Kitchen Lead / Cook

Registered In England & Wales As Jobsgopublic Limited; Dorking; On-site; GBP 19,000 - 26,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee Assistance Programme

Local government pension

Lifestyle discounts

Learning and development hub

Job summary

Surrey Outdoor Learning and Development (SOLD) is seeking a Bank Kitchen Lead / Cook to motivate a small kitchen team and deliver high quality homecooked meals for groups at our three centres. Shifts are typically 1pm–8pm, with flexible bank contracts and evening coverage.

You will lead cooking operations, manage orders and stock, and support guests ranging from school groups to families in outdoor learning environments. Experience with large groups and adapting to dietary needs is essential.

Qualifications

• Proven leadership in a kitchen or catering team.
• Experience cooking for large groups and events.
• Ability to adapt menus for dietary needs and allergens.
• Strong planning and time management to meet varied group needs.

Responsibilities

• Lead kitchen shifts and supervise bank staff.
• Prepare, cook and serve meals to guests outdoors.
• Plan menus, order supplies, and control stock.
• Mentor staff and maintain safety and hygiene standards.
• Deliver high quality, tasty homecooked food for diverse groups.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Craft Skills

Large-Group Cooking

Dietary Adaptations

Planning

Time Management

Initiative

Education

Food Hygiene Level 3

Job description

This is an exciting role for individuals who will motivate, lead and support our kitchen team to deliver high quality, tasty homecooked food. You will lead the team to prepare, cook and serve, ensuring smooth and safe operations. Each day is different, so adaptability is key to meet the changing needs of our groups. Our guests range from school children through to families and adult groups.

• Positive and motivating leadership skills with effective communication
• Holder of / working towards Food Hygiene L3
• Excellent craft skills
• Experience of cooking for large groups and catering for a wide range of needs
• Experience of adapting to special diets / allergens
• Excellent planning and time management skills with ability to work using own initiative
• Positive and solution focussed
  This role has a starting salary of £16.93 per hour (comprising £14.72 per hour plus £2.21 holiday entitlement).

We are excited to be hiring bank Kitchen Lead / Cooks to join our fantastic team, leading kitchen shifts at Surrey Outdoor Learning and Development (SOLD). We are offering flexible bank contracts and are especially keen to hear from individuals who can work evening shifts. These shifts are within the hours of 1pm - 8pm.

• Playing a valuable part in the outdoor learning experience of our guests
• Working amongst a friendly and dynamic team
• Working with a range of customers and projects
• Working at 3 unique centres in beautiful locations
• An extensive Employee Assistance Programme to support health and wellbeing
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, shopping and many more
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources, From time to time we deliver themed events which will allow you to bring your creative skills to life. Serving and cooking outdoors are all a part of these exciting events which add to the variety of the role. Other areas of responsibility include staff mentoring, ordering, menu planning and stock control.

Shifts are set one month in advance with early shifts starting at 6am and late shifts finishing usually no later than 8pm. The centres are open all week with some weekend work and generally no Sunday evenings. To get a flavour of what it's like working at SOLD, have a look at