Cleaning Cleaner Ilkeston, Derbyshire Up to £12.71 / hour

Vertas Group; Ilkeston; Hybrid; GBP 16,000 - 22,000; Part time

Job summary

Vertas Group is seeking a School Chef to join our Catering Team at Westwood Infant & Nursery, NG16 5JA. This part-time role (20 hours/week, 09:00–13:00, 39.2 weeks/year) leads kitchen operations, delivering nutritious meals while upholding food safety and high service standards.

You will manage stock, ordering and budgeting, supervise kitchen colleagues, and maintain records, ensuring excellent customer service to pupils, staff and visitors.

Qualifications

• Previous experience as a School Chef or similar catering role.
• Experience in a school or commercial kitchen environment.
• Knowledge of food safety, allergens and health & safety requirements.
• Strong organisational and leadership skills.
• Passion for delivering high-quality food and customer service.
• Ability to work independently and use initiative.
• Ability to adapt and respond to change in a growing organisation.

Responsibilities

• Preparing, cooking and serving high quality meals
• Managing the day to day running of the kitchen
• Ensuring compliance with food safety and health and safety legislation
• Managing stock levels, ordering and budget controls
• Leading and supporting kitchen colleagues
• Maintaining accurate records and documentation
• Delivering excellent customer service to pupils, staff and visitors

Skills

School kitchen experience

Leadership

Food safety knowledge

Allergens awareness

Customer service

Organisational skills

Independent working

Adaptability

Job description

Are you passionate about food, leadership, and making a positive difference every day? Vertas is looking for a dedicated School Chef to join our Catering Team.

Who are Vertas?

Vertas delivers trusted, integrated facilities management solutions across Great Britain. Our team of 5,000 colleagues provides a comprehensive range of facilities services, including cleaning, catering, property design, recruitment, transport, and environmental management. You'll find us putting the customer at the heart of everything we do, while prioritising our colleagues' health, safety and wellbeing.

About the Role:

Based at Westwood Infant & Nursery, NG16 5JA, you will be working 20 hours per week, Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 13:00, 39.2 weeks per year. You'll play a key role in leading the kitchen operation, ensuring the delivery of nutritious, high quality meals whilst maintaining excellent customer service and food safety standards.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Preparing, cooking and serving high quality meals
• Managing the day to day running of the kitchen
• Ensuring compliance with food safety and health and safety legislation
• Managing stock levels, ordering and budget controls
• Leading and supporting kitchen colleagues
• Maintaining accurate records and documentation
• Delivering excellent customer service to pupils, staff and visitors

Who are we looking for?

• Previous experience as a School Chef, Head of Kitchen, Cook Manager or similar catering role
• Experience working within a school or commercial kitchen environment
• Knowledge of food safety, allergens and health and safety requirements
• Strong organisational and leadership skills
• A passion for delivering high quality food and customer service
• The ability to work independently and use initiative
• The ability to adapt and respond to change in a growing organisation

What You'll Bring

• A passion for food and customer service
• Excellent organisational and time management skills
• Strong leadership and communication skills
• A proactive and reliable attitude
• The right to work in the UK

Pay Rate:

£13.77 per hour

Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all employees to share this commitment.

Offers of employment are subject to appropriate pre employment checks, which may include:

• Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check
• Children's Barred List check (where applicable)
• Right to Work checks
• Satisfactory references
• Verification of qualifications and professional registrations (where applicable)
• Occupational Health and medical clearance (where applicable)
• Assessment of suitability to work with children

This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975. As this role is eligible for an Enhanced DBS check, applicants are required to declare any cautions and convictions that are not protected under current filtering rules.