Cafe Assistant

Durham County Council; Spennymoor; On-site; GBP 12,000 - 15,000; Part time

Job summary

Durham County Council seeks a Café Assistant for Hardwick Park. The role covers food preparation, serving customers, cash handling, and maintaining high hygiene and service standards in a busy cafe environment.

You will help with stock, support events, and contribute to a welcoming visitor experience. GCSE English (and maths) or equivalent is required, with excellent communication and teamwork skills. On-site role with potential hybrid elements where applicable.

Qualifications

• GCSE English and Maths (or equivalent) is required.
• Experience of preparing and serving fresh food.
• Experience in catering or hospitality and strong customer care.
• Good communication skills and ability to work in a team.
• Flexible approach to duties and working hours.

Responsibilities

• Preparing and serving food and drinks.
• Delivering excellent customer service in a busy café.
• Operating tills and handling cash/card payments.
• Maintaining food hygiene and health & safety standards.
• Cleaning kitchen, food prep, and customer areas.
• Assisting with stock checks and replenishment.
• Supporting catering for events and functions.
• Contributing to menu development where appropriate.
• Supporting volunteers and work placements.

Skills

Customer service

Communication

Teamwork

Cash handling

Food handling

Ability to work under pressure

Education

GCSE English and Maths or equivalent

Tools

Till systems

Job description

16 hours - Hardwick Park

Are you passionate about customer service and enjoy working in a busy café environment? Do you take pride in delivering high-quality food and creating a welcoming experience for visitors?

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.

We encourage you to contact Paul Everson via email at [e-mail] to arrange an informal discussion about the role.

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

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.

Rewards and benefits are subject to individual terms and conditions.

Explore the full range of rewards and benefits on our website

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.