Food Service Assistant

Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust; Royal Tunbridge Wells; On-site; GBP 12,000 - 15,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

27 days annual leave

NHS Pension Scheme

Blue Light Card eligibility

Job summary

Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust is recruiting Food Service Assistants to join the Catering Team at Tunbridge Wells Hospital. The role supports patient care by preparing and serving meals, maintaining high hygiene standards and assisting with stock control.

Training and qualifications opportunities are provided, with a focus on reliable teamwork and excellent customer service. We welcome enthusiastic, flexible individuals who can work in a busy hospital environment, follow procedures, and

Qualifications

• Experience in a busy catering environment is desirable.
• Good communication skills and a positive attitude are essential.
• Willingness to follow procedures and maintain high standards of hygiene and safety.

Responsibilities

• Assist with preparation and service of meals for patients, staff and visitors.
• Ensure food is handled, stored and served safely per hygiene procedures.
• Maintain cleanliness in kitchens, pantries, dining areas and service areas.
• Clean catering equipment, utensils, crockery and work surfaces.
• Monitor and rotate stock; report wastage.
• Receive deliveries and assist with stock checks and controls.
• Complete documentation including temperature records and cleaning schedules.
• Report faults, hazards, incidents and near misses promptly.
• Support health and safety and infection prevention procedures.
• Collaborate with colleagues to provide efficient catering service.
• Provide excellent customer service and contribute to a positive patient experience.

Skills

Customer service

Teamwork

Flexible

Communication

Job description

Are you passionate about providing excellent customer service? Do you enjoy working as part of a busy team in a role where your work directly supports patient care?

We are looking for enthusiastic and reliable Food Service Assistants to join our dedicated Catering Team at Tunbridge Wells Hospital. Every meal served plays an important role in a patient's experience and recovery, and you'll be a vital part of delivering a high-quality service to patients, visitors and staff.

The role involves being an integrated part of the Catering team providing Food and beverage services to the patients and maintaining the highest standard of cleaning to food preparation areas at ward level, ensuring at all times the highest degree of cleanliness, safety and care.

We are looking for enthusiastic, reliable and flexible individuals who take pride in their work, enjoy working as part of a team and are committed to delivering excellent service. You will need a positive attitude, good communication skills and a willingness to follow procedures and maintain high standards in a busy environment.

The Food Service Assistant team are responsible for providing all patient food from breakfast through to lunch and supper. Full training and the opportunity to gain qualifications is provided; however experienced candidates are also encouraged to apply. Therefore, if you have experience of working in a busy catering environment and have demonstrable experience of working autonomously, along with being a confident communicator, why not consider joining our team?

• Assisting with the preparation and service of meals for patients, staff and visitors.
• Ensuring food is handled, stored and served in accordance with food hygiene and safety procedures.
• Maintaining high standards of cleanliness within kitchens, pantries, dining areas and food service areas.
• Cleaning catering equipment, utensils, crockery and work surfaces.
• Monitoring, rotating and storing stock correctly, and reporting any wastage.
• Receiving deliveries and assisting with stock checks and stock control processes.
• Completing documentation including temperature records, cleaning
• schedules and other departmental records.Reporting equipment faults, hazards, incidents and near misses in a timely manner.
• Supporting compliance with health and safety, infection prevention and control, and departmental procedures.
• Working collaboratively with colleagues to ensure an efficient and reliable catering service.
• Providing excellent customer service and contributing to a positive patient experience.

Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust ranks among the top 10 NHS Trusts nationwide and was named the second‑best Trust to work for in the South East in the 2023 and 2024 NHS Staff Survey.

We are a large acute hospital trust in south‑east England, providing general hospital services and specialist care to around 600,000 residents in West Kent and East Sussex. With a dedicated and diverse team of over 8,000 staff we are proud to offer specialised cancer services to over two million people through the Kent Oncology Centre.

Fordcombe Hospital, near Tunbridge Wells, became part of the Trust in October 2024. Specialising in planned care, it offers two operating theatres, 28 inpatient and day‑care beds, diagnostic services (X‑ray, MRI, CT, and endoscopy), and consultation/treatment rooms.

Looking for flexible working?

We are a flexible working‑friendly organisation. Whether it’s adjusting your hours or exploring other flexible arrangements, we want to work with you to find the best solution for you, our patients, and the Trust. Talk to us about how we can accommodate your working needs.

Joining Us Includes a Comprehensive Benefits Package

• At least 27 days of annual leave plus public/bank holidays (pro‑ratio for part‑time staff).
• Membership in the NHS Pension Scheme, with a 20.6% employer contribution and life assurance benefits
• Blue Light card eligibility
• And more, additional benefits can be found in the benefits documents below

For further details / informal visits contact: Name: Matthew Hitchcock Job title: Catering Manager Email address: [e-mail] Telephone number: 01892 634299