Lynne McGlinchey was determined that her last job before retirement would be one she loved.

She got her wish and is passionate about her role as head chef at Yorkshire Building Society’s head office in Bradford’s Rooley Lane.

“I’ve been here for ten years next February and I am very happy,” she says. “I’d done some catering for them before and liked the atmosphere in the restaurant, and the people. I was really keen to get the job, particularly as I knew it would be my last.”

She heads the busy kitchen, which caters for up to 600 office workers a day, cooking a wide variety of traditional English and meals from around the world, including meat and potato pie, broccoli and mushroom pasta bake, Kashmiri cod, stir fry and Texas burgers.

Puddings include old favourites apple pie, carrot cake and rice pudding. “We also have a deli bar, hot jacket potato bar and toasted sandwich and salad bar,” says Lynne, 57. “There is a halal option and we serve a vegetarian dish every day.”

She adds: “We recently carried out a survey among the staff – the results were excellent. If anyone says anything negative, we always try to put it right, and if anyone has any suggestions we weigh up whether we can make it work, such as extending the time allocated for full breakfasts, which we have done.” Lynne’s team – there are 21 catering staff including administrators – also make food for the building society’s Filey Street office. “We bake lasagnes, pies, pasties and other food, and send it down in a heat-proof box.”

For six years she ran her own delicatessen in Farsley, as well as an outside catering business. “The shop was a base for the outside catering,” she recalls. “It was hard work – the shop was a former bakery which needed to be refurbished. I built up the business from scratch.” It was a success – Lynne’s many clients included the Bank of England in Leeds.

“I worked in outside catering for a long time, at events including shows, weddings and race meetings,” she recalls. “It was very exciting as we worked all around the country – I went to the Yorkshire Show, York Races, the Royal Show and the Farnborough International Airshow.

“I really enjoyed it – it was such varied work. We did celebrity weddings and catered for Royalty at Leeds Civic Hall.”

She later worked in the canteen at an electrical company and catered for a nursing service before arriving back at YBS. “I came as assistant chef and in two years I was offered the head chef role.”

At her Pudsey home, Lynne cooks for husband Gerry, a retired bakery worker. “He enjoys my meals too much,” she jokes.

The couple walk off their home-cooked fare in the Yorkshire Dales. “We are outdoor people,” she says, “We love being out and about, visiting nice places.”

They also love spending time with their grand-daughter Millie, six. “She knows I’m a cook – she’s been to see me at work,” says Lynne.