Chef - Bank (Band 3)

NHS; Chester; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

An established healthcare provider is seeking a dedicated chef to join their team. In this role, you will ensure the highest standards of food preparation and hygiene while providing nutritious meals to patients and staff. You will work closely with the Deputy Head of Catering, leading kitchen support staff and maintaining strict food safety protocols. This position offers the opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of patients by delivering high-quality meals in a busy hospital environment. If you are passionate about food and committed to excellence, this is the perfect opportunity for you.

Qualifications

• Experience in preparing therapeutic diets and knowledge of HACCP principles.
• Good standard of English and Maths required for communication.

Responsibilities

• Prepare, cook, and serve meals ensuring high food hygiene standards.
• Maintain due diligence records and assist in kitchen staff training.

Skills

Food Preparation

Cooking Skills

Food Hygiene

Team Leadership

Stock Control

Education

City & Guilds 706/1&2 or NVQ Equivalent

Level 3 Award in Food Safety

Basic Health & Safety Certificate

Job description

Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

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.

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 6258 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 407,000. This includes 357,000 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.

The Trust is a busy district general hospital and in 2022/2023, there were more than 503,342 patient attendances (inpatient, outpatient and diagnostic) ranging from a simple outpatient appointment to major cancer surgery. This is an increase of nearly 10,000 compared to the previous year when there were 494,387 patient attendances.

Job responsibilities

See Job Description for further details.

Person Specification

Qualification

• 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
• Level 4 Food Safety Management

Knowledge and Experience

• 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.