Nursery Kitchen Assistant

Childbase Partnership; Kettering; On-site; GBP 23,000 - 28,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

23 days annual leave pro-rata

Bank holidays

Partnership Reward Days

Childcare discount up to 40%

Grandparent childcare discount 21%

Long-service rewards

Qualification bonuses

Retail discounts

Free meals

Mental health support

Occupational health support

Flu jabs

Eye care vouchers

Will-writing service

Education via EduBase Academy

Job summary

Childbase Partnership is seeking a Kitchen Assistant at Windermere Day Nursery in Kettering. You will prepare meals for up to 115 children aged 6 weeks to 5 years, Monday to Friday 10:00-14:30, on a permanent basis with 22.5 hours per week and 52 weeks per year.

Salary is £25,096.50 per annum (pro-rata) or £12.87 per hour. We offer generous annual leave, Reward Days, childcare discounts, wellbeing support, and ongoing training within our employee-owned family of nurseries.

Qualifications

• Experience in professional catering and handling varied fresh ingredients.
• Knowledge of COSHH, allergens and manual handling to maintain hygiene standards.
• Experience catering for babies and children under five is desirable.
• Experience with EHO inspections is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Prepare meals from a set-menu using fresh ingredients.
• Maintain high hygiene standards and manage allergies/dietary requirements.
• Support the Nursery Cook and cover food prep in their absence.

Skills

Food preparation

Professional kitchen experience

Food hygiene

Allergy/dietary management

Catering for children under five

EHO inspections experience

Job description

Join Childbase Partnership and be part of something extraordinary.

Role: Kitchen Assistant | Preparing meals for up to 115 children aged 6 weeks-5 years old.

Location: Windermere Day Nursery | Kettering | NN16 8LX.

Contract: Permanent | 22.5 hours/week | 52 weeks/year.

Working pattern: Monday-Friday between 10:00-14:30.

Salary: £25,096.50 per annum (pro-rata) | £12.87 per hour.

We’ve been delivering childcare excellence since 1989. Within our 44-day nurseries, Head Office, and Training Academy, EduBase, our ethos is simple: we all belong, we all matter, and we all contribute. We believe in ‘careers, not jobs’, supporting one another to grow and succeed.

Generous annual leave: 23 days paid leave per annum (pro-rata), rising to 28 days with length of service, plus paid bank holidays.

Work-life balance: Up to a further 20 paid days off each year through our Partnership Reward Days incentive; take your leave or sell the days you accrue, tax-free.

Family childcare savings: If you have children or grandchildren, there's the potential for you to benefit from generously discounted childcare at Childbase Partnership nurseries, with savings of up to 40% for parents, and 21% for grandparents, depending on your contracted hours.

Exclusive partner benefits: Long-service rewards, qualification bonuses and retail discounts.

Wellbeing support: Free meals, mental health and occupational health support, flu jabs, eye care vouchers and a free will-writing service.

Career development: Team inset days, access to online training and apprenticeships through our academy.

About us

We are employee-owned: Every colleague is a partner with a voice, who helps drive our success; when we do well, we each receive an annual tax-free dividend.

We are number 1: Ranked top of the Nursery World league tables for our Ofsted outcomes.

We are community driven: Supporting causes close to our hearts, we’ve raised more than £3.5 million for charity.

We are environmentally responsible: Building a greener tomorrow our nurseries all hold Green Flag awards and are powered by 100% renewable energy.

About you

You are passionate about preparing wholesome, healthy meals: You have professional catering experience which will enable you to contribute towards the preparation of a range of meals from a set-menu, using fresh ingredients.

You are diligent: Your knowledge of COSHH, allergens and manual handling alongside your experience working in a professional kitchen environment will ensure you effectively contribute towards maintaining 5-star hygiene standards within the kitchen.

You are an advocate for safeguarding: You will ensure the well-being and dietary needs of every child are met.

You are collaborative: In partnership with the Nursery Cook, you will promote healthy eating, build respectful relationships with colleagues, children and parents and resume full responsibility for all food preparation and cooking tasks in the absence of the cook.

We are an inclusive employer and we welcome applicants of all ages and backgrounds. We’re committed to FREDIE (fairness, respect, equality, diversity, inclusion, and engagement) and will consider any reasonable adjustments required. If you meet the essential criteria for this role, your application will be automatically shortlisted for review by our Recruitment Team who will determine if an interview is the next step.

Applicants must currently reside within a commutable distance of the nursery and hold suitable Right to Work in the UK; VISA sponsorship is not available. Safer recruitment checks apply, which include an Enhanced DBS check.

EssentialExperience preparing and cooking varied fresh ingredients and dishes, in a professional capacity.Awareness and an understanding of safe food hygiene practices, including managing allergies and special dietary requirements.Highly desirableExperience catering for babies and children under five, in a professional capacity.Experience of EHO inspections.