Chef

NHS; Redditch; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

Join the NHS as a chef at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, where you will prepare meals for patients, staff, and visitors. This permanent, full-time role requires commitment to quality food production and adherence to hygiene standards in a busy kitchen environment.

Qualifications

• Mandatory qualifications include a Level 2 Certificate in Food Safety and NVQ in Catering.
• Essential skills in allergen awareness and therapeutic diets needed for patient meals.
• Positive attitude, good communication skills, and ability to work independently are crucial.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and produce meals for patients, ensuring adherence to safety and quality standards.
• Record cooking temperatures and maintain cleanliness in the kitchen.
• Adhere to all food safety regulations and assist in training new staff.

Skills

Allergen awareness

Therapeutic diets

Health & Safety

Teamwork

Communication skills

Education

Level 2 Certificate in Food Safety

Level 1 & 2 Diploma or NVQ equivalent in Catering

City & Guilds 706 1 & 2

Job description

Job summary

We are looking for chefs to join our team working in the CPU which produces all meals for patients, staff and visitors. The post holder 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. Maintaining a clean, hazard free kitchen in order to minimise risks to patients and staff, ensuring compliance with statutory and company requirements on food hygiene, allergens, storage and temperature control. Ensuring that trust policies and practices are adhered to which includes completing all trust documentation.

Main duties of the job

To carry out duties as part of the food production team to produce safe, nourishing food to the highest achievable quality for patients, staff and visitors. These duties to be carried out in compliance with Food Safety Regulations whilst adhering to the standards of production in line with agreed specified recipes and following instruction from the Head Chef.

There is a requirement to cover late shifts to 18:00 at least once weekly and the ability to cover the weekend shift 07:00-13:30 to cover holidays and sickness.

About us

Our purpose is simple - Putting Patients First. We are looking for exceptional colleagues who can help us achieve this.

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is a large acute and specialised hospital trust that provides a range of local acute services to the residents of Worcestershire and more specialised services to a larger population in Herefordshire and beyond.

The Trust operates hospital-based services from three sites in Kidderminster, Redditch and Worcester

Our workforce is over 7,000 strong, and our caring staff are recognised as providing good and outstanding patient-centred care. You could be one of them.

We are committed to recruiting the best people to work with us to achieve our Vision - working in partnership to provide the best healthcare for our communities, leading and supporting our teams to move 4ward. Our 4ward behaviours, which we ask all staff to demonstrate, underpin our everyday work and remain firmly at the heart of all we do.

Our objectives are simple:

• Best services for local people
• Best experience of care and best outcomes for our patients
• Best use of resources
• Best people

Better never stops, and our Clinical Services Strategy provides a clear future vision for our Trust, our hospitals, our services and our role in the wider health and care system.

We are proud to have achieved Timewise accreditation - this means we are committed to embedding flexible working within our organisation as a flex positive employer.

Details Date posted

10 June 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 2

Salary

£24,169 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

C9365-25-0433-2

Job locations

The Alexandra Hospital

Woodrow Drive

Redditch

Worcestershire

B987UB

Job description Job responsibilities

To prepare and produce food for consumption by patients, staff and visitors according to standard recipe requirements.

To work according to set policies and procedures on the receipt and storage of all goods associated with the production of food items ensuring they are of the required specification and quality.

To record all cooking and chilling temperatures to set standards and report any problems to the line manager. To adhere to all set standards relating to raw materials, ingredients, intermediate products and finished products to comply with Food Safety regulations.

To prepare and cook therapeutic meals in accordance with the dietician requirements and specified standards.

To label, portion and package food as required, in line with food safety standards.

To prepare hospitality and functions to agreed requirements and standards.

To control food production and adhere to procedures regarding the delivery for packaging.

To ensure that the portioning of food is in accordance to the agreed specifications taking into account number of portions and weight.

To adhere to the labelling of cooked chilled products in line with the specified procedures.

To ensure that all workstations and preparation areas are kept clean and in a hygienic manner.

To adhere to the departments set codes of practise on hygiene and maintain a high standard of personal hygiene.

To adhere to all Hazard Analysis Critical Control points.

