Prep Chef (Cook) - British Airways Lounges, Terminal 5

Baxterstorey; Hounslow; On-site; GBP 17,000 - 24,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

28 Days holiday

Birthday holiday

Free meals on shift

Pension and life insurance

Cycle to work scheme

Perkbox discounts

Job summary

Prep Chef (Cook) at BaxterStorey for the British Airways Lounges, Terminal 5 at Heathrow is a full-time, permanent role paying £14.62 per hour. Shifts include early and late starts (04:30–22:30) with 8-hour shifts and a 30-minute lunch break. You must live within commuting distance to the airport or have access to car parking.

You'll work across kitchen sections, follow SOPs, maintain high food safety standards, and support menu development. DBS checks and 5 years of history may be required.

Qualifications

• GCSE level education or above.
• Ability to display real passion for food and customer service.
• Excellent organisational skills and ability to work under pressure, meeting tight deadlines and maintaining high standards.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills in English.

Responsibilities

• Prepare high-quality dishes in your assigned section according to SOPs.
• Take ownership of your section and ensure ingredients and equipment are ready.
• Understand the menu and ingredients in each dish.
• Ensure dishes are visually appealing and well seasoned.
• Coordinate with chefs and kitchen staff for smooth operations.

Skills

English language

Food safety

Teamwork

Education

GCSE level or above

Job description

Prep Chef (Cook) - British Airways Lounges, Terminal 5

Company: BaxterStorey Salary: £14.62 to £14.62 an hour Hours: Full-time Location: HOUNSLOW, TW6 2GA Job type: Permanent Posting date: 14 Oct 2026 Closing date: 13 Nov 2026

This is shift work where you will be required to work a combination of early and late shifts. The earliest start is 04:30 with the latest finish time of 22:30. All shifts are for 8 hours excluding a 30minute lunch break.

It's important you live a commutable distance from the airport if you rely on public transport, considering the start and finish times. For those who drive, free car parking is provided.

As this role is based at Heathrow Airport, you will be required to complete mandatory pre‑employment checks. These include providing 5 years of verifiable employment history, undergoing a UK DBS check, and, if you have lived outside the UK for more than 6 months, obtaining an overseas Police Clearance Certificate from the relevant UK‑based embassy.

• 28 Days holiday, including bank holidays
• Birthday holiday
• 24 weeks' enhanced maternity leave
• Secondary Carer leave
• Wedding/commitment day leave
• Free meals on shift
• Bespoke training and development opportunities
• Apprenticeship opportunities for all experience levels
• Pension and life insurance
• Discounts available on our Perkbox app; high street shops, holidays & cinema
• Access to an employee assistance programme
• Cycle to work scheme

If you’re looking for a career that offers flexibility, excitement, and progression, then contract catering could be for you! At BaxterStorey, our career opportunities span industries from retail fashion to motorsport within roles across marketing, people development, sustainability, supply chain and more.

We invest heavily in training and development to give our people the confidence and industry knowledge to push the boundaries of hospitality excellence. There is endless opportunity to climb the career ladder (at any age or stage of your career!) and we offer over 500 courses across our business, from NVQ qualifications to our award‑winning Chef Academy, supporting you whether you’re starting or developing your skills as a lounge host.

Whenever customers visit the British Airways Lounges at Heathrow Airport, you’ll be there as a lounge host to greet them with 5‑star, BaxterStorey service. Friendly, confident and professional, you’ll be the face of our bespoke operation, making sure that delicious food and relaxation are available to every visitor.

Job Description

Responsibilities will range from preparing and producing a variety of high-quality food items to fulfil our food offer through out the day. You must be willing to assist in all sections of the kitchen and take on additional responsibilities during peak periods or special events

• Prepare high-quality dishes in your assigned section according to our SOPs, ensuring that all food is consistently prepared to the highest standards
• Take ownership of your assigned section, ensuring that all necessary ingredients, equipment, and tools are readily available and properly maintained.
• Gain an understanding of the menu and ingredients in each dish.
• Ensure that all dishes leaving your section are visually appealing, properly seasoned, and meet the established taste standards.
• Coordinate and communicate effectively with other chefs and kitchen staff to ensure smooth operations and timely execution.
• Collaborate with the chef team to create and develop innovative and enticing menu items that meet guest preferences and seasonal availability.
• Adhere to all food safety and hygiene regulations, maintaining cleanliness and organisation in your assigned section and throughout the kitchen.
• Act as a positive ambassador for the business
• Attend to any reasonable request made by the client or BaxterStorey Management
• Assist in monitoring and controlling food inventory, minimising waste and ensuring optimal usage of ingredients.
• Ability to communicate in basic written and spoken English
• Knowledge of food safety regulations and best practices, ensuring compliance at all times.
• Willingness to work in a dynamic, fast-paced environment and adapt to changing priorities and demands.

Qualifications

• GSCE level education or above
• Ability to display a real passion for food and customer service
• Effective verbal and written communication skills, promoting a positive and collaborative work environment.
• Excellent organisational skills and ability to work efficiently under pressure, meeting tight deadlines and maintaining high standards.

Additional Information

For almost 20 years, for every client, in every location (whether that’s an office, stadium, cathedral or university), we have created beautiful spaces, exciting menus and friendly teams, so that each and every customer can have the hospitality experience they deserve.

We need the brightest and the best to join us to make this all possible. We will support you to create your hospitality legacy and build a career that you are proud of.

Our drive and belief in our people, means that we always strive to supercharge our team’s careers. ‘Better’ is a daily habit that sits deep within our DNA, meaning learning will be front and centre of your experience working with us.

Join us, and be part of the food revolution!

BaxterStorey Values

ALWAYS VISIONARY

We strive for better, we never settle, never compromise, never follow. We lead the way, blazing our own trail.

WHOLEHEARTEDLY POSITIVE

We are up-beat, motivating and inspiring. Our love for what we do radiates through our food, and is amplified by our people.

CREATIVELY COLLABORATIVE

We embrace our differences to push creativity and we work together to be better.

FOREVER CONSCIOUS

We work together as a team to lead by example, protecting the planet and supporting local communities.

We are proud to be an inclusive employer and welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds. We celebrate individuality and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We encourage applications from people of all ages, abilities, gender identities, sexual orientations, races, religions, and socio-economic backgrounds.

BaxterStorey is committed to encouraging equity, diversity, and inclusion (ED&I) among our workforce and aim for our workforce to be truly representative of all sections of society, and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best. To support our commitment to this we have set ourselves an ambition to ‘set the standard and to be recognised for having the most inclusive culture in hospitality’.

Join us and bring your unique perspective to our team.

Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme