Catering Assistant

NHS; Bury St Edmunds; On-site; GBP 19,000 - 23,000; Full time

Job summary

An NHS trust located in Bury St Edmunds is seeking a Catering Assistant to assist in preparing meals for patients, maintaining hygiene standards, and supporting various catering duties. The ideal candidate should possess a Level 2 food safety qualification and experience in large scale catering. Flexible working hours and a competitive benefits package are offered. This role provides a unique opportunity to contribute to patient care while working in a supportive team environment.

Benefits

Competitive benefits package

Flexible working opportunities

Annual leave allowance

Qualifications

• Experience of large scale catering.
• Able to fulfill the physical requirements of the job.
• Experience of HACCP procedures.

Responsibilities

• Cleaning premises and equipment to correct standards.
• Operating and cleaning automatic dishwashers.
• Plating up patient's meals ready for distribution.
• Temperature probing of meals and recording temperatures.
• Collection of patient's daily food requirements.
• Taking food items to wards with correct storage.
• Handling cash within Trust's policies.
• Completing all appropriate documentation.

Skills

Flexibility to work within various roles within the team

Ability to work well under pressure

Able to travel to other locations if required

Education

Level 2 food safety qualification

Job description

Go back Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust

Catering Assistant

The closing date is 20 January 2026

An opportunity has arisen for a Catering Assistant to join us to assist in the plating up of patient's meals, washing all returning pots and trolleys general cleaning duties with the economical use of materials and equipment. You will also record all information requested by management.

You will be able to work without supervision at the stated place of work, but may be asked to work at any of the Trust's Kitchens

Main duties of the job

• The cleaning of premises and equipment to correct standards of cleanliness and frequencies laid down in the cleaning schedules and departmental hygiene policy
• Operating and cleaning an automatic dishwashers
• The Plating up patient's meals ready for distribution to wards.
• Temperature probing of meals and the accurate recording of temperatures in accordance with the departments HACCP procedure.
• Collection of patient's daily food requirements.
• The taking of certain food items to the wards with the subsequent correct storage, rotation, and maintenance of minimum /maximum stock levels.
• It may be necessary to handle cash and to do so within the Trust's policies and procedures.
• Completion of all appropriate documentation.

About us

The Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust (NCA) provides hospital and integrated health and social care services to over one million people living across Greater Manchester. Our 20,000 colleagues care for people in hospital and in the community, working across Bury, Rochdale, Oldham and Salford, to save and improve lives.

As a large NHS trust we are committed to enhancing the health of our local population by delivering consistently high standards of care and working closely with local authorities and key partners. We believe in our power and potential to make a difference and we're always looking for people who demonstrate our three core values - care, appreciate and inspire - to join our team.

In return, we can offer you a job role with purpose and flexibility. The size and scale of the NCA means we can provide more challenge and opportunities so your career can always be moving in the right direction. By joining us you can also access a competitive benefits package, including, a fantastic annual leave allowance, flexible working opportunities and protected hours for health and wellbeing activities, helping you to achieve more personal downtime and a better work-life balance.

Person Specification

Skills

• Flexibility to work within various roles within the team
• Ability to work well under pressure
• Able to travel to other locations if required

Experience

• Experience of large scale catering
• Able to fulfil the physical requirements of the job
• Experience of HACCP procedures

Qualifications

• Level 2 food safety qualification

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust