Early Years Chef

Bright Horizons Family Solutions, LLC.; Greater London; On-site; GBP 29,000 - 35,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary £31,948.80 per year

50% childcare discount

Enhanced parental leave

Additional leave options

Pension and wellbeing benefits

Career development programme

Job summary

Bright Horizons West Dulwich Day Nursery and Preschool is seeking a Regional Early Years Chef to prepare and present age-appropriate meals for children. You will ensure dietary needs are met and collaborate with staff and parents to promote healthy eating.

Role involves leading cookery sessions and supporting nursery activities; experience in a kitchen setting and a Food Safety qualification are essential to start on day one.

Qualifications

• Experience in cooking for children or in a domestic/commercial kitchen.
• Knowledge of nutrition and ability to promote healthy eating.
• Ability to manage dietary requirements and food allergies.
• Food Safety Level 2 or higher (to be achieved on day 1).
• Familiar with COSHH and safe food handling.
• Excellent communication with colleagues, children and parents.
• Ability to work under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Prepare, cook, and present age-appropriate meals for all children with minimal waste.
• Cater for dietary requirements and communicate clearly to teams and parents.
• Lead cookery club sessions and support nursery activities and events.

Skills

Cooking experience

Nutrition awareness

Dietary knowledge

Food safety L2+

COSHH knowledge

Communication skills

Working under pressure

Education

Food Safety L2 or above

Tools

COSHH

Job description

Nursery – Bright Horizons West Dulwich Day Nursery and Preschool

Salary – £31,948.80 per annum (dependant on qualification/s and experience)

Location – West Dulwich, SE27 9RB

Are you looking to work for an organisation whose culture is driven by our HEART principles – Honesty, Excellence, Accountability, Respect, and Teamwork? Where you can be yourself, feel supported, and help to make a difference to the next generation? Somewhere you can say: “I did that.” We’re looking for a Regional Early Years Chef to join our West Dulwich setting which has good links to public transport, with Gipsy hill station a 5 minute walk away. There is also free off-street parking.

Nestled in a beautiful Church setting, our nursery offers four spacious rooms designed to inspire learning, creativity and development at every stage. Children can enjoy exploring our large outdoor garden, complete with natural trees that provide the perfect environment for adventure, discovery and outdoor play.

Our Benefits

• £31,948.80 per annum


• Childcare discount of 50% for first child*


• Enhanced parental leave 20 days annual leave, plus bank holidays and paid Christmas closure.


• Ability to also purchase additional leave*


• Subject to T&Cs


• Pension Financial and wellbeing benefits including 24/7 virtual GP appointments, early access to wages, and more


• Professional development programme access for every stage of your career, including access to a careers coach


• Shift options: 40 hours over 4 or 5 days, 24 hours over 3 days, or 16 hours over 2 days

The Role

• Prepare, cook, and present age‑appropriate food for all the children in the nursery, with minimum wastage.


• Ensure all dietary requirements are catered for and clearly communicated to teams, and work in partnership with the team and parents to encourage a healthy and nutritious diet.


• Have an active role in leading cookery club sessions with the children, and support with other nursery activities, such as BBQs, Fetes, and staff meetings.

What we’re looking for

• Previous experience within a cooking role, in a domestic or commercial property


• Passion for nutrition, and inspiring others in healthy eating


• Ability to demonstrate a sound knowledge of managing different dietary requirements, particularly food allergies


• Food Safety CIEH L2 or above (or equivalent) – this must be passed on day 1 in post


• Sound knowledge of COSHH


• Great communication skills, with colleagues, children, and parents


• Ability to work under pressure

Bright Horizons is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. This post is subject to safer recruitment practice and pre‑employment checks, including an enhanced DBS check, which will be undertaken before any appointment is confirmed.

We are an inclusive employer and welcome people from all ages and backgrounds to apply. We will consider reasonable adjustments required by applicants. Please note, due to our sector all roles are subject to an enhanced DBS.

At Bright Horizons, our culture is built on our commitment to Keeping Everyone Safe and providing world‑class care and education, delivered by a world‑class workforce. We believe our people’s potential is endless and with this in mind, we aspire to create an environment where our colleagues can thrive and accomplish the things they thought impossible. Bright Horizons has been recognised as a Great Place to Work by our employees and the Great Place to Work Institute for the last 13 years. We care passionately about what we do, and our HEART values and principles help us support one another in the work that we do each day. These are quite literally at the HEART of our organisation’s ethos and culture as it helps us to provide a working environment that supports professionalism, growth and diversity. We are passionate about our people’s ongoing learning and development. Our learning and leading with HEART framework supports each Bright Horizons colleague on the first steps of their leadership journey, whether that includes our ‘World‑Class Welcome’ induction or our extensive ongoing training programme. Either way we want you to feel valued and invested in!

We celebrate the accomplishments of our people. We believe in the power of “thank you” and throughout the year, in ways big and small, formal and informal, we show our appreciation for employees at all levels. We have many ways to acknowledge and celebrate our people, including our very popular “employee appreciation month”. This is a chance for everyone to share their gratitude to one another, across the whole company. Whether it is a “thank you” placed on our website, a chocolate pizza, team lunch or an ice cream van visit, it is our way of showing each other we care and appreciate everything we do. Each year, we have our annual 'Awards of Excellence' events; whether you are an award winner or cheering on a fellow team member, these formal award occasions are opportunities to come together and celebrate one another.

By creating this account you acknowledge that Bright Horizons will collect, store and process any of your personal data provided in respect of your application and employment in accordance with our Employee Privacy Notice. https://www.brighthorizons.co.uk/statutory-information/privacy-notice-employees.