Kitchen Assistant

jlp; Cookham; On-site; GBP 15,000 - 21,000; Full time

Job summary

John Lewis Partnership invites applications for a Kitchen Assistant at Odney Club in Cookham, Berkshire. You’ll support our culinary team with food prep, deliveries, and keeping the kitchen clean and safe, contributing to a welcoming dining experience for Partners and guests.

Hours cover seven days with varied shifts 07:00–21:30, permanent contract. Night premiums apply 3.75 per hour for hours 22:00–06:00. Prior food safety awareness helpful; training provided.

Qualifications

• Self-motivated and industrious in a busy kitchen environment.
• An interest in food creation with a natural flair for creativity.
• Ability to understand and follow food safety rules and health guidelines.

Responsibilities

• Operate the dishwasher and clean all pots, pans and cutlery.
• Take delivery of daily food stock orders.
• Assist with lunch and basic food preparation.
• Understand use of chemicals, food prep policies, safe knife use and PPE.
• Carry out intensive clean downs of the kitchen and equipment.
• Store and maintain cleanliness of food following safety checklists.

Skills

Motivated

Food interest

Safety rules

Job description

ABOUT THE ROLE

As a Kitchen Assistant, you will be a vital part of our culinary team, helping us maintain a kitchen environment that is as safe and welcoming as it is efficient. In this role, you'll take pride in ensuring our equipment and workspace meet the highest standards of cleanliness. You will also play a hand on role in the kitchen's daily rhythm supporting our chefs with food preparation, managing fresh deliveries, and keeping our safety logs up to date. By helping our department run smoothly, you'll be contributing to the overall success of the hotel while working in a supportive space designed to help you reach your own personal and professional goals.

In addition to your contractual pay, any time worked between 22:00 - 06:00 will attract Night Premium at a rate of £3.75 per hour. This will also apply to existing Partners who have enrolled onto Enhanced Hours Premium arrangements.

Key Responsibilities

• Operating the dishwasher, cleaning all pots, pans & cutlery.
• Taking delivery of daily food stock orders.
• Assisting with lunch and basic food prep.
• Understanding use of chemicals, food prep policies, safe use of knives and PPE.
• Intensive clean down of the kitchen and all equipment.
• Correct storage and cleanliness of food - following the checklist of food standards.

Essential skills/experience you'll need

• Self-motivated/ Industrious.
• An interest in food and its creation, along with a natural flair for creativity.
• Ability to understand and follow food safety rules and health and safety guidelines.

Desirable skills/experience you may have

• Experience in a professional kitchen or hospitality environment is welcomed but not essential. We'll make sure you have all the training you need to perform at your best, this includes training in Food Safety Level 2.

Further information on our Partnership Hotels can be found here: https://www.jlpjobs.com/about-the-partnership/partnership-hotels/

Closing Date: September 1, 2026

Pay: £13.00 (£13.25 After 90 days)

Contract Type: Permanent

Hours of Work: Varied hours of full time work across seven days to include early starts, late finishes, evenings and weekends between the hours of 07:00 - 21:30.

Job Level: Partnership Level 10

Where You’ll Be Working: Odney Club, Odney Lane, Cookham, Berkshire, SL6 9SR

ABOUT THE PARTNERSHIP

We're the largest employee owned business in the UK and home of our cherished brands, John Lewis and Waitrose. We're not just employees, we’re Partners, driven by our purpose to build a happier world. As we look to our future, there's never been a more exciting time to join us.

We're ruthlessly focused on being brilliant at retail. We continue to innovate, adapt and diversify. Never Knowingly Undersold on price, quality and service in John Lewis and passionately serving food-lovers in Waitrose.

As Partners we all share the responsibility of ownership and in its rewards. We use our voices to contribute to our success, working together through the good and challenging times, holding true to our behaviours and treating everyone with kindness and respect.

We all own making the Partnership somewhere we belong. Embracing our differences and creating an environment where we're free to be ourselves and can THRIVE. Growing ourselves individually, and as a collective.

As Partners, we make all the difference. And, we all own it.

Important points to note:

It's important to note that some of our roles are subject to pre-employment vetting (which may include DBS checks for successful candidates). If required, you'll be informed and provided with information about vetting during the recruitment process and we encourage you to complete any vetting documents quickly to avoid delays. Any DBS checks required will be carried out by a third-party registered body and financial probity checks may also be required for some of our roles.

We also recommend that you apply as soon as possible as vacancies can close early if we see a high number of applicants.

We want all of our Partners to have a good work-life balance and we support flexible working. This might mean flexible or compressed hours, job sharing or shorter hour contracts, where possible. Please discuss this further with the hiring manager during your interview.