Catering Partner

John Lewis plc; Darwen; On-site; GBP 18,000 - 19,000; Full time

Job summary

John Lewis Partnership is hiring Catering Assistants for Partner dining rooms in Darwen, Lancashire. The role involves fast-paced service, food preparation, and stock handling with a nightly premium for hours between 22:00 and 06:00.

You will join a team focused on great service, hygiene, and stock control, with a 38.75-hour weekly schedule, Monday to Friday, 07:00–15:00. Closing date is 27 October 2026; Permanent contract offered.

Qualifications

• Basic Food Hygiene Certificate.
• Previous catering experience.
• Worked in a forward thinking customer facing environment.

Responsibilities

• Work as a team to ensure a smooth catering service.
• Provide positive Partner interactions with a friendly and welcoming attitude.
• 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.

Skills

Basic Food Hygiene Certificate

Catering experience

Customer facing environment

Job description

ABOUT THE ROLE

Our Catering Assistants work in our Partner (employee) dining rooms in various Partnership locations. Wherever you work, you'll offer the great service we're known for, to fellow Partners. 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. In addition to your contractual pay, any time worked between 22:00 - 06:00 will attract Night Premium at a rate of £3.75 per hour. This will also apply to existing Partners who have enrolled onto Enhanced Hours Premium arrangements.

Key Responsibilities

• Work as a team to ensure a smooth catering service.
• Provide positive Partner interactions with a friendly and welcoming attitude.
• 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

• Basic Food Hygiene Certificate.
• Previous catering experience.
• Worked in a forward thinking customer facing environment.

Desirable skills/experience you may have

• Food Safety level 2 & 3.
• Basic Food Hygiene Certificate.

Closing Date

October 27, 2026

Pay

£13.00 (£13.25 After 90 days)

Contract Type

Permanent

Hours of Work

Full time work (38.75 hours) across five days Monday to Friday between the hours of 07:00 - 15:00.

Job Level

Partnership Level 10

Where You'll Be Working

Herbert Parkinson, Harvest Mill, Darwen, Lancashire, BB3 0HR

ABOUT 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 also recommend that you apply as soon as possible as vacancies can close early if we see a high number of applicants. 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. At the John Lewis Partnership we’re not just employees; we’re co-owners, and that’s why we’re called Partners. Being a Partner means not only do we all collectively share the responsibilities of being the UK’s largest employee-owned business, but we also share in its rewards and successes. It’s this ownership model that makes the Partnership a very unique place to work.