Nursery Kitchen Assistant

Childbase Partnership Limited; Orpington; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 26,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous annual leave

Work-life balance days

Childcare savings

Wellbeing support

Career development

Job summary

Childbase Partnership Limited is seeking a Kitchen Assistant at Brinds Well Day Nursery, Chelsfield, Orpington. The role involves preparing meals for up to 148 children aged 6 weeks to 5 years, adhering to menus and hygiene standards, and supporting the Nursery Cook.

You will contribute to a safe, nourishing environment, with a pro-rata salary of £25,096.50 and 37.5 hours per week across 52 weeks, in a permanent, full-time position.

Qualifications

• Professional catering experience in a kitchen setting.
• Knowledge of COSHH, allergens and manual handling.
• Ability to maintain high hygiene standards in a busy kitchen.
• Safeguarding awareness to protect children's well-being.

Responsibilities

• Prepare meals for up to 148 children aged 6 weeks to 5 years.
• Follow set menu using fresh ingredients.
• Work with Nursery Cook and take on cooking tasks in their absence.
• Comply with safety and hygiene policies in the kitchen.

Skills

Catering experience

Food preparation

COSHH knowledge

Hygiene standards

Safeguarding awareness

Tools

Kitchen equipment

Job description

Join Childbase Partnership and be part of something extraordinary. Role: Kitchen Assistant | Preparing meals for up to 148 children aged 6 weeks-5 years old. Location: Brinds Well Day Nursery | Chelsfield, Orpington | BR6 7PH. Contract: Permanent | 37.5 hours/week | 52 weeks/year. Working pattern: Monday-Friday 09:30-18:00 / 10:00-18:30. 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.

Why join us

• 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 75% for parents, and 40% 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.