Cafe Assistant

BBOWT; Thatcham; Remote; GBP 14,000 - 21,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual leave

Birthday leave

Pension

Wellbeing programme

Learning & Development

Job summary

BBOWT's Nature Discovery Centre in Thatcham is hiring a Café Assistant to support daily café operations and deliver exceptional customer service. The role is part-time with a fixed Sunday shift of 5 hours and availability from 9:00 to 16:30, plus potential extra hours to cover leave.

You will assist with food prep, till operations, stock rotation and cafe cleanliness. BBOWT offers a supportive, inclusive team, generous leave, a pension, and wellbeing benefits as part of our commitment to

Qualifications

• Food preparation for basic menu items and baking
• Deliver excellent customer service in a busy café
• Handle cash and operate till with accuracy
• Assist with stock rotation and waste reduction
• Work effectively as part of a small team

Responsibilities

• Food and drink preparation, including cooking a basic menu and baking
• Ensuring the cafe and visitor seating area is kept clean
• Providing an excellent level of customer service
• Assisting with stock rotation and reducing waste
• Cash handling and using a till

Skills

Food prep

Customer service

Cash handling

Stock management

Teamwork

Job description

Cafe Assistant

Closing date: Wednesday 28 October 2026 Salary: £12.71 per hour, £3,304.60 pro rata per annum (£23,132 FTE) Contract type: Permanent / Working hours: Part time Location: Nature Discovery Centre, Muddy Lane, Lower Way, Thatcham, Berkshire, RG19 3FU

The Café Assistant will help nature recover by assisting in the daily running of the busy café at our visitor centre, providing an exceptional level of customer service.

Contract: Permanent

Hours: 5 hours per week to be worked on a Sunday

Availability is needed for shifts between 09.00am and 4.30pm.

Additional zero hours work may also be available to cover sickness and holidays.

Based: Nature Discovery Centre, Thatcham, Newbury, Berkshire

BBOWT has a vision for "more nature everywhere, for everyone". We're working hard to create an inclusive culture, where everyone feels they belong. This includes you being comfortable bringing your whole self to work, and us co-working with the diverse communities we serve to ensure we are meeting everyone’s needs.

The Café Assistant will help nature recover by assisting in the daily running of the busy café at our visitor centre, providing an exceptional level of customer service.

What you’ll be doing

• Food and drink preparation, including cooking a basic menu and baking
• Ensuring the cafe and visitor seating area is kept clean
• Providing an excellent level of customer service
• Assisting with stock rotation and reducing waste
• Cash handling and using a till

What we’re looking for

• Welcoming, approachable and self-assured in dealing with people
• Ability to work under pressure
• Effective team player

For all your hard work you can expect a great rewards package in return. In addition to being part of a friendly, skilled and knowledgeable team, passionate about making a difference, when you work for us you’ll also receive

• Generous annual leave entitlement with paid birthday leave, wellbeing days and generous occupational sick pay
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and family-friendly policies
• Flexible working to achieve work-life balance
• Pension (salary exchange) with generous employer contribution
• Learning & Development Programme for all (SEED)
• Wellbeing initiatives including qualified Mental Health First Aiders across BBOWT, access to our Employee Assistance Programme, providing you with immediate and confidential help for any work, health or life matters; 3x life assurance, online GP access and a YuLife benefit package with free will writing, a variety of discounts and ability to claim vouchers to use in a wide range of stores when you redeem YuPoints earned by being active or meditation sessions.
• Salary sacrifice Cycle scheme & Electric Vehicle scheme
• Membership to BBOWT's, and The Wildlife Trusts', Staff Network Groups for social interaction, peer support and personal development

Closing time and date for applications is 11.59pm on Wednesday 28 October. Successful applicants will be invited to interview for Sunday 1 November by the end of day on Thursday 29 October.

An in-person, practical interview will take place on Sunday 1 November, 4pm - 6pm, at the Nature Discovery Centre, Thatcham, RG19 3FU. This interview will comprise of practical tasks such as washing up, till use and learning how to make a coffee.

BBOWT values diversity and inclusion and the benefits this brings. We want every candidate to have the best chance of success as part of this process. In order to do this, we know that some candidates will need reasonable adjustments. Adjustments could include us providing the questions in an alternative format, providing extra time for assessments. We are also very happy to make adjustments for interview, which could include aspects such as lighting, physical access or simply making us aware when you arrive where it would be best for you to sit.

We want our people to be as diverse as nature, so we particularly encourage applications from people who are underserved within the communities in which we operate. This includes people from visible ethnic minority backgrounds, people with disabilities (including those who are neurodivergent), the LGBTQ+ community, those from lower socio-economic backgrounds, and younger people. We are committed to creating an organisation that recognises and truly values individual differences and identities.