Assistant Chef

Busy Bees Nurseries; Hitchin; On-site; GBP 18,000 - 24,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Professional development

Bee Curious curriculum

Childcare discount

Up to 28 days holiday

Birthday off

Cycle to Work

Private Medical Insurance

Job summary

Busy Bees Nurseries in Hitchin is seeking an Assistant Chef to join our kitchen team and prepare nutritious meals that support children's growth and development. You will assist with dietary requirements, food safety and stock management, helping to deliver high-quality catering within the early years sector.

Join our team and enjoy a supportive environment with opportunities to mentor others and contribute to continuous improvements in our Bee Curious curriculum and meals for early learners.

Qualifications

• Prepare healthy, nutritious meals meeting 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.
• Ideally experience in leadership within early years settings.
• Strong mentoring and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to drive improvements and ensure compliance.

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

Meal prep

Food safety

Stock management

Leadership in early years

Mentoring

Job description

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.

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

Join Our Team at Busy Bees - Leading Nursery Group in the UK, 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 nurturing team at Busy Bees in Stotfold, an Ofsted-rated Good nursery with a capacity of 64 children. Our smaller team creates a family-like atmosphere, enhanced by our converted house that adds to the homely feel. We collaborate with local authorities for further training opportunities, supporting your professional growth. Located in a small town, we have regular bus services into larger towns and are conveniently situated next to a CO-OP with electric car charging points. We offer free parking and flexible working options, including a four-day work week. To show our appreciation, we provide weekly lunches, breakfasts, or sweet treats, along with an Employee of the Month program. This is an excellent opportunity to develop your career in early childhood education within a supportive and community-oriented environment.

• 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.