Planthood

We are seeking a passionate, skilled production kitchen chef with a love for plant-based cuisine to join our dynamic team at Planthood! This role involves cooking and food production, alongside supporting our kitchen management with key operational tasks, including stock management and daily temperature checks. We are a high-growth company that’s served around 4 million meals since 2020 and earned top ratings on Trustpilot. This is an exciting opportunity to grow your career with us as we continue to expand. Role Responsibilities: • Daily kitchen operations, working closely with other chefs to ensure all meals meet our high standards for taste and quality., • Following HACCP and food hygiene procedures., • Engaging in hands-on, physical tasks that involve heavy lifting and frequent movement throughout the shift Ideal Candidate Will Bring: • Solid cooking skills and experience as a chef in a fast paced production kitchen environment., • Great attention to detail with a commitment to high standards., • Strong communication skills, and ability to work well in a team., • Passion for plant-based food, with a positive and solutions-oriented mindset., • Physical stamina, prepared for the physically demanding nature of the role, including heavy lifting (up to 20kg). Requirements: • Experience: At least 2 years in prep and cooking., • Education: Secondary education required, • Language: Fluent spoken and written English, • Certifications: HACCP Level 2 & Food Safety Certification (Preferred), • Eligibility: Proof of eligibility to work in the UK Job Details: • Location: Leyton, London, • Shift Pattern: Must be available to work shifts including Saturday & Sunday. Shifts between hours of 8am and 8pm., • Salary: £14 starting., • Benefits: Free on-site meals, generous holidays, pension scheme, and excellent work-life balance If you're excited about this opportunity but don’t meet every requirement, we encourage you to apply and share what unique skills you bring to the table.

Join one of the UK's fastest-growing food businesses. Are you looking for an opportunity to grow your career in a fast-paced, ambitious food business? Do you enjoy leading a team, solving problems on the production floor, and making sure operations run smoothly? If you're passionate about food production, efficiency, and delivering high-quality products to customers, we'd love to hear from you. We're Planthood, one of the UK's fastest-growing health food companies. Our mission is simple: to help people live healthier, happier lives by making delicious plant-based whole foods more accessible. From our production kitchen in East London, we prepare and deliver thousands of meals across the UK every week. Since launching from Hilary & Will's kitchen in 2020, we've cooked over 4 million meals, appeared on BBC Dragons' Den, and grown by more than 300% year-on-year. As we continue to grow, we're looking for an Operations Coordinator (Depositing & Dispatch) to take ownership of one of the most important stages of our production process. This is an exciting opportunity for someone who enjoys leading a team, improving processes and making a real impact on the day-to-day success of our operation. Role Overview The Operations Coordinator (Depositing & Dispatch) is responsible for coordinating and leading one of the most important areas of Planthood's production operation. Our production process is divided into two key departments: Kitchen Production and Packing & Dispatch Production. Once our chefs have prepared sauces and meal components, your team takes over. You'll oversee the depositing process, ensuring our chef made sauces are accurately portioned into pouches using our Riggs Autopack depositing machines, before being sealed using our continuous stand-up sealing machine and prepared for dispatch. As Planthood continues to scale, you'll help lead the introduction of our new twin-head depositing machine and support the launch of our hot filling operation, playing an important role in the next phase of our production growth. You'll coordinate a small production team, keep production running efficiently, maintain high food safety and quality standards, and ensure customer orders are produced accurately and on time. This role combines production coordination, team leadership, equipment ownership, food safety, operational reporting and continuous improvement. Working closely with Production, Quality Control, Warehouse and Operations teams, you'll play a key role in ensuring products move efficiently through production and into our customers' homes. Key Responsibilities Production Coordination • Coordinate daily depositing and packing operations to achieve production targets., • Allocate tasks and manage workflow across the team throughout the shift., • Monitor productivity, efficiency and output during production runs., • Adapt production plans in real time to respond to operational changes., • Ensure production plans are completed accurately and on schedule., • Lead by example and create a positive, motivated and accountable team culture. Depositing Operations • Coordinate the daily operation of our Riggs Autopack Model 1000 depositing machines., • Ensure hot and cold sauces are deposited accurately and consistently., • Oversee the sealing process using our continuous stand-up sealing machine., • Ensure packaging, sealing and labelling standards are maintained., • Monitor allergen controls and food safety procedures throughout production., • Minimise waste and maximise production efficiency., • Support new product launches and production trials. Equipment Ownership & Process Management • Become the operational owner of the depositing and sealing equipment., • Carry out machine start-up, shut-down and routine operational checks., • Troubleshoot day-to-day equipment issues and resolve minor faults where possible., • Escalate maintenance issues where required and work with relevant teams to minimise downtime., • Support the implementation of new equipment and production technologies. Dispatch & Stock Control • Coordinate finished goods counts and dispatch readiness., • Ensure products are organised, labelled, counted and prepared correctly for shipment., • Maintain accurate production and dispatch records., • Support stock accuracy and product traceability., • Work closely with the Warehouse and Dispatch teams to ensure smooth operational flow. Food Safety & Compliance • Ensure team adherence to HACCP, allergen management and food safety standards., • Complete and review production records and operational documentation., • Support investigations into quality issues and operational incidents., • Escalate food safety, quality and compliance concerns appropriately., • Maintain audit readiness within the depositing and dispatch areas. Team Leadership & Development • Lead, support and motivate the depositing and dispatch team., • Train and onboard new team members on production processes and equipment., • Monitor team performance and maintain accountability to standards., • Conduct regular coaching and feedback conversations., • Support the development of team capability and future talent. Communication & Stakeholder Liaison • Act as the main point of contact for depositing and dispatch operations., • Communicate effectively with Production, Quality Control, Warehouse and Operations teams., • Use Slack, spreadsheets and production reporting tools to communicate operational updates., • Flag production risks, delays, shortages and operational concerns., • Support coordination across departments to ensure production targets are achieved. Continuous Improvement • Identify inefficiencies and opportunities for improvement., • Drive improvements in production efficiency, workflow and organisation., • Support the implementation of new systems, processes and operational changes., • Contribute ideas that improve productivity, quality and team performance. Key Skills & Competencies • Previous experience in a food manufacturing or production environment., • Experience leading or coordinating a small production team., • Strong organisational and time management skills., • Confident leadership skills with the ability to motivate, coach and support others., • Good understanding of food safety, hygiene and HACCP principles., • Confident numerical skills and ability to work with production targets and operational data., • Good IT skills, including Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets., • Comfortable using communication tools such as Slack and email., • Ability to troubleshoot operational and equipment issues., • Strong communication skills and ability to work across multiple departments., • Ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced production environment. Key Behaviours • Strong sense of ownership and accountability., • Leads by example and sets high standards., • Proactive and solutions-focused., • Calm and organised under pressure., • Positive, professional and supportive., • Committed to food safety, quality and operational excellence., • Strong attention to detail., • Open to learning and continuous improvement., • Ambitious and motivated to grow with the business. What We Offer • A chance to join one of the UK's fastest-growing food businesses., • Opportunities to develop your leadership skills and progress your career., • A supportive, ambitious and collaborative team environment., • The opportunity to make a real impact as we continue to grow.