To assist in the training and induction of new staff as required.

To advise the line manager if food temperatures are not within the acceptable guidelines.

To work on own initiative when unsupervised adhering at all times to procedures and complying with Food Safety regulations.

To report all faulty equipment.

To report any sightings of pests.

To complete all control documentation in the correct manner.

To receive telephone calls and react accordingly.

To adhere to the reporting procedures of sickness/absence, annual leave and special leave completing the relevant documentation.

To attend mandatory and statutory training as instructed.

Job description Job responsibilities

To prepare and produce food for consumption by patients, staff and visitors according to standard recipe requirements.

To work according to set policies and procedures on the receipt and storage of all goods associated with the production of food items ensuring they are of the required specification and quality.

To record all cooking and chilling temperatures to set standards and report any problems to the line manager. To adhere to all set standards relating to raw materials, ingredients, intermediate products and finished products to comply with Food Safety regulations.

To prepare and cook therapeutic meals in accordance with the dietician requirements and specified standards.

To label, portion and package food as required, in line with food safety standards.

To prepare hospitality and functions to agreed requirements and standards.

To control food production and adhere to procedures regarding the delivery for packaging.

To ensure that the portioning of food is in accordance to the agreed specifications taking into account number of portions and weight.

To adhere to the labelling of cooked chilled products in line with the specified procedures.

To ensure that all workstations and preparation areas are kept clean and in a hygienic manner.

To adhere to the departments set codes of practise on hygiene and maintain a high standard of personal hygiene.

To adhere to all Hazard Analysis Critical Control points.

To assist in the training and induction of new staff as required.

To advise the line manager if food temperatures are not within the acceptable guidelines.

To work on own initiative when unsupervised adhering at all times to procedures and complying with Food Safety regulations.

To report all faulty equipment.

To report any sightings of pests.

To complete all control documentation in the correct manner.

To receive telephone calls and react accordingly.

To adhere to the reporting procedures of sickness/absence, annual leave and special leave completing the relevant documentation.

To attend mandatory and statutory training as instructed.

Person Specification Personal Qualities Essential

• Ability to motivate self and to be a team worker. To be a self-organiser and have a polite & positive attitude to your work and colleagues. Good level of communication skills. Aware of self-presentation to represent the department.

Desirable

• Pastry chef experience in bulk cooking.

Knowledge and Skills Essential

• The candidate must have knowledge of the following: - Allergen awareness Therapeutic diets Health & Safety.
• Be able to work independently following intructions.

Desirable

• Knowledge of Cook Chill production procedures

Qualifications Essential

• Level 2 Certificate in Food Safety Level 1 & 2 Diploma or NVQ equivalent in Catering. City & Guilds 706 1 & 2.

Desirable

• Level 3 Certificate in Food Safety

Experience Essential

• Experience as a chef following qualification.

Desirable

• Experience in healthcare catering.
• Experience of Cook Chill production procedures and bulk cooking

Person Specification Personal Qualities Essential

• Ability to motivate self and to be a team worker. To be a self-organiser and have a polite & positive attitude to your work and colleagues. Good level of communication skills. Aware of self-presentation to represent the department.

Desirable

• Pastry chef experience in bulk cooking.

Knowledge and Skills Essential

• The candidate must have knowledge of the following: - Allergen awareness Therapeutic diets Health & Safety.
• Be able to work independently following intructions.

Desirable

• Knowledge of Cook Chill production procedures

Qualifications Essential

• Level 2 Certificate in Food Safety Level 1 & 2 Diploma or NVQ equivalent in Catering. City & Guilds 706 1 & 2.

Desirable

• Level 3 Certificate in Food Safety

Experience Essential

• Experience as a chef following qualification.

Desirable

• Experience in healthcare catering.
• Experience of Cook Chill production procedures and bulk cooking

Employer details Employer name

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

Address

The Alexandra Hospital

Woodrow Drive

Redditch

Worcestershire

B987UB

Employer's website

https://www.worcsacute.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details Employer name

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

Address

The Alexandra Hospital

Woodrow Drive

Redditch

Worcestershire

B987UB

Employer's website

https://www.worcsacute.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)