Chef

NHS; Chester; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 27,000; Part time

Job summary

A healthcare facility in Chester is seeking a part-time chef to uphold the highest standards of food preparation and hygiene. Responsibilities include cooking meals for patients and staff, ensuring food safety, and training kitchen staff. Applicants must hold relevant qualifications such as City & Guilds or equivalent and have experience in therapeutic diets. This permanent position offers a salary ranging from £24,937 to £26,598 per annum, pro rata, based on a 22.5 hour work week.

Benefits

Enhanced pay for weekends

Salary range £24,937 to £26,598

Qualifications

• Strong commitment to maintaining high food hygiene standards.
• Experience in therapeutic diets preparation.
• Working knowledge of HACCP principles is essential.

Responsibilities

• Prepare, cook, and serve meals for patients, staff, and visitors.
• Maintain food safety and hygiene records.
• Train and support kitchen staff.

Skills

Food preparation

Food hygiene

Teamwork

Customer service

Education

City & Guilds 706/1&2 or NVQ Equivalent

Level 3 Award in Food Safety

Basic health & Safety Certificate

Job description

Job Summary

Working Part Time: 22.5 hours per week

Support the Deputy Head of Catering in achieving the highest standards of food preparation, cooking and service. The post holder will provide attractive and palatable meals to hospital patients, staff and visitors, and will adopt responsibility at all times for the quality and outcome of each dish prepared and each task undertaken.

The chef will have a commitment to the highest standards of personal hygiene and dress, and take full responsibility for ensuring safe food hygiene and health & safety practices are observed at all times.

Assist in the preparation, cooking and service of food for Ellesmere Port Hospital.

Enhancements

• Saturday: Time plus 35%
• Sunday/Bank Holiday – Times plus 69%

Main Duties of the Job

• Prepare, cook and serve meals as per menu to patients, staff and visitors, ensuring the highest standards of food hygiene throughout the process.
• Observe and maintain all necessary "due diligence" records as requested, i.e.: Fridge, Freezer Temperature recordings, HACCP.
• Follow/implement all aspects of food safety management systems, for which you are responsible.
• Follow standard recipes and methods and make the most economical use of fresh/raw ingredients, whilst maintaining strict avoidance of waste.
• Allocate work to the kitchen support staff, in conjunction with the Deputy Head /Manager, and assist in the induction and training of newly appointed Chefs, catering assistants and porters.
• Check that all food received is in accordance with quality and quantity ordered, adopting basic stock control principles.
• Assist in the ordering of certain perishable foods and dairy store items.

About Us

The Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust provides services to West Cheshire and to Welsh patients covered by Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. The Trust works collaboratively within the wider Cheshire and Merseyside Health and Care Partnership. Its services are provided from three locations:

• The Countess of Chester Hospital: providing 438 general and acute beds
• Ellesmere Port Hospital: providing 56 beds as a rehabilitation, intermediate and outpatient facility
• Tarporley War Memorial Hospital: a base for community services which serve the local rural population.

The Trust employs over 5916 staff (headcount) which includes temporary bank staff and provides acute emergency and elective services, primary care direct access services and obstetric services to a population of approximately 411,000. This includes 361,000 residents in Chester and West Cheshire which includes Ellesmere Port and Neston as well as the Deeside area of Flintshire which has a population of approximately 50,000.

Details

Date posted: 02 December 2025

Pay scheme: Agenda for change

Band: Band 3

Salary: £24,937 to £26,598 a year pa pro rata

Contract: Permanent

Working pattern: Part-time

Reference number: 210-2025-749

Job locations: Countess of Chester Hospital, Liverpool Road, Chester, CH2 1UL

Recruitment Selection Procedures

Recruitment selection processes are based on competence (see Person specification) and values.

Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs will be deducted from their salary over the first three months of employment.

You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. A small annual fee of £16 per year applies.

New entrants to the NHS will commence on the minimum of the scale stated above.

Applicants are advised to apply early as if a large number of applications are received for this post, we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the advertised date.

Person Specification

Qualification – Essential

• City & Guilds 706/1&2 or NVQ Equivalent
• Good standard of English & Maths
• Level 3 Award in Food Safety - Intermediate Food Hygiene Certificate
• Basic health & Safety Certificate and Allergen Awareness

Desirable

• Nebosh
• Level 4 Food Safety Management

Knowledge and Experience – Essential

• Experience in the preparation of therapeutic diets
• Working knowledge of HACCP principles and their specific application for catering

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit UK Visas and Immigration website. From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.

Employer Details

Employer name: Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Address: Countess of Chester Hospital, Liverpool Road, Chester, CH2 1UL

Website: https://www.coch.nhs.uk/working-with-us.aspx