Department: Production / Operations Reports To: Production Manager Location: Leyton, E10 7QP Hours: Full-Time Salary: £32,000 - £34,000 per annum Are you looking for a new role in an exciting, fast-growing company? Do you enjoy leading teams, solving problems and making sure things run smoothly in a fast-paced environment? Do you want to help transform the health of people and the planet through food? We have the perfect role for you. We're Planthood, one of the fastest-growing health food companies in the UK. Our mission is to help people live healthier, happier lives by eating more plant-based whole foods. We do this from our own London kitchen, where we cook up irresistibly delicious food and deliver it to thousands of customers across the UK every week. Since launching from Hilary & Will's kitchen in 2020, we've now cooked over 4 million meals, featured on BBC Dragons' Den, and grown 300%+ year-on-year. As we continue to scale, we're looking for an exceptional Production Supervisor to help lead our production operation. This is a hands-on leadership role at the heart of the business, responsible for ensuring our production team operates safely, efficiently and to the highest standards every day. A key focus of this role will be overseeing the packaging of our meal kit components and managing the end-to-end dispatch process to our third-party logistics (3PL) partner for direct-to-consumer (D2C) deliveries. You'll be responsible for ensuring products are accurately packed, quality checked, and dispatched on time, while maintaining the operational standards that our customers expect. You'll play a key role in driving performance, developing people, improving processes and maintaining the quality and consistency that our customers rely on. Working closely with the wider management team, you'll help ensure that every box leaving our facility reflects the standards and values that have fuelled Planthood's growth so far. This is an opportunity to take ownership of a critical function within a rapidly growing food business and help shape the future of our production operation. What You'll Be Doing Team Leadership • Lead, motivate and support production team members across packing, depositing, sealing and dispatch operations., • Create a positive, engaged and high-performing team culture., • Train and onboard new starters, supporting their development and success., • Conduct regular one-to-one meetings, coaching sessions and performance conversations., • Manage staffing levels, rotas, holidays and shift changes to ensure operational requirements are met. Production & Operations • Ensure daily production targets and quality standards are consistently achieved., • Monitor team performance and productivity, identifying opportunities to improve efficiency and workflow., • Support the day-to-day management of production operations and deputise for the Production Manager when required., • Maintain accurate production records, reports and operational documentation., • Drive continuous improvement initiatives across the production floor. Dispatch & Logistics • Oversee the packaging and dispatch of meal kit components to our 3PL partner., • Ensure products are packed accurately, quality checked and dispatched on time., • Complete dispatch paperwork, labels and reports accurately and within required deadlines., • Build strong relationships with internal teams and external logistics partners., • Resolve operational and logistics issues quickly and effectively. Quality, Food Safety & Compliance • Ensure food safety, allergen, hygiene and HACCP standards are followed at all times., • Support quality control processes and ensure all required checks are completed accurately., • Promote a strong health and safety culture throughout the operation., • Support audits, risk assessments and compliance activities, including SALSA accreditation., • Help maintain the high standards our customers expect from every Planthood delivery. Stock & Equipment • Support stock control, stock rotation and waste reduction initiatives., • Monitor equipment performance and report maintenance issues promptly., • Help ensure production machinery is operated safely and efficiently. What We're Looking For • Previous supervisory experience within food production, manufacturing, warehousing, logistics or another fast-paced operational environment., • Strong leadership, communication and people management skills., • Experience coaching, developing and motivating teams., • A proactive approach to problem-solving and continuous improvement., • Good understanding of food safety, HACCP, allergens and health & safety requirements., • Comfortable using systems such as Connecteam, Google Sheets and Mapal., • Strong organisational skills and attention to detail., • Positive, resilient and able to remain calm under pressure. Why Join Us? • Be part of one of the UK's fastest-growing health food companies., • Play a key role in a business that's scaling rapidly and making a positive impact., • Work with a passionate, supportive and ambitious team., • Enjoy opportunities for development, progression and increased responsibility., • Help us transform the health of people and the planet through food.