Catering Assistant (Retail Patient Services Northern Campus)

GEH; Sheffield; Hybrid; GBP 23,000 - 28,000; Part time

Job summary

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Catering Assistant (Retail Patient Services Northern Campus). The role supports high-quality patient and staff catering across dining rooms and deli bars with strict hygiene and portion-control standards.

Based at the Northern General or Royal Hallamshire Hospitals, you will work across sites as needed, ensuring timely service, accurate labeling, and customer-focused service while upholding safety and compliance requirements.

Qualifications

• Experience in catering/food services including Health & Safety, different food service systems, cash handling.
• Knowledge of allergens.
• Working in a catering organisation/operation.
• Supervision of staff.

Responsibilities

• Service Excellence: Manage food service across dining rooms and deli bars, ensuring excellent presentation and portion control.
• Logistics & Flow: Coordinate the collection and delivery of insulated meal trolleys to wards and regeneration zones, ensuring timely service for patients.
• Quality Assurance: Conduct checks on meal deliveries for quantity, quality, and labeling and resolve discrepancies to maintain standards.
• Food Safety & Compliance: Operate regeneration ovens and maintain records of food temperatures, ensuring compliance with hygiene regulations.
• Financial Accountability: Operate cash registers and manage daily banking with integrity and security.
• Operational Readiness: Prepare serveries, maintain cleanliness in food service areas, and clear equipment and crockery.

Skills

Catering experience

Health & Safety knowledge

Cash handling

Allergen knowledge

Staff supervision

Education

GCSE English and Maths

Level 2 Food Hygiene

Level 2 Health and Safety

NVQ/Apprenticeship in Catering

Job description

Catering Assistant (Retail Patient Services Northern Campus)

The closing date is 08 November 2026

As a vital member of our Catering Team, you will bridge the gap between clinical excellence and hospitality. You aren't just serving food; you are ensuring our patients, staff, and visitors receive the high-quality, nutritionally balanced sustenance essential for recovery and well-being.

Working alongside dietitians and culinary experts, you will uphold the rigorous standards of the Catering Department, ensuring every meal is delivered with precision, safety, and a focus on the customer experience.

Main duties of the job

Key Responsibilities include, but are not limited to

Service Excellence: Manage food service across dining rooms and deli bars, ensuring excellent presentation and portion control

Logistics & Flow: Coordinate the collection and delivery of insulated meal trolleys to wards and regeneration zones, ensuring timely service for patients.

Quality Assurance: Conduct rigorous checks on meal deliveries for accuracy (quantity, quality, and labelling) and resolve any discrepancies immediately to maintain service standards.

Food Safety & Compliance: Operate regeneration ovens and maintain meticulous records of food temperatures--from delivery to service--ensuring 100% compliance with food hygiene regulations.

Financial Accountability: Operate cash registers and manage daily banking/cashing-up procedures with a high level of integrity and security.

Operational Readiness: Prepare and set up serveries, maintain cleanliness in food service areas, and manage the efficient clearing of equipment and crockery.

About us

You will be working for an organisation which values and respects all of its staff and the community it serves. The Trust is a leader in the NHS and research sectors and provides excellent benefits for its staff. This includes a firm commitment to professional development of its staff together with the provision of an excellent health and well-being support service.

Staff training and development is really important to us, and we offer the chance to do further qualifications and progression towards roles in collaboration with our trust Facilities Learning and Development team, as well as a variety of regular in-house and external courses.

The Ideal Candidate should be reliable and understand that patients depend on your punctuality and attention to detail. They should also be adaptable: While based at either the Northern General or Royal Hallamshire Hospitals, you are open to supporting our teams across different sites as needed. You must have a customer-focused and friendly demeanour and also take pride in providing great service to staff and visitors.

Experience

• Experience in catering/food services including:- Health & Safety. Different food service systems. Cash handling.
• Knowledge of allergens.
• Working in a Catering organisation/operation.
• Supervision of staff.

Qualifications

• GCSE English and Maths (A-C) or Grade 9 - 4 or equivalent experience.
• Level 2 Food Hygiene Certificate or equivalent experience.
• Level 2 Health and Safety Certificate or equivalent experience.
• NVQ or apprenticeship in a Catering subject.

Skills and Knowledge

• Health & Safety knowledge including manual handling techniques, fire safety.
• Training on Equality and Diversity.
• NVQ Level 1 -Multi-skilled Food Service.

Personal Qualities

• Ability to communicate with a range of groups ie multi-cultural patients, visitors and staff.
• Basic computer skills.
• Ability to create and maintain good working relationships with individuals or teams.
• Understanding of the reasons for and ability to maintain confidentiality at all times.
• Experience of working in a large team.

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.

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

£25,272 a yearpa/pro rata for part time staff