and service consistency, taking action where needed.
• Support the implementation of clinical, allergen, IDDSI, cultural, and religious dietary requirements in partnership with dietetic and clinical teams.
• Promote the “Right First Time” meal accuracy approach and report any deviations.
• Carry out daily/weekly/monthly food safety checks including HACCP, temperature logs, cleaning routines, and allergen controls.
• Help maintain full compliance with Food Standards, CQUINs (retail only), Environmental Health requirements, and internal governance.
• Assist in audit preparation, lead elements of the audit process, and support follow‑up action plans.
• Provide guidance and coaching to ward‑based catering teams, ensuring high performance and excellent patient service.
• Support recruitment, onboarding, competency checks, mandatory training completion, and performance management.
• Foster a positive, inclusive, and values‑driven culture across the team.
• Act as the operational lead in the absence of the Patient Dining Manager.
• Serve as a key point of contact for ward managers, matrons, dietitians, nursing teams, and facilities partners.
• Attend Trust meetings when delegated and contribute to performance reporting and insights sharing.

What We’re Looking For

You’ll be someone who leads with compassion, operates with professionalism, and thrives in a fast‑moving healthcare environment. Ideally, you will have:

• Level 2 or Level 3 Food Safety qualification (or willingness to obtain).
• Strong understanding of food safety, hygiene, HACCP, allergens, and compliance documentation.
• Experience in catering or food service within healthcare, hospitality, or high‑volume environments.
• Knowledge of clinical dietary requirements including allergens, IDDSI, and cultural/religious diets.
• Experience supervising staff or coordinating meal services.
• Strong communication skills and confidence working with clinical teams.
• Experience with audits or service improvement activity.
• Understanding of staffing rotas, labour budgets, or cost‑control basics (desirable).
• A compassionate, patient‑focused approach.
• A proactive, solution‑oriented mindset and a commitment to continuous improvement.
• Strong IT, organisational, and communication skills.
• Ability to plan, prioritise, and adapt within a service‑led environment.

About Compass Group

Compass Group is a world leader in outsourced food and support services, operating in more than 25 countries and employing over 590,000 colleagues. We’re committed to creating a caring, inclusive culture where everyone can thrive, and our people are at the heart of everything we do.

Ready to Shape a Great Patient Experience?

If you’re committed to delivering safe, high‑quality, and compassionate patient dining services, we’d love to hear from you.

Apply today and help us deliver excellence in patient care at Addenbrooke’s Hospital.