Cook

Wildfowl & Wetland Trust; Burscough; On-site; GBP 22,000 - 29,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Free entry to wetland centres

Pension scheme

Paid time off (33 days)

Job summary

Wildfowl & Wetland Trust is seeking a proactive Cook for Martin Mere. You will join a busy kitchen, contributing to the Café's daily output and ensuring quality and waste targets are met.

The role involves seasonal menu preparation, frontline customer service, and occasional extended hours across five days with weekend work. Facilities include training and a strong team environment.

Qualifications

• Must hold a Level 2 food hygiene certificate.
• Industry-recognised catering qualification or suitable experience.
• Previous catering experience in a high-volume setting.

Responsibilities

• Work with the kitchen team to prepare high-standard food daily.
• Creatively prepare dishes using seasonal produce.
• Follow health and safety and food hygiene guidance at all times.
• Cover duties of Kitchen Manager in their absence during service.

Skills

Food hygiene Level 2

Catering experience

High-volume kitchen

Education

Food hygiene Level 2 certificate

Catering qualification

Job description

Cook

Salary: £25,484 per annum FTE (£16,990 per annum actual for 25 hours per week, £15,291 per annum actual for 22.5 hours per week)

Contract: Permanent

Work Pattern: Part Time. In autumn/winter the hours are 22.5 per week and in the spring/summer this will increase to 25 hours a week. This role covers 5 days a week and will include weekend work and there is also chance to work additional hours.

Location: WWT Martin Mere, Burscough L40

About The Role

We are looking for a proactive individual to join our team at Martin Mere Wetland Centre. This is a unique opportunity to work for a local conservation charity and popular visitor attraction.

You will not only be working in a beautiful natural setting but be part of the exceptional visitor experience at this busy visitor attraction.

As a Cook, you will be responsible for:

• Working within the kitchen team to produce a high standard of food for the Café on a daily basis ensuring minimum food wastage and meeting targets at all times.
• creatively preparing food and demonstrating innovation with seasonal produce
• following health and safety/food hygiene guidance and safe working practices relating to the catering department at all times
• performing some of the duties of the Kitchen Manager in their absence by taking full responsibility for the food produced for the Café when leading service, including ordering stock, preparation and delivery of final product.

In addition you would also be required to support the front of house team when appropriate:

• giving a warm welcome to every visitor to the café, demonstrating exceptional standards of customer service
• taking orders, making hot drinks as well as serving our seasonal menu and clearing table

Above all you will be contributing to an exceptional visitor experience.

About You

Candidates should have a food hygiene certificate Level 2 as well as an industry recognised catering qualification or suitable experience.

Previous catering experience within a high volume food establishment is required along with practical experience in all areas of a kitchen, knowledge of ordering and stock takes and experience of being the lead person in a catering environment.

You’ll be reliable, proactive and enjoy working as part of an effective and friendly team.

About Us

We’re WWT, and we’re on a mission to restore the super-powered ecosystems we call wetlands. There’s never been a more important moment for our work, and we’ve got some phenomenal people on the case.

Whether they’re taking a new visitor under their wing, or conducting ground-breaking research further afield, our team are second to none. And there’s nothing we love more than watching them soar.

Whatever you do here, you’ll be helping to restore wetlands and unlock their power. So, the only question left is, what role will you play?

Why you’ll love working at WWT

• Wake up every day knowing your work is helping to restore wetlands, and our world
• Be surrounded and inspired by our team of passionate, dedicated people
• 33 days annual leave (which goes up to 38 days after 5 years of service) - this includes bank holidays and you have flexibility to take those days whenever you want
• Free entry to all our wetland centres, including your family
• Free car parking and secure bike storage areas
• Colleague discount on shopping and memberships
• Cycle to work scheme
• Contributory pension scheme
• Life Assurance of three times your salary, for peace of mind for your loved ones
• Independent personal, workplace and financial advice from our Employee Assistance Programme

Additional Information

This role covers 5 days a week and will include weekend work.

In autumn/winter the hours are 22.5 per week and in the spring/summer this will increase to 25 hours a week.

There is also chance to work additional hours.

Closing Date: Tuesday 15th September 2026

N.B. We reserve the right to close the advert early if we receive a sufficient number of applications from candidates who meet the required skills and experience. We therefore encourage early applications.

WWT is an equal opportunities employer and all applications will be considered solely on merit.

No agencies please.