Kitchen Assistant

Happy Days Nurseries Limited; Rickmansworth; On-site; GBP 14,000 - 21,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

£12.71 per hour

Pension & Life Assurance

20 days Annual Leave plus Bank Hols

An additional day each year for your/a

Funded DBS Update Service

Funded Blue Light Card Membership

Digital GP 24/7 with counselling

SPARK APP Health & Wellbeing

Long Service recognition

Job summary

Happy Days Nurseries Limited is seeking a Kitchen Assistant for our Boys & Girls Nursery in Rickmansworth. The role involves 30 hours weekly, Monday to Friday, 11:00-17:00, working with our Chef and supporting children during lunchtimes.

You will prepare meals per weekly menus, accommodate dietary needs where needed, and ensure health and safety standards are met. Training and a free Food Hygiene certificate are provided if not already held.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of healthy eating programmes for children and cooking healthy meals.
• Passion for offering children a varied and nutritious diet.
• Willingness to support the nursery team to achieve best outcomes.
• Experience as Kitchen Assistant or cooking in nursery/school environment is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Prepare meals according to weekly menus for all children.
• Provide alternatives for dietary needs where appropriate.
• Ensure food preparation complies with health regulations and record keeping.
• Assist the Chef in delivering food to nursery rooms safely.
• Communicate allergies and dietary requirements clearly.
• Keep kitchen and equipment clean and tidy, including dishwashing after service.
• Support the "Let’s Cook" programme with children and collaborate with staff.
• Cover the Chef during absences and manage cooking duties during the day.

Skills

Healthy eating

Cooking meals

Kitchen experience

Can-do attitude

Team support

Job description

Do you love cooking wholesome meals and want to make a meaningful impact on children’s lives? We’re looking for a Kitchen Assistant based at ourBoys & Girls Nursery in Rickmansworth.

Our Kitchen Assistant will work 30 hours per week, Monday to Friday (all year round), alongside our Chef, as well as supporting the children in the room over lunch times. Working hours are 11:00-17:00.

About the role:

As a Kitchen Assistant, you’ll:

• Ensure all meals are prepared in accordance with the weekly menus, catering for all children
• Where appropriate, provide alternatives to children with any special dietary needs
• Ensure that all food preparation complies with health regulations and guidelines though working practices and record keeping
• Be responsible for assisting the Chef in safely delivering the food to each individual nursery room
• Ensure effective communication regarding allergies and special dietary requirements
• Ensure that the kitchen and all equipment is kept clean and tidy, including washing up after each service
• Assist in the participation and preparation of our “Let’s Cook” programme with the children and develop good working relationships with the wider staff team
• Cover the Chef during periods of absence and be responsible for taking on the duties of cooking for the nursery and ensuring the smooth running of the day

About you:

Our Kitchen Assistant will have:

• A knowledge and understanding of healthy eating programmes for children and cooking healthy meals
• A passion for offering children a varied and nutritious diet and want to make a difference through your role.
• A strong ‘can do’ attitude and willingness to support the nursery team to achieve the best outcomes for our children, by providing meals which support a healthy diet.
• Experience in working as a Kitchen Assistant and / or have cooking experience in a nursery or school environment however this is not essential
• An awareness of dietary requirements, although this isn’t essential as full training will be provided along with a free Food Hygiene certificate if the successful candidate does not already have one.

Rewarding careers:

We’re committed to nurturing talent and supporting career progression into nursery management roles. Through tailored development plans, mentoring from experienced leaders, and access to accredited training programmes, we empower our team members to grow their leadership skills and take the next step in their careers.

We welcome applicants from under-represented groups including men and offer a competitive range of benefits that aren’t just perks—they are part of a culture that puts people first. They support us build a workplace where you’re empowered to thrive every day and where you’ll feel valued.

We'rebuilding a workplace where our colleagues thrive

We offer a range of meaningful benefits designed to support your wellbeing, professional growth, and work-life balance. Our benefits aren’tjustperks—they’repart of a culture that puts people first and we continue to build our range of benefits designed to support health,wellbeingand the odd treat here and there…these include:

• £12.71 per hour
• Pension & Life Assurance*
• In addition to20 days Annual Leave plus Bank Holidays and more!**
• Anadditionalday each year to celebrate something personal to you*
• Funded DBS Update Service
• Funded Blue Light Card Membership
• Access to digital GP 24/7with on-demand counselling services
• Extensive Health and Wellbeing services through the SPARK APP
• Recognition and celebration for Long Service

*Subject to eligibility criteria

**up to anadditionalfour gifted days off during Christmas closedownor if the setting is open 52-weeks of the year, an additional four days to your annual leave entitlement, pro rata

Safeguarding commitment:

Happy Days Nurseries are committed to the safety and wellbeing of the children in our care. All successful candidates will undergo the required vetting process.