Cook

Aspris Children's Services; Lyndhurst; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Reward and discount scheme

Ongoing training and career progressio

PVG/DBS paid

Cycle to work scheme

Job summary

Aspris is seeking a Chef/Head Cook for Coxlease School to plan, prepare and deliver nutritious meals for pupils and staff. The role involves small-team leadership, budget adherence and strict food hygiene standards within a school environment.

You will ensure meals meet dietary needs, collaborate with education staff on menus, and maintain high standards of safety and cleanliness across the kitchen and dining area.

Qualifications

• Level 2 Certificate in Food; Level 3 Award in Supervising Food Safety in Catering; valid food hygiene certificate.
• Experience planning, cooking and serving meals for pupils and staff.
• Ability to manage a small catering team within school budgets and policies.

Responsibilities

• Plan, prepare and cook fresh meals for pupils and staff, accommodating dietary needs.
• Collaborate with school staff to develop varied menus respecting dietary restrictions.
• Ensure compliance with food safety regulations and best practices.
• Maintain stock levels and accurate records per health and safety policies.
• Foster a positive dining experience for pupils and staff.

Skills

Menu planning

Stock management

Team leadership

Food safety compliance

Education

Level 2 Food Certificate

Level 3 Supervising Food Safety in Catering

Food hygiene certificate

Job description

Here at Aspris, we are proud to be a leading provider of specialist education services with over 30 schools nationwide. We are recruiting for a Chef/Head Cook to join us at our school for autistic children and young people.

About us:

Coxlease is a very special school for young people with Autism, trauma related interruptions, communication needs and learning difficulties to access an appropriate curriculum in a wonderful environment in the heart of the New Forest. With typical class sizes of 6-8, we are able to provide the care, attention, time and dedication to all of the young people to enable them to access education and reach their individual goals and aspirations.

Our benefits include:

• Exclusive access to reward and discount scheme
• Commitment to your ongoing training and career progression
• Paid for enhanced PVG/DBS
• Cycle to work scheme and more!

In this role, you will be responsible for menu planning, ordering stock, cooking, food service and the line management of a small team of catering assistants. You will adhere to set budgets within the school to deliver healthy, varied and nutritious diets for young people and the staff which comply with Government Healthy Eating in Schools expectations. In addition, you will be responsible for the ensuring that the kitchen and associated areas are kept to a high standard of hygiene, including food and equipment storage and that all compliance requirements are met and maintained to a high standard.

You will ideally have a Level 2 certificate in Food, Level 3 Award in Supervising Food Safety in Catering and a valid food hygiene certificate. Training will be provided on Aspris systems and procedures.

As the school's Chef/Cook you will be required to:

• Plan, prepare, and cook fresh well-balanced meals for pupils and staff, considering their specific dietary requirements and preferences
• Collaborate with special education staff to develop interesting and varied menus that accommodate individual dietary restrictions and sensory needs whilst maintaining Government Healthy Eating expectations.
• Ensure that all meals are prepared and served in accordance with food safety regulations and best practices
• Maintain stock levels
• Maintain accurate records in accordance with health & safety policies
• Foster a positive dining experience for pupils by creating a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere during mealtimes

Due to the location of the school, access to your own transport is advantageous.

Above all, we provide a supportive and collaborative working environment where you can flourish in your career and feel incredibly rewarded by helping those who need it most.

Aspris is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. All applicants must be willing to undergo safeguarding screening appropriate to the post, including checks with Disclosure & Barring Service and at least 2 references which cover the last 3 years; for all our services we will request references from where you have worked with either Children or Vulnerable Adults. Please be advised that references may be requested prior to interview for roles within our Schools.