Casual Chef

LMH; Oxford; On-site; GBP 19,000 - 22,000; Part time

Job summary

Lady Margaret Hall invites applications for a Casual Chef in the Kitchen at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford. This zero-hours post involves preparing and serving breakfast, lunch, dinner for students, staff and conferencing events, with duties across opening hours including evenings.

Ideal candidates hold a Level 2 Food Safety qualification, sound English and numeracy, and the ability to run a section independently while leading junior staff. The role emphasizes food hygiene and teamwork.

Qualifications

• Minimum level 2 Food Safety qualification.
• Knowledge of current UK allergen legislation.
• Spoken and written command of English, good numeracy skills.
• Ability to run a section independently.
• Ability to work in a team and to manage junior chefs by leading by example.
• Positive and approachable attitude.
• Willingness to embrace new ideas & processes.
• Willingness to use own initiative, skills & knowledge to the benefit of the team and business.

Responsibilities

• Create, healthy, well balanced and tasty meals following the daily menu schedule.
• Making sure compliance is met with dietary and religious requirements.
• Follow correct portion control criteria as outlined by Kitchen Management team and Head of Catering.
• Making sure overproduction and food wastage is kept to a minimum.
• Ensure the correct labelling of all foods, including correct date and allergen labelling.
• Comply with all Health & Safety and Food Safety requirements, COSHH, HACCP and RIDDOR procedures.
• Ensure temperature record sheet are maintained and up to date.
• Ensure the kitchen is clean and hygienic at all times.
• Ensure kitchen uniform and personal hygiene requirements are adhered to.
• Participate in reviews of menus and service.
• Provide guidance to catering staff on service and portion control, ensuring that all food is safe and served at an appropriate temperature.

Skills

Food safety awareness

Food allergen handling

English language

Education

Level 2 Food Safety qualification

Job description

Casual Chef

Department: Kitchens

Employment Type: Zero Hours

Location: Oxford

Compensation: £14.00 - £16.00 / hour

Description

The Kitchen at Lady Margaret Hall is at the heart of the College community, consistently producing high quality food for a wide variety of events as well as regular meals for college students and staff. The kitchen is open Monday to Sunday, including evenings.

Main Purpose of Job

The Casual Chef is a key member of the kitchen team, responsible for the preparing and serving of breakfast, lunch, dinner meals for student and staff and meals for our conferencing department.

It is vital for the jobholder to have high standards in Food Hygiene and to follow Health and Safety procedures to avoid accidents, food spoilage and waste.

Main relationships

Responsible to: Head Chef / Sous Chef

Liaison with: Chefs, Catering manager, Catering Supervisors & Assistants

Main Tasks

• Create, healthy, well balanced and tasty meals following the daily menu schedule


• Making sure compliance is met with dietary and religious requirements


• Follow correct portion control criteria as outlined by Kitchen Management team and Head of Catering


• Making sure overproduction and food wastage is kept to a minimum


• Ensure the correct labelling of all foods, including correct date and allergen labelling


• Comply with all Health & Safety and Food Safety requirements, COSHH, HACCP and RIDDOR procedures.


• Ensure temperature record sheet are maintained and up to date.


• Ensure the kitchen is clean and hygienic at all times.


• Ensure kitchen uniform and personal hygiene requirements are adhered to.


• Participate in reviews of menus and service.


• Provide guidance to catering staff on service and portion control, ensuring that all food is safe and served at an appropriate temperature.

The above is not an exhaustive list of duties and you will be expected to perform different tasks as needed in order to meet the overall and sometimes changing objectives of Lady Margaret Hall’s Catering Team.

Person Specification

• Minimum level 2 Food Safety qualification.


• Knowledge of current UK allergen legislation.


• Spoken and written command of English, good numeracy skills


• Ability to run a section independently.


• Ability to work in a team and to manage junior chefs by leading by example.


• Positive and approachable attitude.


• Willingness to embrace new ideas & processes.


• Willingness to use own initiative, skills & knowledge to the benefit of the team and business.

Terms and Conditions

The salary will be £14-16 per hour, depending on experience. Applicants must be eligible to work in the UK.

A principal aim of this College’s Equal Opportunities Policy is to ensure that in the recruitment, selection, training, appraisal, development and promotion of employees, the only consideration must be that the individual best meets, or is likely to meet, the requirements of the programme or course or post.

Lady Margaret Hall is committed to provide a learning, working and social environment in which the rights and dignity of all its members are respected, and which is free from prejudice, intimidation and all forms of harassment, including bullying. We seek to ensure that no-one suffers, either directly or indirectly, as a result of discrimination.

HR Office

August 2026