Commis/Demi Chef

King's College London; City Of London; On-site; GBP 18,000 - 24,000; Full time

Job summary

King's College London is seeking a Commis/Demi Chef to join the Catering Services team. You will work closely with the Head Chef to support daily kitchen operations, including food preparation and cooking across menus and service periods.

The role requires hands-on kitchen experience, keen interest in developing culinary skills, and a commitment to food hygiene and allergen awareness. Shifts include evenings and weekends as part of a 5-out-of-7 pattern.

Qualifications

• GCSE level or equivalent.
• Basic Food Hygiene/Food Handler Certificate or equivalent.
• Good cooking skills and knowledge of portion control.
• Willingness to learn and develop culinary skills.
• Awareness of allergens and cross-contamination.
• Experience in hospitality and events catering.
• Good communication skills and basic English.
• Flexible to shifts including evenings and weekends.

Responsibilities

• Support day-to-day kitchen operation and mise en place.
• Assist with cooking and preparation of a varied range of food.
• Ensure food is prepared to required quality, portion and presentation standards.

Skills

Good cooking skills

Communication skills

Food allergen awareness

Team player

Flexible mindset

Willingness to learn

Education

GCSE level or equivalent

Basic Food Hygiene Certificate

Job description

About us

King's Food provides a range of retail and hospitality services through our restaurants and coffee shops across The Strand, Waterloo, Denmark Hill, Guys and St Thomas campuses.

The department has a strong commitment to providing excellent customer service and aims to ensure best value for money for its customers and the College.

About the role

We have an exciting opportunity for a Commis/Demi Chef to join our busy and welcoming Catering Services team. This is a great opportunity for someone who is passionate about food, enjoys working as part of a kitchen team and is keen to continue developing their culinary skills and experience.

Working alongside the Head Chef, Sous Chef and wider kitchen team, you will support the day-to-day kitchen operation, assisting with the preparation and cooking of a varied range of food in line with our daily menus, recipes and service requirements.

This is a hands‑on role where you will complete food preparation and mise en place, assist with cooking and support the kitchen team throughout service. You will help ensure food is prepared on time and to the required quality, portion and presentation standards, while maintaining high standards of food hygiene, health and safety, and allergen awareness.

Depending on your skills and experience, you will have the opportunity to take greater responsibility for designated areas of work and gain experience across different sections of the kitchen, while receiving support and guidance from our senior chefs.

You may also support the preparation and production of food for hospitality and events and, depending on operational requirements, may be asked to work across different King's Food kitchens and campuses.

We are looking for someone who:

• Has good practical cooking skills and a genuine passion for food.


• Has knowledge of food preparation, cooking and portion control.


• Understands the importance of food hygiene, food safety and allergen awareness.


• Is a positive and reliable team player with good communication skills.


• Has a willingness to learn, develop and build their culinary skills.


• Can work effectively in a busy kitchen environment.


• Has a flexible and positive approach to work.

This is a full‑time position, working 5 days out of 7, and will involve working evenings and weekends.

About you

To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:

Essential criteria

1. Educated to GCSE standard or equivalent.


2. Hold a Basic Food Hygiene/Food Handler Certificate or equivalent.


3. Good cooking skills, with knowledge of food preparation, cooking techniques and portion control, and a passion for food.


4. A willingness and desire to learn and develop culinary skills and knowledge.


5. Good knowledge and awareness of food allergens and the importance of preventing cross‑contamination.


6. Experience of working within hospitality and events catering.


7. Good communication skills, including a base level of spoken and written English, together with the base digital skills required to access and use relevant systems and software.


8. Ability and willingness to work flexibly, including a range of shifts to meet the operational requirements of the service.

Desirable criteria

1. NVQ level 1/2 or equivalent catering qualification


2. Ability and willingness to work flexibly, including a range of shifts to meet the operational requirements of the service.

Downloading a copy of our Job Description

Full details of the role and the skills, knowledge and experience required can be found in the Job Description document, provided at the bottom of the page. This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process.

At King's, we believe that the diversity of our community and a culture that is welcoming, open, inclusive and collaborative, are great strengths of the university.

The Equality Act of 2010 protects the rights of our students and staff and provides a framework to fulfil our duties to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and in addition, to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between those who share a protected characteristic and those who do not. At times, this will include balancing rights and beliefs that can feel in tension.

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When engaging in the robust exchange of ideas, we ask that our community is mindful of our Dignity at King's guidance.

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