Cafe Assistant

Durham County Council; North East; Hybrid; GBP 18,000 - 21,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working (home and office)

Generous annual leave

Local Government Pension Scheme

Flexible working arrangements

Job summary

Durham County Council is seeking a Café Assistant to support daily café operations, ensuring food is prepared, presented and served to a high standard while upholding cleanliness and food hygiene.

You will assist with food prep, serving, till operation, stock checks, and foster a welcoming environment for visitors and colleagues. The role emphasizes customer care, teamwork, and adaptability, with hybrid working where applicable and a generous leave package.

Qualifications

• GCSE level education (English) or equivalent.
• Experience preparing and serving fresh food.
• Experience in catering or hospitality environments.
• Good customer care and excellent communication skills.
• Team player with initiative and reliability.
• Ability to work under pressure and respond to customer needs.
• Knowledge of health and safety and food hygiene procedures.
• Flexible approach to duties and hours.

Responsibilities

• Preparing and serving food and drinks.
• Delivering excellent customer service.
• Operating tills and handling cash and card payments.
• Maintaining food hygiene and health and safety standards.
• Cleaning food preparation, kitchen and customer areas.
• Assisting with stock checks and replenishment.
• Supporting catering services for events and functions.
• Contributing to menu and product development where appropriate.
• Supporting volunteers and work placements.
• Promoting sustainability and recycling initiatives.

Skills

Customer care

Communication skills

Teamwork

Flexible working hours

Initiative

Under pressure

Health and safety knowledge

Education

GCSE level education (English)

Job description

What is involved?

As a Café Assistant, you will support the day-to-day operation of the café, ensuring food is prepared, presented and served to a high standard while maintaining excellent levels of cleanliness, food hygiene and customer care.

You will assist with food preparation, serving customers, operating the till, replenishing stock and maintaining a safe and welcoming environment for customers and colleagues. As a key front-line representative of the Council, you will play an important role in ensuring visitors receive an outstanding experience.

Key responsibilities

• Preparing and serving food and drinks.
• Delivering excellent customer service.
• Operating tills and handling cash and card payments.
• Maintaining food hygiene and health and safety standards.
• Cleaning food preparation, kitchen and customer areas.
• Assisting with stock checks and replenishment.
• Supporting catering services for special events and functions.
• Contributing to menu and product development where appropriate.
• Supporting volunteers and work placements.
• Promoting sustainability and recycling initiatives.

What will I need?

Essential

• A good basic education to GCSE level (or equivalent), including English.
• Experience of preparing and serving fresh food.
• Experience of working within a catering and/or hospitality environment.
• Understanding of customer care and excellent communication skills.
• Ability to work as part of a team and use initiative.
• Ability to work under pressure and respond positively to customer needs.
• Knowledge of health and safety and food hygiene procedures.
• A flexible approach to duties and working hours.

Desirable

• Level 1 Food Hygiene Certificate (or equivalent).
• Experience of operating till systems and handling cash/card payments.
• Awareness of current food hygiene standards.

Interviews

Interviews will be held week commencing 12th October.

We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that can show they meet all the essential criteria and have indicated they have a disability, are a looked after young person, care leaver or a veteran.

Our offer to you

We offer a competitive rewards package that includes attractive salaries, a generous annual leave entitlement of 27 days (rising to 32 after five years' continuous local government service), membership of the excellent contributory career average Local Government Pension Scheme, and a range of flexible working arrangements including hybrid working (home and office) where applicable.

Explore the full range of rewards and benefits on our website.

Rewards and benefits are subject to individual terms and conditions.

Equality, diversity, and inclusion

We are a proud equal opportunities employer and believe a diverse workforce brings fresh ideas and drives service improvement. We welcome applications from everyone and make employment decisions based on skills and ability. As a Disability Confident Leader, we actively encourage applications from disabled and neurodivergent people and offer support throughout the recruitment process.

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