Catering Assistant

John Lewis Partnership; Reading; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 26,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading UK retailer is seeking a Catering Assistant to work in their customer restaurants or employee dining rooms. The role demands great customer service and adherence to food safety standards while preparing and presenting food. Candidates should be flexible, detail-oriented, and passionate about food. This is a full-time role (37.5 hours/week) with varied hours, including early starts and late finishes. Join this employee-owned business to make a difference and thrive in a supportive environment.

Benefits

Free food on working days

Flexible working options

Employee ownership benefits

Qualifications

• Flexibility to work across the entire Catering team and ensure smooth operations.
• Passion for food and high standards in hygiene.
• Keen eye for detail in food preparation.

Responsibilities

• Work as a team to ensure a smooth catering service.
• Provide positive customer interactions and be an ambassador for the brand.
• Follow health and safety procedures.
• Maintain stock and reduce food wastage.
• Resolve any operational issues promptly.

Skills

Ability to work as a team

Strong customer service skills

Flexibility to work in various catering roles

Attention to detail in food preparation

Job description

About the role

Our Catering Assistants in our John Lewis shops, you'll work in either our customer restaurants or behind-the-scenes in our Partner (employee) dining rooms. Wherever you work, you'll offer the great customer service we're known for. It can be fast-paced but by taking great pride in your food preparation and presentation standards, you'll ensure the best possible catering experience. You'll also support with other catering related tasks, including stock replenishment and storage of deliveries. Our Catering Partners enjoy free food in our dining rooms on their working days and being based in our shops, there is no split shifts or late evening work.

Key Responsibilities

• Work as a team to ensure a smooth catering service.
• Provide positive customer and Partner interactions with a friendly and welcoming attitude. Being an ambassador for the John Lewis brand at all times.
• Follow procedures and instructions using the 'Health and Safety at Work Act' and 'Food Safety Act' when completing all relevant tasks.
• Ensure stock is replenished and available for our customers.
• Reduce food wastage by ensuring care and due diligence when rotating food stock.
• Act promptly and use your initiative to resolve any issues that arise in the operation.
• Maintain personal hygiene standards.

Essential skills/experience you'll need

• Ability to be flexible to work across the whole Catering team and use your initiative to ensure the smooth running of the operation.
• Passion for food.
• Keen eye for detail and high standards in food preparation, hygiene and cleanliness.

Desirable skills/experience you may have

• Ability to work in a fast paced physically demanding environment.
• Team Work.
• Great customers service.
• Experience of working in a kitchen or a catering environment.

Varied hours of full time work (37.5 hours a week) across seven days to include early starts, late finishes, evenings and weekends

Varied hours of full time work (37.5 hours a week) across seven days to include early starts, late finishes, evenings and weekends

The partnership

We’re the largest employee owned business in the UK and home of our cherished brands, John Lewis and Waitrose. We’re not just employees, we’re Partners, driven by our purpose to build a happier world. As we look to our future, there’s never been a more exciting time to join us.

We’re ruthlessly focused on being brilliant at retail. We continue to innovate, adapt and diversify. Never Knowingly Undersold on price, quality and service in John Lewis and passionately serving food-lovers in Waitrose.

As Partners we all share the responsibility of ownership and in its rewards. We use our voices to contribute to our success, working together through the good and challenging times, holding true to our behaviours and treating everyone with kindness and respect.

We all own making the Partnership somewhere we belong. Embracing our differences and creating an environment where we’re free to be ourselves and can THRIVE. Growing ourselves individually, and as a collective.

As Partners, we make all the difference. And, we all own it.

Important points to note:

It’s important to note that some of our roles are subject to pre-employment vetting (which may include DBS checks for successful candidates). If required, you’ll be informed and provided with information about vetting during the recruitment process and we encourage you to complete any vetting documents quickly to avoid delays. Any DBS checks required will be carried out by a third-party registered body and financial probity checks may also be required for some of our roles.

We occasionally close vacancies early in the event we receive a high volume of applications, and therefore, we recommend you apply early. If you require a reasonable adjustment due to a disability which means you may need longer to complete your application please contact us as soon as possible.

We want all of our Partners to have a good work-life balance and we support flexible working. This might mean flexible or compressed hours, job sharing or shorter hour contracts, where possible. Please discuss this further with the hiring manager during your interview.