Nursery Cook - Mon to Fri

eRecruitSmart; Oxford; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 28,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading nursery in Oxford is seeking a Nursery Cook/Chef to prepare nutritious meals for children and staff. The role offers the opportunity to work in a collaborative environment, where creativity and input in cooking are valued. Candidates should possess relevant qualifications and have experience in catering, ensuring food safety and hygiene regulations are met. Enjoy a work-life balance with Monday to Friday hours and a competitive salary package.

Benefits

Holiday entitlement of 28 days per year

Closed on Bank Holidays and over Christmas

Qualifications

• Sound knowledge of vegetarian and vegan cooking.
• Judgement of quantities to minimize leftovers.
• Mandatory training in Food Hygiene, Allergies, and Safeguarding.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and cook meals for up to 100 children and 20 staff.
• Plan weekly menus and cater for special occasions.
• Ensure compliance with Food and Hygiene standards.

Skills

Vegetarian cooking

Vegan cooking

Organizational skills

Communication

Team player

Education

NVQ Level 2 in Catering

Level 2 course in Food Hygiene and Allergens

Level 3 Food Safety and Hygiene (ideal)

Job description

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We have an excellent Monday to Friday role for an experienced Nursery Cook /Chef within a lovely nursery in Kennington, Oxford. There is one cook within the kitchen and is very much part of the nursery team. They have an unusual set-up in that the children and staff do a lot of cooking every day and contribute to the meals. It’s a lovely environment where you can expect a lot of input and collaboration from the kitchen team into the rooms’ cooking.

About the Nursery
Our client is an independent children's nursery offering high quality full day child care and excellent pre-school education following Montessori philosophy. Founded by existing owners, they have been located in Kennington, just South of Oxford in England, since 1994 with facilities for up to 110 children. They offer day care all year round, not just school term time, opening at 8 a.m. through to 6 p.m.

About the role
As Nursery Cook /chef your responsibilities are:

• Preparing and cooking lunch and tea for up to 100 children and 20 staff (approx)
• Serving lunch and tea
• Clearing and tidying meals away
• Washing tidying all dishes, utensils etc
• Clearing and tidying kitchen
• Wiping down cooker and all surfaces and splashbacks
• Sweeping and mopping floors as needed

Key tasks

• Planning weekly menus to include food for special needs (religious, medical and other)
• Cooking all meals for children and staff and providing catering for special occasions as necessary (children’s concerts, open days, away days/ inset days)
• Organising shopping list
• Receiving shopping and putting away
• Organising and rotating stock
• Keeping fridges and freezers clean
• Keeping all machines clean and in working order (using descaler and machine cleaner as recommended by manufacturer)
• Keeping kitchen cupboards clean, inside and outside
• Being responsible for paperwork requirements to meet Food and Hygiene Standards
• Providing training for other kitchen staff (Assistant)
• Any other kitchen duties as required

About you
To be successful for the role of Nursery Cook /Chef, you need to:

• Have a sound knowledge of vegetarian and vegan cooking
• Have a sound judgement of quantities so as to keep leftovers to a minimum
• Be able to incorporate leftovers into the menu as necessary
• Keep mandatory training up to date – Food Hygiene/Allergies and Safeguarding and Prevent
• Complete any training courses as set out by Small World
• Keep up and implement any changes in Health and Safety regulations

Chef Skills and Qualifications:

• NVQ Level 2 in Catering (minimum)
• Level 2 course in Food Hygiene and Allergens (minimum); ideally Level 3 Food Safety and Hygiene
• Strong organisational skills
• Good communication
• Team player

About the hours and rewards
In the role of Nursery Cook /Chef, you will work Monday to Friday, generally 9am to 6pm. The Nursery is closed on Bank Holidays and over Christmas.

For the role of Chef, there is on offer:

• A salary of £25,000 to £27,500 per annum depending on skills and experience
• Holiday entitlement of 28 days per year, which include Bank Holidays and Christmas shutdown.