Chef de Partie

University of Reading; Reading; On-site; GBP 27,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Reading is seeking a Chef de Partie to join our campus kitchen team on a full-time, 36-hour week. This junior post will support six kitchens under the Head Chef, helping produce fresh, nutritious dishes and develop early career skills.

Applicants should have City and Guilds Hospitality and Catering Level 2 or equivalent, a keen interest in food, and the ability to stay calm under pressure. The role offers progression within our award-winning food operation.

Qualifications

• City and Guilds Hospitality and Catering - Level 2 (7132) or equivalent experience of a wide range of Hospitality settings
• Keen interest in food, an understanding of food preparation and knowledge of ingredients
• Ability to remain calm under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Work as part of the Chef de Partie team across six kitchens under the Head Chef.
• Help develop aspiring chefs' core skills and progression within the team.

Skills

City and Guilds Hospitality and Craw?

Job description

credit_card Salary Grade 4 - Full Time - 36 hours per week - £26707 - £30378 per annum (Enhanced Pay outside of core working hours)

The job requirements are detailed below. Where applicable the skills, qualifications and memberships required for this job have also been included.

The Further Particulars for each job are in PDF format, which can be read by Adobe Acrobat or Acrobat Reader.

Job details

Salary Grade 4 - Full Time - 36 hours per week - £26707 - £30378 per annum (Enhanced Pay outside of core working hours)

Contractual hours 36

Basis Full time

Job category/type Ancillary and Operational Support, Manual

The closing date for applications is 23.59 on 5 th October 2026

Interviews will be held: W/C 12 th October 2026 on our Whiteknights Campus and will last 2-3 hours.

This role is not eligible for Skilled Worker visa sponsorship. The successful candidate(s) will have to ensure that they have the right to work in the UK or be able to secure this through another means without the sponsorship of the University. Further information about sponsorship is available on the UK Visas and Immigration Website .

We are different so forget any ideas of what you think we do….

We are looking for a Chef de Partie whoshares our passion forgreat food to join us onour journey to createthe best campus food experience.This post is a junior post within our team and will involve working with our Aspiring Chef team. This Post will help develop any aspiring chefs core skills and future progression with in the team.

We producefresh, nutritious and tasty dishes from scratch,with our menus changing daily andfollowing seasonality across six kitchens.

We are committed to the 24 Principles of Menus of Change, guiding our thinking around nutrition and sustainability. Weare the first European Member of the Menus of Change Universities Research Collaborative (MCURC). MCURC is a group of 70 like-minded Universities committed to using academic and operational research to improve the health of individuals and the planet.

The University operate three teams of Chefs, each reporting to a Head Chef covering our Hotel, Cafes, Bars, Event Catering and large Dining Halls.. Staff regularly move between teams to ensure professional development.

You will have:

• City and Guilds Hospitality and Catering - Level 2 (7132) or equivalent experience of a wide range of Hospitality settings
• Keen interest in food, an understanding of food preparation and knowledge of ingredients
• Ability to remain calm under pressure.

We operate a skills based assessment alongside our Chefs in a Kitchen. There is no interview in a meeting room. You need to be wearing appropriate clothing/footwear for Kitchen and bring your own knives. We can provide these on advanced request.

You’ll be asked to complete tasks and assessed on how you complete them. You are free to use your ‘phone for information such as recipes. We may provide written recipes for you to follow. Our team are on-hand to help you use any unfamiliar equipment.

We welcome applications from both external and internal candidates. As part of the University’s ongoing commitment to professional development, this role can be considered on a seconded basis for existing staff members. Internal candidates should discuss this with their line manager prior to applying.

All applications must be made via the University website.

The University is committed to having a diverse and inclusive workforce, supports the gender equality Athena SWAN Charter and the Race Equality Charter, and champions LGBT+ equality. We are a Disability Confident Employer (Level 2). Applications for job-share, part-time and flexible working arrangements are welcomed and will be considered in line with business needs.