Nursery Cook / Chef

Childbase Partnership Limited; Cambridge; On-site; GBP 22,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a leading childcare provider as a Cook/Chef at their West Cambridge Day Nursery. You'll create nourishing meals for young children while promoting healthy eating and maintaining a high standard of kitchen hygiene. This full-time position offers significant benefits, discounts, and personal growth opportunities within a supportive team environment.

Benefits

75% discount for parents

Generous annual leave and extra paid days

Tax-free Partnership dividends

Well-being support including free meals and health care

Growth opportunities through training

Cycle-to-work scheme

Qualifications

• Experience in professional catering, especially for children.
• Knowledge of COSHH and environmental health legislation.
• Strong team player with advocacy for healthy eating.

Responsibilities

• Prepare wholesome meals from a set-menu for children under five.
• Maintain a 5-star kitchen rating and manage budget effectively.
• Support and nurture Junior team members, ensuring quality food service.

Skills

Attention to detail

Cooking for children

Budget management

Job description

Join Childbase Partnership and be part of something extraordinary.

At Childbase Partnership we have been delivering childcare excellence since 1989. Our mission is to give children the best possible start in life and instil a lifelong passion for learning. Across all 44-day nurseries, Head Office, and our Training Academy of Excellence, our dedicated colleagues work together to create a lasting, positive impact in our local communities.

We are determined to be excellent and constantly strive for the best outcomes, not only for the children in our care but for every colleague too .

What makes us special?

• We are 100% employee-owned– which means we are all partners, we all have a meaningful voice, and we own our future (this includes sharing profits too, tax-free).
• Sector leading initiative: “Partnership Reward Days”– going the extra mile to promote a healthy work/life balance for you with up to an extra 20 days paid leave a year, meaning up to a phenomenal 50 days leave, with the option to sell a proportion if you would prefer; the choice is yours!
• ‘Number 1’- we have earned the top spot in the prestigious Nursery World league tables for our Ofsted outcomes, all thanks to our extraordinary colleagues.
• Record-breaking Green Flag achievements, and climate-positive status- we save more CO2 than we create (take that, climate change!).
• Planting in excess of 2,000 trees in the Eden Restoration project- because the planet needs a hug too.
• Over £3.5 million raised for charity– we’re basically fundraising superheroes (without the capes).

At Childbase Partnership, our ethos is simple; we all belong, we all matter, and we all contribute so we all benefit.Our core values foster happiness, confidence, and growth, with a ‘careers not jobs’ approach, shaping the future of our extraordinary company together.

Own your future and join us as a Cook / Chef at our 120 place West Cambridge Day Nursery in Cambridge.

This role is full-time (40 hours a week). Working hours are 8:30am-5:30pm, Monday-Friday, 52 weeks of the year.

Join us and benefit from:

• From day 1:75% discount for parents and 40% discount for grandparents at any Childbase nursery.
• Generous leave entitlement: Starting with 23 days annual leave rising to 28 days (pro-rata), plus paid bank holidays* and up to 20 additional paid days off through our Partnership Reward Days initiative.
• Exclusive rewards: Tax-free Partnership dividends, qualification reward payments, long-service bonuses, retail discounts, family fun days with free tickets to UK attractions and cycle-to-work scheme.
• Well-being support: Mental Health First Aiders, two free meals a day in the nursery, subsidised medical care, flu jabs, eye care vouchers, occupational health support, and a free will-writing service.
• Growth opportunities: Team inset training days, professional development support, online courses, and apprenticeships through our Training Academy of Excellence.

Your knowledge, skills and character qualities make you the perfect Cook / Chef. You are:

• Passionate about preparing wholesome, healthy meals for children under five; your professional catering experienceenablesyou to prepare and cook a range of foods from a set-menu, using fresh ingredients, providing suitable alternatives for those with allergies and dietary requirements.
• Naturally diligent with excellent attention to detail; your knowledge of COSHH and environmental health legislation ensures your kitchen maintains a 5-star rating and your experience of managing a budget contributes towards the profitability of the nursery.
• An advocate for partnership working; you thrive as part of a team environment, are a positive role model and you will nurture your Kitchen Assistant, and you enjoy building meaningful and respectful relationships with colleagues, children and parents to promote healthy eating choices.

Are you ready to contribute to something quite extraordinary?

To apply, you must currently reside in the UK and hold suitable Right To Work in the UK. We are sorry, VISA sponsorship is not available at present. Before commencing in your new role, you will be required to provide Right To Work documentation and any relevant qualifications. An enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references must also be obtained for you. Rest assured our Recruitment Team are on hand to support and guide you through every step of the process.

*This nursery is open on the May bank holidays; if Monday is a standard working day for you, you will be required to work as normal on these dates. Paid time off will be awarded in lieu for you to take on another day.

• Location (a radius of up to 50 miles will apply) Cambridge, United Kingdom