Nedko Rusev
Worcester park,Surrey
Summary
Accomplished culinary professional with expertise in vegan cuisine, advanced pastry techniques, and food pairing. Demonstrates proficiency in recipe creation, menu costing, and cost optimisation strategies while ensuring compliance with sanitation regulations and dietary restrictions. Skilled in purchasing, inventory management, supplier negotiations, and staff leadership to drive operational efficiency. Adept at utilising seasonal ingredients and implementing quality control measures to enhance customer satisfaction. Committed to delivering innovative culinary solutions with a focus on nutritional knowledge and culturally aware practices.
Overview
18
18
years of professional experience
6
6
years of post-secondary education
1
1
Certification
Work history
Chef Manager
NHS Guy's and St Thomas Hospital - Essentia
London
2017.06 - 2026.03
- Responsible for managing 5 hospital restaurants, 2 hospital cafeterias, a staff bar and the Hospitality department across both sites, delivering a consistent quality service whilst offering healthy options in line with Trust and Government guidelines. Managing and developing the team, together with delivering excellent customer service and food hygiene practices at all times. Responsible for managing all food production with consistently high-quality outcomes and consumer and staff satisfaction. Cooking and demonstrating new food items and dishes. Responsible for hiring and performance of staff engaged in all hot and cold food production. Oversees inventory of food and non-food supplies, controls labour and supply costs, and manages food waste. Developing menus, recipes and allergens to comply food services. Developing new dishes and overhauling menus to attract more clientele. Ensuring that guests receive excellent service and enjoy their culinary experience. Recommending and evaluating new food products in collaboration with Nutrition management team. Coordinating implementation of HACCP program to guarantee food safety. Ensuring continuous compliance with all regulatory agencies and hospital policies.
Head Chef
Mitie Group PLC –UCLH
London
2022.02 - 2026.03
- Responsible for Patient Feeding and Retail at UCLH. Conducting relevant costings and menu planning, offering and delivering a professional service within all areas of the business ensuring patients get a consistent high-quality service. Managing staff and delivering as per the agreed company service level agreements whilst adhering to health and safety and company policy rules and procedures. Cooking and demonstrating new food items and dishes. Recruiting and training permanent and casual staff. Organising, leading and motivating the catering team. Planning staff shifts and rotas, managing the payroll and monitoring spending levels. Keeping financial and administrative records.
Head Chef
Taste Heaven Event Catering
London
2021.09 - 2026.03
- Overseeing Taste Heaven kitchen and all food production. Responsible for planning, organising and communicating between the kitchen and restaurant. Cooking, food preparation, food carving and decoration. Developing new dishes and overhauling menus to attract more clientele. Ensuring that guests receive excellent service and enjoy their culinary experience.
Chef Manager
Interserve FM – UCLH
London
2010.08 - 2022.02
- Responsible for managing the private patient kitchen on T15- UCLH, the production/service of food and the ordering & receipt of food items. Conducting relevant costings and menu planning, offering and delivering a professional service within all areas of the business ensuring patients get a consistent 5-star quality service. Managing staff and delivering as per the agreed company service level agreements whilst adhering to health and safety and company policy rules and procedures. Recruiting and training permanent and casual staff. Organising, leading and motivating the catering team. Planning staff shifts and rotas, managing the payroll and monitoring spending levels. Keeping financial and administrative records.
Head Chef
Interserve FM -Cotton Rooms Hotel
London
2014.01 - 2017.06
- Responsible for managing all kitchen operations at Cotton Rooms hotel, the production/service of food, developing menu offerings, forecasting supply needs and estimating costs. Ensuring all regulations, including sanitary and safety guidelines are met at all times. Liaising with suppliers, monitoring spending levels.
Head Chef
Calibre International Recruitment
London
2008.06 - 2010.07
- Responsible for daily operations in the kitchen at Time-out Restaurant, UCLH, production/service of food and developing menus for company's events and the restaurant. Liaising with purchasing companies for food orders. Maintaining/ raising the profit margins on food. Managing, training and recruiting chefs.
Education
Masters in Economics -
Agricultural University
Plovdiv, Bulgaria 2002.09 - 2004.05
Advanced Professional Qualification Certificate - Culinary Arts
Technical College 'Professor A.Zlatarev'
Kardzhali, Bulgaria 1992.09 - 1997.05
Skills
- Microsoft Office
- Saffron
- Pelican
- Planet
- ClickView
- Fruit and vegetable carving skills
- Purchasing and inventory
- Specialised in vegan dishes
- Food pairing expertise
- Advanced pastry techniques
- Quality control implementation
- Butchery techniques
- Culturally aware
- Recipe scaling expertise
- Sanitation regulations compliance
- Seasonal ingredients utilisation
- Menu costing
- Familiarity with dietary restrictions
- Cost optimization strategies
- Nutritional knowledge
- Time management proficiency
- Customer satisfaction focus
- Leadership
- Food preparation techniques
- Food allergen data analysis
- Staff recruitment
- Staff leadership
- Supplier negotiations
- Recipe creation
Websites
Certification
- Full UK Driving Licence
- Manual Handling Awareness
- Management Planning
- Food Safety and Hygiene, Level 2
- Food Safety and Hygiene, Level 3
- IOSH
- Risk Assessment
- Fire Safety Awareness
- First Aid at Work
- Equality and Diversity
SKILLS/ LANGUAGES
English – fluent
Bulgarian – fluent
German – intermediate
Russian - intermediate
Accomplishments
NHS Chef of the Year 2025 Winner
NHS Chef of the Year Best plant based recipe 2025
Public Sector Catering Awards Nomination for Chef of the Year 2025 & 2026
Public Sector Catering Awards Nomination for Hospital Catering 2026
Waste Management Award 2024 1st Place
NHS Chef of the Year 2022 National Finalist
NHS Chef of the Year 2022 London 1st Place
NHS Chef of the Year 2021 London 3rd Place
2018 Employee of the Year, Guy's and St Thomas- Hospital, Essentia
2014 Employee of the Year, Interserve, UCLH
2012 Employee of the Year, Interserve, UCLH
EON Low Carbon Food Competition 2010 Winner
Timeline
Head Chef
Mitie Group PLC –UCLH
2022.02 - 2026.03
Head Chef
Taste Heaven Event Catering
2021.09 - 2026.03
Chef Manager
NHS Guy's and St Thomas Hospital - Essentia
2017.06 - 2026.03
Head Chef
Interserve FM -Cotton Rooms Hotel
2014.01 - 2017.06
Chef Manager
Interserve FM – UCLH
2010.08 - 2022.02
Head Chef
Calibre International Recruitment
2008.06 - 2010.07
Masters in Economics -
Agricultural University
2002.09 - 2004.05
Advanced Professional Qualification Certificate - Culinary Arts
Technical College 'Professor A.Zlatarev'
1992.09 - 1997.05