Menu Clerk

NHS; Milton Keynes; On-site; GBP 20,000 - 25,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare institution in Milton Keynes is seeking a Menu Clerk to coordinate patient meal orders and maintain a high standard of service. The successful candidate will ensure correct meal orders and support the catering team in providing an excellent patient experience. Candidates should possess a Basic Food Hygiene Certificate and demonstrate effective teamworking skills. This role requires strong communication abilities and willingness to work flexibly, including weekends. Comprehensive training will be provided.

Benefits

Enhanced rates for weekends and bank holidays

Comprehensive on-the-job training

Qualifications

• Basic Food Hygiene Certificate required.
• IT literate with good secondary education.
• Catering experience in a hospital environment preferred.

Responsibilities

• Receive and collate patient meal orders from wards.
• Prepare meal order lists and analyze for accuracy.
• Liaise with dietitians regarding special diets.
• Ensure hygiene standards are maintained.

Skills

Food hygiene / personal hygiene standards Knowledge

Effective team worker

Work well under pressure

Flexible approach to duties and tasks

Able to keep accurate written records

Able to follow instruction in fast moving environment

Able to maintain professional relationships with customers

Smart Appearance and standards of presentation

Education

Good secondary education

Basic Food Hygiene Certificate

Tools

IT Skills (Excel, Word, Email)

Job description

Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Menu Clerk

The closing date is 12 January 2026

Exciting Opportunity at Milton Keynes University Hospital Menu Clerk

An exciting opportunity has arisen to work within the catering department at Milton Keynes university Hospital. You will work in a team that are passionate about providing a good patient experience.

Serving lunchtime and evening meals on site, the role involves you working in the Catering office imputing data and collating menu choices made by the Ward food service assistants. Support supervisors over mealtimes with service monitoring, ensure patient satisfaction and service levels are met.

As part of our team, you will be assisting in ensuring our patients get the important medicine that is our food. We offer over 35 different choices on our Menu, and you will collate the orders using a data system on a computer.

You will be paid enhanced rates for weekends and bank holidays. The work is fast paced and rewarding, you will be making a difference to patient's care and recovery. You will be provided with all the on-the-Job training needed to do the role. If you feel you can make a difference to our Patient's lives and contribute to a happy and positive team, we want to hear from you.

Working Tuesday and Wednesday 06.30-14.30 (30-minute unpaid break) (some weekend working to cover Holidays and Leave )

We are unable to offer sponsorship for this role

Interview date: 20/01/2026

Main duties of the job

"- NHS Survey, 2024" They feel supported in their employers making reasonable adjustments to help them carry out their work, rating an 82.9%.

The post holder will carry out a wide range of duties in relation to the operational and running of the patient catering department. This includes coordinating patient meal orders from wards, collating them into picking lists for preparation of meals.

Taking orders for special diet requests, leasing with wards to identify food supply problems and resolving through good communication with nursing staff and catering operatives.

About us

Milton Keynes University Hospital, in proud partnership with the University of Buckingham, is a University Teaching Hospital committed to advancing patient care through cutting-edge research and education. With a "Good" rating from the CQC and significant investment underway, this is an exciting time to join our team and grow your career.

As a medium sized general hospital, we provide a full range of general medical and surgical services, including a busy Emergency Department, Maternity, and Paediatrics. As the population of our city and surrounding areas continues to grow rapidly, we are expanding and enhancing our facilities to meet rising demand and improve access to care for all our communities.

We are also proud to offer a growing portfolio of specialist services. In January 2025 we opened our state-of-the- Radiotherapy Centre, bringing advanced cancer treatment closer to home. Our services also include neonatology, specialist surgical care, and a wide range of diagnostics, supported by the new Community Diagnostic Centre at Whitehouse Health Centre.

Further investment is underway, including the construction of Oak Wards - a new ward block featuring two 24-bed wards - and the recently approved Women and Children's Centre, set to open by 2030.

Job responsibilities

To receive from wards patient meal orders for both lunch and supper meals.

Prepare form meal order list from each ward meals required for each service and pass on to patient catering supervisor.

Analyse each order to ensure correct procedures have been used by wards to ensure under and over ordering does not occur.

Contact wards where orders appear to be incorrect and check with ward staff to ensure correct orders are delivered.

Take late and special orders from wards and pass on to catering supervisors.

Visit wards to observe meal services to ensure correct procedures are followed in meal service.

Liaise with dietitians to ensure special diets are provided to patients.

Visit patients to discuss special diet requirements.

Liaise with other menu clerks to ensure continuity of smooth meal services.

Be prepared to cover other menu clerks shifts during holidays & sickness.

Have a can-do attitude to providing this vital service to patients.

Please refer to the job description for further details.

Person Specification

Qualifications and knowledge

• Basic Food Hygiene Certificate
• IT Literate
• Good secondary education

Experience

• Use of IT i.e. excel/word/email
• Catering Experience preferably in Hospital environment
• Customer Service Experience

Skills

• Food hygiene / personal hygiene standards Knowledge
• Effective team worker
• Work well under pressure
• Flexible approach to duties and tasks
• Able to keep accurate written records
• Able to follow instruction in fast moving environment
• Able to maintain professional relationships with customers
• Smart Appearance and standards of presentation

Personal and people development

• Friendly and Hardworking
• Effective communication
• Smart Personal appearance
• Good Personal Hygiene

Communication

• Good Telephone manner

Specific requirements

• Able to perform the duties of the post with reasonable aids and adaptations.
• Willing to cover other shifts during holidays

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer name

Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust