Chef

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust; West of England; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 26,000; Full time

Job summary

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an experienced catering professional to supervise Trainee Chefs and General Assistants and to support the preparation and service of meals for patients and staff. You will ensure food hygiene standards and production schedules are followed to deliver high-quality meals across hospital wards.

The role involves managing kitchen operations, coordinating with contractors and NHS suppliers, and maintaining food safety records.

Qualifications

• Ability to communicate with other catering staff regarding work issues and instructions.
• Structured training programme through taught courses to obtain foundation certificate in food hygiene/level 2 food safety.
• Recent catering experience is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Delegate and supervise Trainee Chefs and General Assistants to ensure meals for patients are prepared to standard.
• Assist with food service for patients and staff and maintain catering service continuity.
• Produce meals per production schedules using standard recipes and cooking methods to maintain nutritional standards.
• Ensure correct storage of food according to the Trust’s Food Hygiene Policy and stock rotation.
• In the absence of managerial staff, oversee the kitchen operations and liaise with NHS supplies and contractors.
• Open or lock the kitchen at end of production and ensure all equipment is turned off.

Skills

Communication

Teamwork

Initiative

Education

Food hygiene/food safety certificate

Job description

North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT) and University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) have merged as of 1st July 2026 to become Bristol NHS Foundation Trust. This creates an exciting future that brings together the best of both organisations. As a single, strong and sustainable organisation, we will not only be able to deliver better outcomes for our patients and fairer care for our population, but it will also provide greater opportunities for our people.

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust recognise the value of a healthy work-life balance. When applying, speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate flexible working, so your work life fits around your home life.

We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates as they are under-represented within the Trust.

Our job adverts may close as soon as sufficient applications have been received.

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) describes algorithms that can be used to produce new content, including audio, code, images, text, simulations, and videos. It is developing all the time and is now being used as a support mechanism for all kinds of content-based creations. Please note the use of AI is monitored and if applicants have used it then they are required to declare this.

Job Overview

Communicate menu changes to staff and dietary information to patients and nursing staff. May be required to visit patients and discuss dietary requirements/complaints (in the absence of the head chef).

Main duties of the job

To delegate and supervise Trainee Chefs and General Assistants to provide direction and support in the preparation and cooking for patients/customers, ensuring that methods, procedures and service times are adhered to and achieve the best use of manpower.

To assist, when required, with food service for patients and staff, ensuring continuity of service and maintain customer relations.

To produce function catering to specified menus and recipes to ensure high standard and constant quality of catering is achieved.

To ensure the correct storage of food is adhered to in accordance with the Trust’s Food Hygiene Policy to prevent food wastage and ensure correct stock rotation.

In the absence of the Food Production Manager or Head Chef to be responsible for the overall smooth running of the kitchen and security of the stock and department, dealing with contractors, NHS supplies and delivery personnel to ensure a continuity of service to customers.

In the absence of the Food Production Manager or Head Chef take responsibility for open up or locking the kitchen at the end of production ensuring all equipment is turned off.

Completion of Temperature Monitoring Records to ensure that all foods are stored, cooked and served at the correct temperature.

Working for our organisation

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust brings together more than 28,000 staff to deliver over 160 clinical services across thirteen hospital locations, operating from three main sites at Southmead, Bristol city centre and Weston.

With an annual turnover of £2.3 billion, we are now one of the largest NHS trusts in the United Kingdom. Our hospitals are spread across Bristol and Weston, join us and you can enjoy the very best of both worlds; city living within a stone’s throw of the countryside or beside the seaside, both with easy access to all that the South West has to offer.

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust values all people as individuals. As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application in order to ensure we’re meeting our pledge.

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

Maintain a high standard of cleanliness and hygiene throughout the department in accordance with the Trust’s Food Hygiene Policy and current legislation.

To follow safety regulations and safe systems of work in the catering department to ensure compliance with Health and Safety Legislation.

Adheres to all departmental SOPs as required.

To ensure catering assistants use equipment safely and correctly at all times.

Maintain work records and time sheets appropriately at all times.

To deal with Ward enquiries regarding patient meals.

To attend regular individual personal development review to identify personal development needs in line with the Trust’s aims and objectives.

