Catering Assistant

Bedford College Group; England; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 27,000; Full time

Job summary

An educational institution in Central Bedfordshire is seeking a Catering Assistant to support its Catering and Hospitality department. The role involves providing customer service, assisting in food preparation and maintaining hygiene standards. Candidates should have a Level 2 Food Hygiene Certificate and experience in catering. This is a full-time, permanent position offering competitive salary and benefits.

Benefits

27 days annual leave plus Bank holidays

People’s pension

Retail and Leisure Discounts

Professional development opportunities

Access to college courses

Qualifications

• Experience in customer care and food preparation.
• Ability to maintain high standards of cleanliness.
• Knowledge of health and safety in catering.

Responsibilities

• Provide customer support in a friendly manner.
• Assist in food preparation and service.
• Maintain hygiene and safety standards in the kitchen.
• Support stock management and check deliveries.

Skills

Customer service

Food safety knowledge

Microsoft Office skills

Teamwork

Education

Level 2 Food Hygiene Certificate

Job description

Overview

Role: Catering Assistant

Location: Central Bedfordshire College - Dunstable Kingsway Campus

Salary/Benefits: Salary is between £25,467 and £26,499 per annum DOE and Qualifications, 27 days annual leave plus Bank holidays, People’s pension, Retail and Leisure Discounts, excellent professional and personal development opportunities, accessing college courses.

Hours/Weeks: 40 hours per week - 52 weeks per year

Contract Type: Permanent - Full Time

About the role

We are currently seeking a Catering Assistant to join our Catering and Hospitality department at The Bedford College Group.

As a Catering Assistant, you play an important role in the success of our students through:

• Customer & Staff Support - Provide friendly, professional assistance to customers and staff, ensuring a welcoming and supportive environment.
• Food Preparation & Service - Assist in preparing and cooking food, setting up counters, serving meals, and supporting special catering functions.
• Hygiene & Safety Standards - Maintain cleanliness of kitchen and dining areas, operate catering equipment safely, and uphold food hygiene and health & safety practices.
• Stock & Administration - Support stock management, check deliveries, assist with hospitality orders, and ensure financial procedures are followed.
• College Engagement & Compliance - Promote the College\'s reputation, support events and training, and uphold safeguarding, equality, and health & safety responsibilities.

About you

• Qualifications & Food Safety - Level 2 Food Hygiene Certificate (or equivalent), knowledge of health & safety in catering, and experience in food preparation and cooking.
• Customer Service & POS Skills - Experience in customer care, handling payments via POS and PDQ machines, and maintaining high standards of kitchen cleanliness.
• Technical & IT Competence - Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook), with ability to follow instructions and manage tasks efficiently.
• Workplace Attributes - Able to multitask, work in fast-paced environments, lift frequently, and adjust hours to meet service demands with flexibility and enthusiasm.
• Teamwork & Development - Strong team player with drive and initiative, committed to updating skills and knowledge, and promoting a professional and welcoming environment.

For a more detailed breakdown of the job role and the requirements, please see the Job Description attached to this vacancy.

Interviews

Interviews to be held: TBC

Successful candidates must also be able to demonstrate alignment to our organisational VISION values:

• Valuing Teamwork - We are one team who by working together can achieve great things, respecting the opinion and valuing the contribution each of us makes.
• Improving Continuously - We challenge ourselves to always do better by trying new things, sharing knowledge, reflecting on practice and learning from others.
• Student Centred - At our heart is always doing what is best for our students. We consider students in all of our decision making to create positive outcomes and memorable experiences for every student.
• Inclusive - We celebrate differences and diversity, recognising that we can learn from each other.
• Open and Caring - We care about the wellbeing of our staff, our students, our community and wider society, creating an environment built on trust where we listen, engage with and support each other.
• Nurturing Education Excellence - We promote educational excellence by delivering programmes that challenge our students to achieve their ambitions.

About The Bedford College Group

The Bedford College Group was formed in 2017 following the merger of Bedford College and Tresham College and is now the largest provider of education in the South East Midlands, with over 15,000 students passing through our doors each year.

Today, the Group is made up of a family of colleges across Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire: Bedford College, Central Bedfordshire College and Tresham College in the towns of Bedford, Dunstable, Leighton Buzzard, Corby, Kettering and Wellingborough; Shuttleworth College, a specialist land-based college; The Bedford Sixth Form, (the only dedicated sixth form in Bedford); The Corby Sixth Form, (opened in September 2023); and the National College for Motorsport alongside Silverstone race circuit. To widen accessibility to education and training, the Group also has community-based Learning Centres in Bedford, Corby and Kettering which offer IT training.

Safeguarding

The Bedford College Group is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to thorough vetting process which includes, an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Exceptions Order 1975, provides information about which convictions must be declared during job applications and related exceptions and further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS filtering guide. The Bedford College Group\'s policy on Employment of Ex-Offenders is attached to this vacancy.

Candidates who are barred from working with children are reminded it is a criminal offence to apply for this post.

We reserve the right to bring forward the closing date of the adverts should we receive a sufficient level of interest!

Please note most roles advertised on AoC Jobs are posted directly by the college or employing organisation and are not being handled by the AoC Recruitment Team. If you would like to hear about interim and/or permanent roles being handled by AoC Recruitment, please send your CV to [emailprotected] and one of the team will be in touch.

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