Food Service Assistant

Downing College; Cambridge; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

Downing College in Cambridge is seeking a Food Service Assistant to join our Catering Front-of-House team, serving high-quality food to the College community and commercial guests. You will receive full training and have the opportunity to learn and develop skills from the rest of the team.

The role includes a seven-day rota with shifts typically from 7:00 am to 10:00 pm, totaling about 75 hours over two weeks.

Qualifications

• experience of Front of House in the hotel industry or hospitality and gained within a customer facing role
• the ability to work with, and cover for, other members of the staff team
• a certificate in Food Hygiene and a good understanding of Food Safety and relevant Health & Safety legislation are desirable

Responsibilities

• The hours worked include a mix of shifts over a seven-day rota basis - usually between the hours of 7.00 am and 10.00 pm
• the candidate would usually work 75 hours over two weeks
• The role entails preparing and serving a range of high-quality food, including fine dining, to the College community and commercial guests

Skills

Front of House experience

Customer facing role

Food Hygiene certificate

Job description

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Information on the role of Food Service Assistant

Permanent, full-time role

Salary £26,824.60 per annum

An opportunity to join our friendly Catering Front-of-House team who prepare and serve a range of high-quality food, including fine dining, to the College community and commercial guests. You will receive full training and will have the opportunity to learn and develop skills from the rest of the team.

The ideal candidate will have:

• experience of Front of House in the hotel industry or hospitality and gained within a customer facing role
• the ability to work with, and cover for, other members of the staff team
• a certificate in Food Hygiene and a good understanding of Food Safety and relevant Health & Safety legislation are desirable.

Details of the Role

The hours worked include a mix of shifts over a seven-day rota basis - usually between the hours of 7.00 am and 10.00 pm (but this is subject to change, depending on the needs of business). The candidate would usually work 75 hours over two weeks.

The annual salary for this role is £26,824.60 per annum based on Step 29 of the College Salary Scale.

As well as the salary, we offer a wide range of benefits. Please see the attached advert for further information. A full list of benefits is available from the College’s HR Office. (Please note that these benefits are non-contractual and may be amended or withdrawn at our discretion.)

Application Process

Closing date: Midday on 3 September 2026. Please note that the closing date for this post may be brought forward if there is a high volume of applicants.

Applications are welcomed from a broad range of backgrounds. Candidates must be eligible to work in the UK.

Applicants who declare a disability will be offered an interview if they meet the minimum criteria for the job.

We are pleased to be able offer this document in an accessible format, please contact HR ([e-mail]) if you wish to receive this advert and role profile or an application form in a different, accessible format, e.g. large print.

For further information or in event of queries, please contact the HR Office: