Nursery Chef

Grandir UK Limited; Exeter; Hybrid; GBP 26,000 - 33,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

33 days annual leave

Christmas shutdown

Flexible working

Refer a Friend bonus

Company pension

Sick pay from day 1

Life assurance

Great Place to Work

Job summary

Grandir UK Limited's Kiddi Caru Nursery in Exeter is seeking a motivated Nursery Chef to plan and prepare nutritious meals for children, while maintaining high hygiene standards. The role runs 7.30am–4.30pm and offers a supportive team, clear progression, and regular pay reviews.

You will tailor menus, cater for dietary requirements, supervise catering staff, and work closely with the nursery team to deliver balanced meals and a safe kitchen environment.

Qualifications

• Motivated and enthusiastic chef with interest in child nutrition.
• Previous kitchen experience in a nursery or similar setting is preferred.
• Understanding of dietary requirements and allergies for children.

Responsibilities

• Plan and prepare healthy meals and snacks for children.
• Ensure high standards of kitchen hygiene and safety.
• Work with nursery staff to meet dietary needs.
• Support recruitment and guidance of catering staff.
• Maintain accurate kitchen paperwork and audits.

Skills

Kitchen experience

Food hygiene

Dietary requirements

Team player

Job description

Nursery Chef

Part of Grandir UK

Salary £26,000 - £33,000 (depending on experience and qualifications with regular pay reviews)

Hours: 7.30am-4.30pm

Join a supportive, child focused nursery offering strong benefits, flexible working and genuine career progression.

Our Kiddi Caru Nursery in Exeter is looking for a motivated and enthusiastic Chef to join our team. You will play a key role in cooking up nutritious, delicious and varied meals for the children, while ensuring high standards of food hygiene and safety are maintained.

About the Role

As our Nursery Chef, you will be responsible for planning and preparing healthy, balanced meals and snacks for the children. You will work closely with the nursery team to ensure the individual dietary requirements and allergies of the children are fully catered for.

You will also be responsible for maintaining a clean and safe kitchen environment and ensuring all food safety and hygiene procedures are followed.

Core Benefits

• 33 days' annual leave, including bank holidays, with 3 days used during the Christmas shutdown period.
• Christmas and New Year shutdown.
• Flexible working options available.
• £500 Refer a Friend bonus.
• Company pension scheme with employer contributions.
• Statutory Sick Pay from day 1.
• Life assurance for employees aged 18 to 65.
• Certified Great Place to Work, voted for by our current colleagues.

What will you be doing

• Prepare 6 monthly menus gaining feedback from catering staff, Managers and Regional Manager’s to produce final product
• Support and guide catering staff and Nursery Manager
• Monitor catering standards to maintain the highest levels of practice
• Assist and support the Nursery Manager in the recruitment and selection of catering staff
• Audit kitchens in a timely fashion, ensuring they meet TCC and PSN
• Check that all kitchen paperwork is fully complete, accurate and up to date
• Establish and maintain professional working relationships with Nursery staff

Enhanced Family and Wellbeing Benefits

• Maternity and adoption leave paid at 100% for the first 12 weeks.
• Paternity leave paid at 100% for the first 4 weeks.
• Parental bereavement leave of up to 4 weeks, fully paid.
• Compassionate leave of up to 2 weeks, fully paid.
• Miscarriage leave of up to 2 weeks, fully paid.
• Wellbeing Day – an extra day off just for you.
• The Grand Event – up to an additional week of annual leave to attend a significant life event after 2 years' service.

Even More Benefits

• Employee benefits portal with hundreds of retail discounts, including ASOS, gym memberships, cinemas, M&S, and major supermarkets.
• 24-hour remote GP appointments.
• Dayforce Wallet – gives you the ability to access a portion of your earned pay before your normal payday.
• Medical cashback for dental treatment, physiotherapy, and alternative therapies.
• Recognition, rewards, and team celebrations throughout the year, with May dedicated to celebrating our teams.
• Tailored in-house training and genuine progression opportunities.
• Sustainability focus with Carbon Literacy-trained teams and Eco-Schools accreditation.

Grandir UK is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. An enhanced DBS check is required for this role which will be carried out by our approved third party provider.

We are an equal opportunity employer and recruit based on merit.To support our recruitment process, we may use AI-assisted tools for tasks such as application screening and reference checks. These tools help us manage applications efficiently, and all hiring decisions are made by our team.