Assistant Chef

Busy Bees Nurseries; Droitwich Spa; On-site; GBP 8,000 - 11,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

28 days holiday including BH

Birthday off

25% childcare discount

Pension scheme

Employee assistance programme

Job summary

Busy Bees Nurseries in Droitwich is seeking an Assistant Chef to join our kitchen team. This 16-hour per week role (Tuesday–Friday, 10:00–14:00) focuses on preparing nutritious meals for young children within an Ofsted-rated Good nursery.

You will support the Chef, uphold food safety standards, and help manage stock. The role offers a friendly, nurturing environment with opportunities for development in early years catering.

Qualifications

• Experience in early years settings preferred.
• Knowledge of child dietary requirements and healthy meals.
• Ability to mentor and support junior staff.

Responsibilities

• Prepare healthy meals meeting dietary requirements for children.
• Assist Chef in kitchen operations and food safety.
• Maintain kitchen stock and assist with ordering.
• Support cleaning and maintenance of kitchen equipment.

Skills

Food safety

Meal prep

Kitchen leadership

Hygiene standards

Job description

Join Our Team at Busy Bees – Leading Nursery Group in the UK

Are you passionate about cooking and providing nutritious meals for young children? As an Assistant Chef at Busy Bees, you’ll be a key part of our kitchen team, preparing healthy meals that support children's growth and development. This is an exciting opportunity to work in a nurturing environment where you will contribute to the wellbeing of children while gaining valuable experience in catering within the early years sector.

This role is 16 hours, Tuesday-Friday 10-2pm

About Us

Busy Bees is the UK's leading nursery group, with nearly 400 nurseries across the UK and more overseas. We are dedicated to giving every child the best start in life and are proud to have won awards for our workplace culture. At Busy Bees, we ensure that every member of our team feels heard, valued, and nurtured.

Why Work at Busy Bees?

We offer a supportive environment that empowers you to create engaging, educational spaces where children can thrive. As part of our team, you’ll be introduced to our unique Bee Curious curriculum, designed to foster curiosity and confidence in young learners.

Our Charitable Commitment

Through our partnership with BBC Children in Need, we offer fantastic opportunities for community involvement and fundraising to support children's lives.

About Our Nursery

Join our dedicated team at Busy Bees in Droitwich, an Ofsted-rated Good facility with a capacity for 86 children. Our long-standing staff is committed to providing quality care, and our newly refurbished center features a large outdoor play space, with a Forest School program coming soon. We enjoy collaboration with a local care home to enrich our children's experiences. Conveniently located just a 10‑minute walk from the train station and accessible via local bus routes, we offer free parking for our staff. Additionally we provide a flexible four‑day work week option, making it an ideal place to develop your career in early childhood education.

Busy Bees Benefits

• Competitive salary
• Ongoing professional development and career progression
• Our ‘Hive’ benefits and wellbeing hub, with discounts across a huge range of retailers
• Up to 28 days holiday per year (including bank holidays)
• Your birthday off – it’s our gift to you!
• 25% childcare discount
• Enhanced family leave and return to work bonus
• Menopause support through Peppy
• Financial support through Salary Finance
• Employee Assistance Programme and Mental Health First Aiders
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Easy access to your workplace pension through Cushon
• Discounted Private Medical Insurance (PMI)

But wait, there’s more! You'll also enjoy access to our Benefits and Wellbeing platform, Hive - offering huge array huge of retail discounts helping your money to go further, along with a Wellbeing Hub featuring resources to support your physical and mental health. A Celebrating You section showcasing the ways we recognise and reward our valued team members. Plus, a dedicated Grow with Us area sharing the exciting development opportunities and training designed to support you to thrive and grow at Busy Bees.

Key Responsibilities

• Prepare healthy, nutritious meals that meet dietary requirements for children.
• Support the Chef in overseeing kitchen operations and maintaining food safety and hygiene standards.
• Ensure kitchen inventory is well‑maintained and assist with ordering and stock management.
• Support meal preparation and assist in the cleaning and maintenance of kitchen equipment.

Ideal Candidate

• Ideally experience in leadership within early years settings.
• Strong mentoring and problem‑solving skills.
• Ability to drive improvements and ensure compliance.