General Assistant

Thomas Franks Ltd.; Colchester; On-site; GBP 15,153 - 20,664; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Free meals on duty

Cycle to work scheme

Workplace pension

Excellent training and development

Job summary

Thomas Franks Ltd in Colchester is seeking a General Assistant to support daily catering operations at a busy school site. This part-time, permanent role is 20 hours per week, Monday to Friday, during term time (36 weeks a year).

You will work as part of a friendly team, handle customer service, food preparation, service areas, and maintain high hygiene standards while complying with food safety policies.

Qualifications

• Teamwork and good communication with colleagues and customers.
• Ability to follow hygiene and safety standards.
• Written and spoken English at a reasonable level.

Responsibilities

• Support the team with serving customers, restocking, cleaning.
• Prepare service areas for daily meals and events.
• Set up, serve, and clear food, beverages and equipment for service.
• Prepare basic food for sale following hygiene practices.
• Restock supplies and manage wastage during service.

Skills

Teamwork

Listening

Initiative

Presentation

Hygiene

Education

Level 2 food Hygiene qualification

Job description

General Assistant – Colchester

Contract: Part Time, Permanent.

Salary: £12.71 per hour.

Hours: 20 per week.

A co-educational independent school located in Colchester, Essex. Catering for 200 students and teachers daily. We offer a core feeding of lunch and snack bar with a small amount of hospitality through the year. This is a term‑time only contract working 36 weeks a year and operates Monday to Friday.

We have a fantastic opportunity for you as General Assistant to join one of our fantastic locations in Colchester.

You will ideally have previous experience of working within a fast-paced catering environment.

You will enjoy what you do, working with a great team, for a company fanatical about food serving wonderful customers.

Key Responsibilities

• To support the team with serving customers, replenishing stocks, cleaning.
• Prepare all service areas for the day’s business relating to that meal service.
• Prepare, set‑up, serve, clear, clean and store away any food, beverage or equipment required for special functions.
• Prepare basic food for sale/service, following good hygiene and safety practices and to the standard specified.
• Restock and replenish stocks and consumables as required during service periods, pre‑empt customer needs and achieve optimum customer service delivery.
• Empty, remove and store rubbish / recycle rubbish in the correct place.
• Be prepared to occasionally work evening and/or weekend for functions and school events.
• Ensuring company food standards are adhered to and wastage controlled.
• Ensuring all Food Hygiene and Health & Safety policies and allergen control procedures are followed.

Skills

• Team working abilities, Listening skills, the ability to work on own initiative, impeccable personal presentation, hygiene and behaviour to others, Food hygiene certificate preferred.
• The ability to be adaptable and be flexible as necessary. Reliable, Honest and able to demonstrate an open attentive approach to customer service.
• Willingness to learn new skills and take some responsibility.
• Ability to manage some moderately heavy lifting, carrying, and pushing.

Knowledge / Competencies

• Hold a level 2 food Hygiene qualification.
• Ability to demonstrate reasonable / good understanding and use of verbal English.
• Ability to demonstrate reasonable / good standard of written English and reading skills.
• Similar experience of customer and / or food preparation environment is preferred.

Benefits

• Wider wallet scheme (discounts at major retailers, restaurants, gyms etc).
• Free meals on duty
• Volunteers leave - up to one day per year.
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoptive leave.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Recommend a friend bonus.
• Unrivalled individual training and development.
• Well established apprenticeship programme.
• Team & company social events.
• Employee assistance programme.
• Workplace pension.
• Excellent career progression within a leading independent contract caterer.

About Us

Thomas Franks is a founder led, fresh food catering business with a focus on excellence and service delivered with individuality, passion and style. We are unique in every approach and our clients, and our people are paramount to our daily success.

Disclaimer

All applicants must be able to demonstrate that they have the Right to Work in the UK to be considered for this role.

An enhanced DBS, Identity & reference checks (covering the last five years) will form part of the selection process. As an organisation using the Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) Disclosure service to assess applicants' suitability for positions of trust, Thomas Franks Ltd complies fully with the DBS Code of Practice and undertakes to treat all applicants for positions fairly. We are committed to safeguarding the welfare of children and undertake not to discriminate unfairly against any subject of a Disclosure based on conviction or other information revealed. However, for any post in a school please be aware that any application is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and as such any criminal conviction, caution or bind‑over must be declared.

Diversity and Inclusion at Thomas Franks

We actively encourage applications from candidates from diverse backgrounds and continue to develop a culture of growth and inclusion and would like to invite applications from groups who are currently under‑represented, because we believe greater diversity leads to exceptional results and provides a better working life.

Parking Note

There is no direct parking onsite for this position due to its town centre location, there is many public car parks, street parking and public transport routes within a short distance.