Chef

QVH; East Grinstead; Remote; GBP 28,000 - 31,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working arrangements

NHS benefits: annual leave & pension

Weekend enhancement pay

Job summary

Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in East Grinstead is seeking a Catering Assistant to support the Head Chef in the hospital kitchens. You will prepare meals for patients and staff, maintain food safety and hygiene, and help ensure the smooth operation of the main and ward kitchens.

The role offers NHS benefits, enhanced weekend pay and flexible working options to support work-life balance. Previous kitchen experience is desirable, and training is provided.

Qualifications

• Experience in a professional kitchen and NHS catering environment.
• Knowledge of HACCP principles and food safety compliance.
• Ability to plan and organise workload in a busy kitchen.

Responsibilities

• Prepare meals for patients, staff and visitors in line with menu and budget.
• Maintain HACCP records and daily compliance documentation.
• Support Head Chef and Assistant Chef to ensure smooth kitchen operations.
• Keep kitchen and storage areas clean and hygienic at all times.

Skills

Food preparation

Stock management

HACCP knowledge

Teamwork

Education

QCF Level 3 in food preparation or above

Food Safety & Hygiene Level 3

Job description

Main area Catering Grade NHS AfC: Band 4 Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week (37.5 hrs per week (includes weekends & Bank Holidays)) Job ref 276-8243177-AfC

Site Queen Victoria Hospital Town East Grinstead Salary £28,392 - £31,157 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 15/11/2026 23:59

Welcome to Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and thank you for your interest.

In addition to receiving tertiary referrals from across the South East of England, we have a network of ‘spoke’ sites at district general hospitals enabling our consultants to offer their expertise with routine treatments and consultations as close to patients’ homes as is possible. With the recent addition of video led ‘virtual’ consultations we also enable patients who have some distance to travel to avoid the additional stress and worry of a long journey.

Working at QVH combines the excitement, challenge and career opportunities of many larger organisations with the satisfaction of delivering excellent patient care that really does re-build our patients’ lives.

We also offer attractive benefits such as

• tailored personal development to support career aspirations, including accredited clinical and management development programmes
• flexible working arrangements for a work-life balance that suits you and your needs
• a dedicated reward programme, offering a range of national and local discounts, cashback and tax relief schemes

The Trust is committed to offering a range of flexibleworking options to support employees to balance work and personal commitments, and the delivery of high quality and cost effective services.

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Sustainability

At Queen Victoria Hospital we want to be the first Net Zero Hospital in England, and to achieve that wants every member of staff to be a green champion. The way in which the Trust works has a significant impact on the organisation’s carbon footprint and that of our patients. From the heat, light and power supplies within the hospital to avoiding unnecessary patient journeys, the Trust is empowering all staff to create a sustainable health and care environment for future generations. The Trust expects all staff to reuse and recycle more, to use energy and water efficiently, to walk or cycle to work if you can, and to have a focus on sustainability in the workplace.

ATTRACTIVE ENHANCEMENT PAY FOR WEEKEND WORK

37.5 hours per week (Monday to Sunday 6.00am - 14.00pm or 11.00am-19.00pm)

The Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is an expert surgical Trust, specialising in Plastic Surgery, Maxillofacial Surgery and Burns.

The main purpose of the job is to provide assistance to the Head Chef and Assistant Chef and support the smooth running of the Main and Ward Kitchens. To prepare meals for patients, staff and visitors. Maintain a clean and hygienic environment in line with HACCP. Complete all compliance documentation on a daily basis. Assist to maintain the 5-Star Food Safety Hygiene Rating.

Working as part of the Catering Team you would work hard to maintain our high standards of cleanliness and customer service. Experience in a similar role would be desirable but enthusiasm and experience of working in a team are equally important.

You would enjoy a range of NHS benefits including a fantastic annual leave benefits and pension scheme. The Trust is committed to continued personal development.

Main duties of the job

To be responsible for preparation and cooking of all food requirements which meet expectations in terms of quality and value for money within current legislation (HACCPS) day to day operation of catering service, including special and ethnic diets

Demonstrate a positive and professional attitude and deal with any comments or feedback with necessary actions to maintain food safety and hygiene provisions

Working for our organisation

Rated GOOD overall with outstanding care by the CQC. A specialist NHS hospital providing life-changing reconstructive surgery, burns care and rehabilitation services across the South of England and beyond.

A centre of excellence, with an international reputation for pioneering advanced techniques and treatments. Everything we do is informed by our passion for providing the highest quality care and the best clinical outcomes.

At QVH we are proud of our achievements and our specialist services continue to record excellent clinical outcomes for patients. We regularly receive excellent results from patient satisfaction surveys and on average 98% of inpatients say they would recommend the hospital to their family or friends.

Our success is underpinned by the skills and enthusiasm of our staff and a strong culture of partnership. We are fully committed to training and development of the workforce with support for continuing education and learning.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see attached Job description

• To ensure the highest standards in food produced, service and delivery are maintained at all times
• To ensure all food items are stored correctly ensuring good stock rotation and temperature control
• To maintain a high standard of cleaning in all areas in accordance with the departmental cleaning procedures
• Maintain due diligence in all work procedures and practices throughout, for example, the preparation, cooking, service and storage stages through temperature control, high standards of personal hygiene, monitoring forms along with a clear understanding of HACCP and COSHH. Ensure all HACCP documentation is completed by the catering assistants and checked on a daily basis. This is important to ensure that the Trust achieves the highest star rating for food hygiene. Assist in the Environment Health Officer Audits to demonstrate compliance.
• Ensure that all activities required for the preparation and distribution of food to patients, staff and visitors is met to standards expected
• Deal with patient, staff and visitor queries and complaints escalate to The Head Chef and Assistant chef as necessary
• Ability to display moderate effort for short periods of time when moving and handling catering equipment
• Ensure compliance with the Safety Management System when using machinery. Report any Health and Safety related issues to the Head of Facilities.

Person specification

Qualification

• QCF Level 3 in food preparation or above, or able to demonstrate knowledge within this field through practical experience
• Food Safety & Hygiene Level 3

Experience

• Knowledge of Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Point (HACCP) documentation for temperatures of food, fridge freezer, cleaning processes in the kitchen
• Relevant experience of working in a similar food preparation environment
• Preparing/ altering menus/ costings
• Experience of working within an NHS catering environment

Skills

• Ability to prioritise and organise kitchen work
• Stock management and ordering skills

Knowledge

• Knowledge of and ability to prepare special diets, for example, gluten free
• Knowledge of food allergies
• Knowledge of dysphagia

The closing date given is a guide only. There may be some occasions when we have to close a vacancy once sufficient applications have been received. You are therefore advised to submit your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Application numbers

This vacancy may close early if it receives a high number of applications. Please submit your application in good time to avoid disappointment.