Catering Assistant

Wrightington, Wigan & Leigh NHS Foundation Trust; Lilford; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare organization in the United Kingdom is seeking a Catering Assistant to work in their busy kitchens. You will be responsible for a range of duties, including food preparation, cleaning, and serving meals to patients and staff. Ideal candidates should have experience in food preparation and cash handling, along with a commitment to high hygiene standards. This position offers a good salary and benefits, including pension contributions and leave options.

Benefits

Good basic salary

Excellent pension

Annual leave 27-33 days

Birthday leave

Training opportunities

Qualifications

• Ability to work in a busy kitchen environment.
• Knowledge of food hygiene standards and health & safety policies.
• Flexibility to work various shifts.

Responsibilities

• Plan and organize food preparation and service.
• Assist in food preparation and meal service.
• Clean kitchen equipment and maintain hygiene standards.
• Handle cash and utilize retail equipment.

Skills

Food preparation

Customer service

Cash handling

Job description

Job Summary

You will work as part of a busy catering team working to tight timescales. You will undertake a wide range of duties including food preparation, cleaning and meal service duties within the kitchens, retail outlets, and wards.

Key Responsibilities

• Planning and organising food preparation and service according to standard operational procedures.
• Preparation of food in high‑risk chilled areas, complying with specified recipes and labelling of products.
• Assist in the production of cooked foods such as soups and gravy after training.
• Serve meals at ward level to patients, and in retail outlets to staff and visitors.
• Attend patient menu choices and offer alternatives where required.
• Deliver buffets and functions outside the Department.
• Use of tills, vending machines and other retail equipment for cash handling.
• Record temperatures and other key audit requirements on monitoring forms; report anomalies.
• Clean pans, cutlery, crockery, machinery, cooking equipment, floors, walls and work surfaces.
• Follow departmental uniform and personal hygiene code of practice.
• Communicate with colleagues and supervisors to ensure meal service proceeds efficiently.
• Answer the telephone, take messages and pass them on in a timely manner.
• Participate in patient satisfaction surveys at ward level.
• Answer questions during external food safety audits (e.g. Environmental Health Officer).
• Handle cash, use retail tills, barcode and card readers, and empty vending machines.
• Maintain stock control and record keeping per departmental procedures.
• Assist new starters with demonstrations of duties and mandatory training.
• Adhere to the Trust’s health & safety policies, report defects, and manage manual handling.
• Support teaching and training of new staff.
• Work unsocial hours, noisy, hot, humid or chilled environments; flexible hours or other sites may be required.

Working Hours and Shift Patterns

1 x 30 hour position, Monday to Friday. 6 hour shifts on a 6‑week rolling rota. Shift patterns are 7am‑1pm, 8am‑2pm, 9am‑3pm, and 1:30pm‑7:30pm. Rota will be explained during interview.

Compensation and Benefits

• Good basic salary plus attractive package of benefits.
• Excellent pension & life assurance package (over 20% employer contribution).
• Annual leave 27‑33 days per annum depending on service.
• Birthday leave.
• Paid maternity, paternity and adoption leave depending on service.
• Training opportunities and e‑learning resources.
• Health and wellbeing support.
• Career progression opportunities within Estates & Facilities and the NHS.
• Salary sacrifice schemes for lease vehicles and buy‑a‑bike schemes.
• NHS discount schemes for a range of products and services.
• Long‑service awards.

About the Trust

Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provide acute hospital and community services. We value staff and believe that happy staff makes for happy patients, and we are committed to placing the patient at the heart of everything we do.