Nursery Chef Assistant - Playhouse Nursery and Pre-School - Part Time

London Early Years Foundation LEYF; Neaudd Cross; On-site; GBP 10,000 - 40,000; Part time

Job summary

A leading early years educational foundation in Lewisham is looking for a part-time Nursery Chef Assistant working 15 hours per week. You will help prepare nutritious meals and engage with children, promoting healthy eating habits. With sociable hours and numerous benefits like a generous pension and discounts on childcare fees, this role offers a positive environment for individuals excited to work with kids. Training opportunities, including a Chef Academy, are also available.

Benefits

£1,000 salary uplift after Chef Academy

70% discount on childcare fees

Up to 35 days off, including bank holidays

Generous pension at 7%

Access to wellbeing app and shopping discounts

Qualifications

• Must have the right to work in the UK.
• Food Hygiene Level 2 or equivalent, or willingness to take the course.

Responsibilities

• Assist the nursery chef in preparing nutritious meals.
• Promote healthy eating habits among children.
• Ensure kitchen and allergy safety.

Skills

Positive attitude

Excited to work with children

Food Hygiene Level 2 or equivalent

Job description

Nursery Chef Assistant - Part Time -15 hours per week (Monday to Friday 11 : 30am - 2 : 30pm) - Lewisham, SE14 - £12.21 per hour + amazing benefits

Work in a friendly kitchen and enjoy working with children every day

"When I arrive at the nursery in the morning, the children's faces light up." - Conchobar, Senior Chef

We're the London Early Years Foundation, or LEYF Nurseries for short; a family of 40 nurseries. Our people love working for us because we focus on the child and their family, and give them the best start in life.

We give you free in-house training at our Chef Academy. You'll work sociable hours in a friendly environment, and you'll love interacting with the children in your nursery.

What's in it for you?

"It's not just a kitchen job; you get to engage with the children a lot." - Bruno, Chef

• An extra £1,000 uplift in your salary (for 40-hour week qualified chefs) when you complete the Chef Academy course
• You can work sociable hours - no evenings or weekends
• Lots of training, promotions and nurturing work environment
• Generous pension at 7% from us (1% from you)
• 70% discount on childcare fees
• Up to 35 days off a year, including 8 bank holidays, 3 days off between Christmas and New Year, and your birthday (pro‑rated for part‑time hours)
• Sector‑leading parental leave
• Many other benefits that take care of you, including access to the wellbeing app, shopping discounts, annual conference and money for team celebrations

A bit about the role

"It's a different working environment - a lot friendlier and calmer." - Conor, Senior Chef

You’ll help the nursery chef prepare nutritious meals for children and feel real job satisfaction from promoting healthy eating habits for life. Children love the cooking and food‑related activities run by our Chefs.

You’ll enjoy working with the wider nursery team but will also work closely with the chef to manage the kitchen and suppliers, ensuring a healthy environment and keeping children with allergies safe. You’ll be part of the LEYF chef community contributing across our settings, sharing ideas and recipes.

You’ll have the opportunity to take part in training at our Early Years Chef Academy, where you can train to be a LEYF chef.

You will need :

• The right to work in the UK
• A positive attitude and excited to work with children
• Food Hygiene Level 2 or equivalent, or be willing to do the course in the first week of work (paid for by LEYF)

About the nursery

Rated Good by Ofsted, Playhouse Nursery and Pre‑School provides Early Years education and care to children from birth to 5 years old. You can find us in Fordham Park, close to New Cross and New Cross Gate stations. We're a spacious, modern nursery with separate rooms and gardens for different age groups.

Apply now

Contact us today, our friendly recruiters are waiting to hear from you.