Attend training as required and identified in personal development plans.

As part of personal development programme participate in working groups involved in the development of patient and retail services, departmental procedures or user groups.

y deal with customer complaints in the restaurant

To produce a range of meals as per production schedules, to standard recipes and cooking methods, ensuring nutritional standards are maintained.

To ensure the correct economical use of raw ingredients to prevent over-production and food wastage, including the requisitioning of goods from stores.

To assess alternative courses of action with menu scheduling where required e.g. delivery shortfall, equip

Working In Kitchen And Restaurant Areas Will Involve

Hot and humid conditions.

Periods of working in cold conditions.

Exposure to low temperatures in walk-in fridges and freezers.

Work equipment that operates at extremely high temperatures, including naked flames and steam and may have sharp blades and moving parts.

Floor surfaces may have spillages of good and liquids increasing the risk of slips and falls.

Use of cleaning chemicals during cleaning process.

Fumes from the deep fat fryers and the cooking process.

Exposure to very hot liquids during cooking process.

Sharp knives.

Handling raw meat, fish and poultry.

Staff are required to be on their feet for the majority of the shift, only sitting down during rest periods.

Staff are required to work to agreed timescales for production and service of patients’ meals or opening of retail outlets. This puts considerable pressure on individuals to ensure their element of service is timely.

Work can frequently be repetitive with the production of meals to set menus.

Staff are frequently required to lift and move items within the Department during production, washing up, plating of meals, cleaning and stocking up retail areas. Weight can exceed 5 kg.

Staff are occasionally required to move stock up to15kg with the aid of a trolley around the production area.

Machine or hand mop floor areas.

Cleaning of wall.

Deep cleaning of work equipment.

Staff involved with retail outlets or direct ward services require the skills to serve staff, visitors and patients and, in some cases, deal with complaints.

MENTAL EFFORT

Regular concentration required when using knives and machinery during cooking schedules

Person specification

Shortlisting criteria

Essential criteria

• Ability to communicate with other catering staff regarding work issues and instructions
• To be able to undertake a structured training programme through taught courses and on the job training to last approximately 3 months to include foundation certificate in food hygiene/level 2 food safety certificate, and equipment training (slicing, boilers, cooling kettles etc). To be signed off as competent with a 3-4 month period
• Recent relevant catering experience is desirable
• Ability to use initiative, prioritise and take prompt follow up action as required by the situation, e.g. quality control/replacing a customer’s meal
• Ability to work as a member of a team

We hope that you will decide to join us and become part of this exciting journey, helping us to shape our future together.

• As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application to ensure we’re meeting our pledge.
• The Trust is committed to investing in and caring for all our staff. We will support you in maintaining and improving your health and wellbeing, as well as your career development through management and training support - developing exceptional people for exceptional careers.
• BFT is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults.
• To comply with Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016 all applicants must be able to speak fluent English to an appropriate standard which will be assessed at Interview.
• If you require sponsorship for a visa to work in the UK, to avoid disappointment, please check to ensure you are eligible under the UKVI points based system.
• The Trust uses electronic new starter forms on Trac to collect personal details. Information collected is securely stored and used to set up the employee record on the ESR HR system.
• By applying for this post, you are agreeing to Bristol NHS Foundation Trust transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are offered a job, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.
• Please be aware of scams – unless specified above, we will only communicate with you via @recruit.trac.jobs or nhs.net e-mails and we will never ask you for any payments.

Important

Please note that if you apply for a position with this Trust, you may be contacted via Trac or via email. This includes invites for job interviews. We therefore recommend that you regularly check your Trac account and email accounts. We may also contact you by texting the mobile number, if provided, on the application form.

Due to the high number of applications that are received for some posts we may close this vacancy before the advertised closing date. Therefore, if you are interested and you meet the requirements of the Person Specification.

Only those candidates who clearly demonstrate how they meet the person specification will be shortlisted for this job.

As a guide interviews should usually take place within 3 weeks of the closing date.

When providing employment reference details, please provide correct work-related email addresses so references can be sought promptly when we are looking to progress your application. Your referee must all be known to you in a line manager or professional lead capacity.