Assistant Chef

Busy Bees Nurseries Ltd.; Hatching Green; Remote; GBP 22,000 - 26,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Ongoing professional development

Hive benefits and wellbeing hub

Up to 28 days holiday per year

Birthday off

25% childcare discount

Cycle to Work scheme

Private Medical Insurance (PMI)

Job summary

Busy Bees Harpenden Rothamsted Lodge in Hertfordshire is seeking an Assistant Chef to join our welcoming kitchen team. You will help prepare healthy meals for children and support day-to-day kitchen operations in a supportive early years environment.

We value a proactive, caring approach and pride ourselves on food safety, teamwork and ongoing development. This role offers a friendly setting with opportunities to grow within the Busy Bees group.

Qualifications

• Experience in early years settings preferred.
• Mentoring and leadership abilities are valued.
• Commitment to food safety and hygiene standards.

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

Leadership

Mentoring

Problem solving

Teamwork

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.

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.

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.

Join our experienced and welcoming team at Busy Bees Harpenden Rothamsted Lodge, an Ofsted-rated Good nursery with a capacity for 76 children. Set in a beautiful rural location, our nursery offers a warm and inspiring environment where children can learn, grow and thrive, with large outdoor spaces providing plenty of opportunities for exploration and discovery. You’ll be joining a long-standing, supportive team where your contribution is valued, with excellent opportunities to develop your skills and progress your career in early childhood education. With convenient bus routes, a nearby train station and free staff parking, our nursery is also easily accessible, making it a fantastic place to build a rewarding career while making a real difference to young children’s lives.

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.