Assistant Chef | Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust

Southend University Hospital NHS Trust; Basildon; On-site; GBP 23,000 - 28,000; Full time

Job summary

The Assistant Chef role at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust is to support the Catering Services team in preparing, cooking and presenting a wide range of meals for patients, staff and visitors, ensuring high standards of quality, nutrition and food safety.

You will work across restaurant, patient feeding and hospitality services, adhere to HACCP, maintain hygiene, assist with stock control and waste reduction, and contribute to continuous service improvement of catering services.

Qualifications

• Experience in preparing, cooking and presenting meals
• Adherence to HACCP and food safety standards
• Ability to work flexibly across restaurant, patient feeding and hospitality services

Responsibilities

• Prepare, cook and present meals including therapeutic diets
• Maintain high standards of food hygiene, cleanliness and safety
• Complete required HACCP documentation
• Support stock control and minimise waste to promote sustainability

Skills

Food hygiene

Teamwork

Customer service

Job description

Assistant Chef | Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust

Company:

Company: Southend University Hospital NHS Trust

Salary: £25,272 Per annum ( pro-rata for part time)

We are seeking a motivated and enthusiastic Assistant Chef to join our Catering Services team. This is an exciting opportunity to support the delivery of high-quality meals for patients, staff and visitors while contributing to an excellent dining experience within a healthcare environment.

The Assistant Chef will assist with the preparation, cooking and presentation of a wide range of meals, including therapeutic and special diets, ensuring all food is produced to the highest standards of quality, nutrition and food safety. The post holder will play a key role in maintaining excellent hygiene standards, adhering to HACCP requirements and supporting the smooth day-to-day operation of the kitchen and associated catering areas.

The successful candidate will have a passion for food, excellent teamwork skills and a commitment to delivering outstanding customer service. You will be required to work flexibly across restaurant, patient feeding and hospitality services, whilst helping to minimise waste, promote sustainable practices and contribute to the continuous improvement of Catering Services.

This role offers the opportunity to make a positive difference to the experience of patients, staff and visitors through the provision of safe, nutritious and high-quality food within Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust.

No VISA sponsorship available for this role

Please be aware that we reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a suitable number of applications.

The Assistant Chef is responsible for supporting the delivery of an efficient, high-quality catering service for patients, staff and visitors. The role involves preparing, cooking and presenting meals, including therapeutic and special diets, in accordance with agreed menus, recipes and food safety standards.

The post holder will contribute to the smooth day-to-day operation of the kitchen by maintaining high standards of food hygiene, cleanliness and safety, completing required HACCP documentation and ensuring the safe use of catering equipment. The Assistant Chef will also support restaurant, hospitality and patient feeding services, helping to deliver a positive customer experience while maintaining effective stock control, minimising waste and promoting sustainable working practices.

The role requires a flexible and proactive approach, working collaboratively with colleagues to ensure catering services meet operational requirements and support the continuous improvement of service quality and efficiency across the Trust.

Our ambition is to deliver excellent local and specialist services, to improve the health and well being of our patients, and provide a vibrant place for staff to develop, innovate and build careers.

We aim to make the most of our skills and experiences so we can become the best we can be. As one organisation we will recruit the finest and retain more specialist staff due to more employment opportunities across our Trust.

For full details about this varied and rewarding role, please see attached job description.

Please be aware that we reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a suitable number of applications.

This advert closes on Thursday 12 Nov 2026

£25,760 Per Annum (+enhancements for weekends and bank holidays)