Part Time Kitchen Assistant

Busy Bees In Portishead; Biggleswade; On-site; GBP 20,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player in early childhood education is seeking an Assistant Chef to join their nurturing team. This role offers a chance to create nutritious meals that support children's growth and development in a vibrant nursery environment. You'll work closely with a dedicated team, ensuring food safety and hygiene while contributing to a culture that values every team member. With opportunities for professional development and a range of attractive benefits, this position is perfect for those passionate about cooking and education. Join a supportive community that empowers you to thrive and make a difference in young lives.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Ongoing professional development

Discounts across retailers

Up to 28 days holiday

Birthday off

25% childcare discount

Enhanced family leave

Menopause support

Financial support

Employee Assistance Programme

Qualifications

• Experience in leadership within early years settings is preferred.
• Strong mentoring and problem-solving skills are essential.

Responsibilities

• Prepare healthy meals that meet children's dietary requirements.
• Support kitchen operations and maintain food safety standards.
• Assist with inventory management and meal preparation.

Skills

Catering

Food Safety

Mentoring

Problem-Solving

Education

Experience in Early Years Settings

Job description

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.

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.

About our Nursery
Join our dedicated and friendly team at Busy Bees in Biggleswade Kings Reach, an Ofsted-rated Good nursery with a capacity of 109 children. We are passionate about nurturing children's love of learning through playful teaching, creating a fun and engaging environment. Our nursery is situated in the heart of a vibrant community, just a two-minute walk from a local supermarket and coffee shop. We offer convenient bus and train services into the local town, with a 15-minute walk to the nursery. Staff enjoy free lunch and parking, along with exciting in-house competitions to win extra days of annual leave. We provide free training to help you gain qualifications and support career progression within our organization. This is a fantastic opportunity to advance your career in early childhood education within a supportive and dynamic team.

Busy Bees Benefits

• Competitive salary
• 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 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.

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.

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!