Chef - Patient and Retail Catering Food Production

NHS; Reading; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading NHS hospital in Reading is seeking a full-time Chef to join their Catering Department. The ideal candidate will have experience in high-volume food production, handling both patient and restaurant meals. Responsibilities include preparing food according to recipes, ensuring kitchen safety standards, and supervising food service. A relevant culinary qualification is required, along with a commitment to delivering high-quality dining experiences.

Qualifications

• Proven ability to cook with fresh ingredients from start to end product.
• Relevant experience of working in a team environment.
• Relevant experience of working in a similar type of establishment (NHS).

Responsibilities

• Prepare and cook patients and restaurant food as per recipe.
• Communicate food service requirements to staff and patients.
• Adhere to standard recipes and production planning.

Skills

Cooking with fresh ingredients

Teamwork

Food service communication

Knowledge of specialist diets

Education

NVQ 2 in Cookery or City and Guilds equivalent

Basic Food Hygiene

Higher level food safety qualification

Job description

Chef - Patient and Retail Catering Food Production

A fantastic opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic and driven individual to join the Royal Berkshire NHS Trust Hospital, Reading, Berkshire. The successful candidate will be working in the Catering Department as a chef, on a full-time basis.

This is an exciting opportunity to join Royal Berkshire NHS Trust one of the UK's largest general hospital foundation trusts- serving a population excess of 500,000. The main provider of acute and specialist care services for West Berkshire and South Oxfordshire. One of UK's exemplary hospitals and rated 'Good' by the Care Quality Commission.

We deliver approximately 1,600 patient meals and 700 staff/visitor meals in the Restaurant/Deli & Training Center every day. We also deliver Internal functions in excess of 40,000 covers per annum.

The ideal candidate will have similar experience working in a high volume production kitchen, following standardised departmental recipes.

Main duties of the job

• Preparing and cooking patients and restaurant food as per recipe.
• Cooking and preparing elements of high quality and diet specific dishes.
• Keeping up with industry trends and help create new recipes.
• Maintaining a clean and safe kitchen and ensuring sanitation practices in the kitchen.
• Assisting other chefs.
• Helping with deliveries and restocking.
• Assisting with stock rotation.
• Cleaning stations.
• Contributing to maintaining kitchen and food safety standards.

About us

The CQC recently rated the care provided by the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust as Good.

Our values: Compassionate, Aspirational, Resourceful, Excellent. Our Vision: Working together to provide outstanding care for our community.

Job responsibilities

• Communicate information relating to food service requirements to staff, patients and other members of the public both verbally and by telephone.
• Organise day-to-day work tasks or activities in conjunction with assistant head chef.
• Provide information on food service, matters including recipes and wastage information.
• Responsible for the correct operation of kitchen equipment.
• Adherence to standard recipes and production planning whilst ensuring the most economical use of provisions.
• Supervise the serving of food and the maintaining of good portion control and presentation of the food served.

Person Specification

Education/Qualifications

• NVQ 2 in Cookery or City and Guilds equivalent
• Basic Food Hygiene
• Higher level food safety qualification

Experience

• Has proven ability to cook with fresh ingredients from start to end product
• Has experience of working in a Team environment
• Relevant experience of working in the catering undertaking a chef / cook role
• Relevant experience of working in a similar type of establishment (NHS)

Knowledge

• Has knowledge and experience of delivering specialist diets

Please refer to the attached Job Description & Person Specification for further details.

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.