Catering Assistant

Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust; East Grinstead; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A specialist NHS hospital is seeking a Catering Department team member in East Grinstead. The role involves preparing food for patients, staff, and visitors, ensuring cleanliness, and adhering to food quality standards. Responsibilities include food service and kitchen maintenance, with a focus on hygiene and sustainability. We offer tailored personal development and flexible working arrangements in a supportive environment. Join us to contribute positively to patient care and become part of a dedicated team.

Benefits

Tailored personal development

Flexible working arrangements

Dedicated reward programme

Qualifications

• Flexible approach to work in a team.
• Ability to maintain high standards of cleanliness and hygiene.
• Manual handling skills are required.

Responsibilities

• Undertake food service to patients, staff, and visitors.
• Ensure standards of food quality, temperature, and presentation.
• Prepare snacks and salads as required.
• Clean surfaces and kitchen equipment as needed.
• Replenish stock items from stores.

Job description

To work as a team member with a flexible approach within the Catering Department. Position is based mainly in the kitchen. To assist in the preparation and service of food for patients, staff and visitors, maintaining high standards of cleanliness and hygiene throughout the department.

Responsibilities

• Undertake food service to patients, staff and visitors.
• Ensure that presentation, portion control, temperature control and food quality standards are adhered to.
• Carry out the preparation of snacks and salads to the required standards and any other food items required for sale.
• Undertake the cleaning of floors, surfaces and equipment within the kitchen and dining room as appropriate.
• Replenish stock items in the restaurant/kitchen from catering stores, there is a degree of manual handling and lifting involved within this role.
• Attend any necessary training program as directed by the Food and Beverage Manager.
• Check temperatures of refrigerators and maintain all records.
• Dispose of all catering waste according to departmental policy which includes the operation of waste disposal unit.
• Adopt a flexible approach as there may be a requirement to work in either the central kitchen, stores or the restaurant.
• Respect all issues in relation to equality and diversity in relation to patients, colleagues and visitors.
• Operate equipment as required following appropriate training e.g. central dishwasher/pot wash, deep fat fryer/oven, toasted sandwich maker and any other equipment as appropriate.

About Queen Victoria Hospital

Rated GOOD overall with outstanding care by the CQC. A specialist NHS hospital providing life‑changing reconstructive surgery, burns care and rehabilitation services across the South of England and beyond.

We specialise in conditions of the eyes (corneoplastics), hands, head and neck cancer and skin cancer, reconstructive breast surgery, maxillofacial surgery and prosthetics, providing regional and national services in these areas of clinical expertise. Our world‑leading clinical teams also treat more common conditions of the eyes, hands, skin, and teeth for the people of East Grinstead and the surrounding areas. In addition, QVH provides a minor injuries unit, expert therapies, a sleep service, and a growing portfolio of community‑based services. Patients consistently rate QVH amongst the top hospitals in the country for quality of care.

Our success is underpinned by the skills and enthusiasm of our staff and a strong culture of partnership. We are fully committed to training and development of the workforce with support for continuing education and learning.

Welcome to Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and thank you for your interest.

In addition to receiving tertiary referrals from across the South East of England, we have a network of ‘spoke’ sites at district general hospitals enabling our consultants to offer their expertise with routine treatments and consultations as close to patients’ homes as is possible. With the recent addition of video‑led ‘virtual’ consultations we also enable patients who have some distance to travel to avoid the additional stress and worry of a long journey.

Working at QVH combines the excitement, challenge and career opportunities of many larger organisations with the satisfaction of delivering excellent patient care that really does re‑build our patients’ lives.

Benefits

• Tailored personal development to support career aspirations, including accredited clinical and management development programmes.
• Flexible working arrangements for a work‑life balance that suits you and your needs.
• A dedicated reward programme, offering a range of national and local discounts, cashback and tax relief schemes.

Sustainability

At Queen Victoria Hospital we want to be the first Net Zero Hospital in England, and to achieve that wants every member of staff to be a green champion. The way in which the Trust works has a significant impact on the organisation’s carbon footprint and that of our patients. From the heat, light and power supplies within the hospital to avoiding unnecessary patient journeys, the Trust is empowering all staff to create a sustainable health and care environment for future generations. The Trust expects all staff to reuse and recycle more, to use energy and water efficiently, to walk or cycle to work if you can, and to have a focus on sustainability in the workplace.

You can view our Green Plan here: Green Plan - Queen Victoria Hospital (qvh.nhs.uk)