Part Time Assistant Chef

Busy Bees; Grays; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 32,000; Full time

Job summary

Join Busy Bees as an Assistant Chef, where your passion for cooking will support the nutritious meals crucial for children's development. Enjoy a supportive work environment, professional development opportunities, and numerous benefits as part of the UK's leading nursery group.

Benefits

Up to 28 days holiday per year (including bank holidays)

25% childcare discount

Employee Assistance Programme

Cycle to Work scheme

Discounted Private Medical Insurance (PMI)

Ongoing professional development and career progression

Qualifications

• Experience in leadership within early years settings.
• Strong mentoring and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to drive improvements and ensure compliance.

Responsibilities

• Prepare healthy, nutritious meals that meet dietary requirements for children.
• Support the Chef in overseeing kitchen operations and maintaining food safety and hygiene standards.
• Ensure kitchen inventory is well-maintained.

Skills

Mentoring

Problem-solving

Job description

Role Overview:

Join Our Team at Busy Bees – Leading Nursery Group in the UK

Are you passionate about cooking and providing nutritious meals for young children? As an Assistant Chef at Busy Bees, you’ll be a key part of our kitchen team, preparing healthy meals that support children's growth and development. This is an exciting opportunity to work in a nurturing environment where you will contribute to the wellbeing of children while gaining valuable experience in catering within the early years sector.

About Us
Busy Bees is the UK's leading nursery group, with nearly 400 nurseries across the UK and more overseas. We are dedicated to giving every child the best start in life and are proud to have won awards for our workplace culture. At Busy Bees, we ensure that every member of our team feels heard, valued, and nurtured.

About our Nursery
Join our friendly team at Busy Bees in Chafford Hundred Howard Road, an Ofsted-rated Good nursery with a capacity of 85 children. Our unique location beneath Bannatyne's gym provides a vibrant environment, and each room has its own garden directly accessible from the classrooms, promoting outdoor play and exploration. We are conveniently situated just a 10-minute walk from Chafford Hundred C2C station and a five-minute walk from the Number 33 bus stop, making us easily accessible. Staff enjoy free lunch and parking, offering a supportive work environment in which to advance your career in early childhood education.

Busy Bees Benefits

• £12.30 Hourly
• Ongoing professional development and career progression
• Our ‘Hive’ benefits and wellbeing hub, with discounts across a huge range of retailers
• Up to 28 days holiday per year (including bank holidays)
• Your birthday off – it’s our gift to you!
• 25% childcare discount
• Enhanced family leave and return to work bonus
• Menopause support through Peppy
• Financial support through Salary Finance
• Employee Assistance Programme and Mental Health First Aiders
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Easy access to your workplace pension through Cushon
• Discounted Private Medical Insurance (PMI)

But wait, there’s more! You'll also enjoy access to our Benefits and Wellbeing platform, Hive - offering huge array huge of retail discounts helping your money to go further, along with a Wellbeing Hub featuring resources to support your physical and mental health. A Celebrating You section showcasing the ways we recognise and reward our valued team members. Plus, a dedicated Grow with Us area sharing the exciting development opportunities and training designed to support you to thrive and grow at Busy Bees.

Why Work at Busy Bees?
We offer a supportive environment that empowers you to create engaging, educational spaces where children can thrive. As part of our team, you’ll be introduced to our unique Bee Curious curriculum, designed to foster curiosity and confidence in young learners.

Our Charitable Commitment
Through our partnership with BBC Children in Need, we offer fantastic opportunities for community involvement and fundraising to support children's lives.

Role Responsibilities:

Key Responsibilities:

• Prepare healthy, nutritious meals that meet dietary requirements for children.
• Support the Chef in overseeing kitchen operations and maintaining food safety and hygiene standards.
• Ensure kitchen inventory is well-maintained and assist with ordering and stock management.
• Support meal preparation and assist in the cleaning and maintenance of kitchen equipment.

Required Qualifications:Ideal Candidate

• Ideally experience in leadership within early years settings.
• Strong mentoring and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to drive improvements and ensure compliance.

If you have a passion for leading teams and supporting quality education, apply today!