Unlocking my best work life as a chef

Daniel shares his story of career development from a chef to manager

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Daniel Farmer is our Catering and Housekeeping manager at Practice Plus Group Hospital, Emersons Green. We asked him to share his professional journey with us, and how he grew into his role and was able to develop to finally manage a team of 25 people!

How it all started

I’ve been with Practice Plus Group since 2006, starting as a Contracted Caterer at Practice Plus Group Hospital, Shepton Mallet, leaving behind my role at a restaurant where I had to work unsociable hours. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to work at various hospital and surgical centres with Practice Plus Group, including Plymouth and Devizes, before I finally joined the team at Practice Plus Group Hospital, Emersons Green in 2009. It’s been quite the journey.

There are no limits to how far you can take your career

What I truly appreciate about the company is the emphasis on career progression. I have never managed a team before and I did not think I’d get the opportunity to move into this type of role, with my catering background. I was quickly proven wrong. I was offered the opportunity to join career development programs and with the support of the Senior Management Team, I’ve been able to climb the ladder from chef to manager, leading a team of 25 dedicated individuals.

I start my day bright and early, usually around 7am. As the manager overseeing both catering and housekeeping teams, my responsibilities keep me busy until around three or four in the afternoon. Very rarely I had to be available outside of my working hours, but that type of responsibility comes with the nature of my role and I am really proud to be able to lead my team and be there for them when needed.

What I love about my job

One of the perks of my job is the creative freedom I have in crafting menus for our café. While patient meals are carefully monitored by our nutritionists, I have the liberty to innovate in the kitchen, to delight our café customers.

And I have learned so much from working with our Facilities team. The management team trusts me and supports my vision for the growth of the departments I manage; I feel a strong sense of ownership in my role, I feel valued and listened to. At Practice Plus Group, we take pride in being the “nice people” for our patients. We deliver relief and some joy to the patients through our food and the sparkling clean facilities and it’s incredibly rewarding to receive positive feedback from them.

Employee retention is high my department thanks to the benefits, work life balance and team culture here. We work hard and we get fantastic feedback, but we also take our breaks and get to leave work behind at the end of the day.

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