Nursery Cook

Shorefields; Wickford; On-site; GBP 16,000 - 23,000; Full time

Job summary

The Treehouse Club is seeking a passionate and dedicated Nursery Cook to join our vibrant childcare team! Working as part of a kitchen team of 3, you will play a vital role in preparing nutritious, delicious, and age-appropriate meals for young children in our care.

The role requires a commitment to food safety and ability to work in a busy kitchen, with duties including planning weekly menus, maintaining hygiene, and supporting meal service.

Qualifications

• Experience in food preparation and cooking for children.
• Knowledge of food safety standards and proper kitchen hygiene.
• Ability to plan meals for young children and different age groups.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and cook nutritious meals and snacks tailored to the dietary needs of young children in accordance with health and safety standards
• Plan weekly menus that incorporate balanced, wholesome ingredients suitable for different age groups
• Ensure all food preparation areas are clean, sanitized, and organized following food safety regulations
• Monitor food storage conditions to prevent spoilage and ensure freshness of ingredients
• Assist with serving meals in a friendly, efficient manner that encourages positive eating experiences
• Follow strict hygiene practices during food handling, preparation, and cleanup processes
• Collaborate with staff to accommodate special dietary requirements or allergies

Skills

Food preparation

Kitchen hygiene

Dietary needs for children

Tools

Ovens

Stoves

Refrigeration

Job description

Job Ref No. ECC540614-3S Position Type: Catering Pay Range: £14.48 per hour

Position Start Date: 12/10/2026 Contract Type: Full-time Contract Term: Permanent

Application Close: 01/10/2026 Midnight Date of Interviews: 05/10/2026

The Treehouse Club is seeking a passionate and dedicated Nursery Cook to join our vibrant childcare team!

Working as part of a kitchen team of 3, you will play a vital role in preparing nutritious, delicious, and age-appropriate meals for young children in our care.

Meals are delivered to our other nursery settings, so use of a car with business insurance is essential.

Working 7.30am to 4pm 5 days a week

Duties - Nursery Cook

• Prepare and cook nutritious meals and snacks tailored to the dietary needs of young children in accordance with health and safety standards
• Plan weekly menus that incorporate balanced, wholesome ingredients suitable for different age groups
• Ensure all food preparation areas are clean, sanitized, and organized following food safety regulations
• Monitor food storage conditions to prevent spoilage and ensure freshness of ingredients
• Assist with serving meals in a friendly, efficient manner that encourages positive eating experiences
• Follow strict hygiene practices during food handling, preparation, and cleanup processes
• Collaborate with staff to accommodate special dietary requirements or allergies

Experience - Nursery Cook

• Proven experience in food preparation and cooking, ideally within a childcare, nursery, or similar setting
• Knowledge of food safety standards and proper kitchen hygiene practices
• Experience with meal planning and preparing nutritious foods for young children or similar age groups
• Familiarity with kitchen equipment such as ovens, stoves, mixers, and refrigeration units
• Previous restaurant or catering experience is advantageous but not required
• Ability to work efficiently in a fast-paced environment while maintaining high standards of cleanliness and safety
• Serving experience is beneficial to ensure smooth meal service during busy times

Join us as a Nursery Cook and bring your culinary talents to create healthy, tasty meals that support children's growth and happiness! We value energetic individuals who are committed to food safety, enjoy working in a team-oriented environment, and are eager to make a difference every day.

Safeguarding statement:

The Treehouse Forestry Nursery and Out of School Club is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and takes its statutory duties and responsibilities in this context very seriously. We expect everyone working in or on behalf of the setting to share our commitment.

We take pride in ensuring that our robust policies and procedures are reviewed regularly and implemented consistently, by everyone, as we strive to maintain a strong safeguarding working practices and culture. Annual safeguarding training is provided to all staff and is an integral part of the setting's Continued Professional Development training. All staff, volunteers and main contractors undergo appropriate DBS checks prior to appointment.

Safer recruitment

The Treehouse Forestry Nursery and Out of School Club applies safer recruitment policies to ensure that all of our staff are suitable to work with children and young people. We advise you in advance that two people will be involved in your recruitment process. Both people will partake in your interview and each person will individually review all applications and paperwork to ensure that you are suitable for the role.

Part of our safer recruitment procedure includes obtaining references for you. One of these references must be your latest employer. If you are unable to obtain a reference before the interview from your current employer then you must obtain references from the employer before that as well as one other reference.

References from former employers are preferable over any other referee. Please note that we will need to obtain a reference from your latest employer before completing our processes for you to commence working for us.

We are at liberty to advise you that if there are gaps in your employment history or any other information that gives us cause for concern, we will contact your former employers to obtain further information and satisfy any concerns that we have.

Eligibility to work within the UK

We will need to obtain evidence from you to confirm that you are eligible to work within the UK. We confirm that this information, as well as all personal information, will be held in our Staff Central Record.

We do not offer sponsorship to overseas workers.

Information about the School

The Treehouse Club is a welcoming, child-centred forestry Nursery and Pre School committed to providing high-quality early education and care through a strong connection with nature and the outdoors.

We can offer you

All appointments are subject to safer recruitment requirements to ensure the safeguarding of children and young people. All positions will involve appropriate checks and clearances.

Valerie Hagan
Dollymans Farm
Doublegate Lane, Rawreth
Essex, SS11 8UD Telephone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]