Assistant Chef

Busy Bees Nurseries; Greater London; On-site; GBP 20,000 - 24,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Birthday off - it's our gift to you!

25% childcare discount

Cycle to Work scheme

Private Medical Insurance

Job summary

Busy Bees Nurseries in the UK is hiring an Assistant Chef to join our kitchen team at Busy Bees Chingford. You will prepare healthy, nutritious meals that support children's growth and development in our early years setting.

You will assist the Chef, ensure food safety and hygiene, manage stock, and help with ordering. This role offers a supportive environment, opportunities for development, and exposure to the Bee Curious curriculum.

Qualifications

• Prepare healthy, nutritious meals meeting dietary requirements for children.
• Experience in leadership within early years settings is preferred.
• Maintain food safety and hygiene standards in the kitchen.

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.

Skills

Cooking and meal prep

Leadership within early years

Mentoring and problem-solving

Food safety & hygiene

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.

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

Busy Bees Chingford, rated Good by Ofsted, accommodates 108 children and is beloved by both parents and children alike. Upon stepping through our doors, you’ll discover a wealth of stimulating resources, exciting play areas, and friendly, supportive staff, ensuring that your child flourishes in a happy, healthy, and safe nursery setting. At our Chingford nursery, we encourage children to actively learn through play, allowing them to develop their skills while having fun. Conveniently located on New Road, right next to the Nuffield Leisure Centre and a short distance from the center of Chingford, our nursery is easily accessible from surrounding areas such as Woodford, Wanstead, and Walthamstow. We provide complimentary lunches for our children and free parking for staff. Our fantastic sensory room is filled with stimulating materials, including lights, music, bubbles, and monochrome features, while preschool-aged children can explore animals, numbers, and phonics, enhancing their learning experience.

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.