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Hostelling Scotland; City of Edinburgh; On-site; GBP 23,000 - 27,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Membership of Hostelling Scotland

Employee Assistance Programme

Pension and holidays

Meal discounts on shift

Uniform provided

Salary Extras scheme access

Job summary

Hostelling Scotland is seeking a cook for Edinburgh Central Youth Hostel on a fixed term contract. You will prepare breakfast and dinner for groups up to 120, manage orders and stock, and ensure high standards in a busy catering operation.

Ideal candidates have HACCP experience, catering qualifications, and enjoy working in a lively, outdoor-oriented environment with opportunities to support hostel teams and guest services.

Qualifications

• Experience catering for large groups and events.
• Knowledge of HACCP, food safety regulations and allergen management.
• Ability to multitask under pressure while maintaining quality.

Responsibilities

• Cook daily breakfast buffet and evening meals for groups up to 120.
• Manage stock levels and liaise with suppliers.
• Maintain cleanliness and HACCP in kitchen and dining areas.
• Ensure smooth handovers between shifts and effective team communication.
• Support Food Hygiene and Cooksafe procedures across catering team.

Skills

Catering for groups

Food hygiene HACCP

Multitasking

Team collaboration

Education

Elementary Food Hygiene certificate

SVQ/NVQ in catering

Tools

Ordering systems

Stock management software

Job description

Locations: Edinburgh Central Youth Hostel, 9 Haddington Place, Leith Walk, Edinburgh EH7 4AL

Contract: Fixed Term Contract, Provisional start date: ASAP until 31/Mar/2027

Accommodation: This is a live-out position

Join our team, with an adventurous spirit, to help our guests discover and experience the real Scotland through hostelling with us whilst you can also enjoy exploring cities, hillwalking, climbing and many other outdoor activities and amazing surroundings in your spare time.

As a non-profit charity with people and communities at our heart, we also give people, who otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity, the chance of a well needed break to explore and experience Scotland or to develop their skills for life, learning and work through our youth programmes.

Working with Hostelling Scotland is more than just a job. Join our team to become an Ambassador for Scotland and make a difference!

You will be part of our dedicated and friendly team at our Edinburgh Central Youth Hostel.

About the role of Cook:

Key responsibilities will be:

• Cooking daily food for breakfast buffet and evening meals, catering for groups from 10 up to 120, dining room capacity up to 65 people, including café style lunch ensuring high quality whilst achieving budgetary requirements taking into consideration allergens and special dietary advice.
• Familiarise self with ordering systems and suppliers to ensure stock levels are sufficient to deal with demand whilst managing and monitoring stock controls for the catering operation
• Ensure effective communication with all members of the team; facilitating smooth and thorough handovers between shifts. Comply with Hostelling Scotland’s Policies and Procedures whether communicated verbally in writing or by electronic means.
• Maintaining the standards of cleanliness and hygiene in the main catering kitchen, back of the house in accordance with the hostel’s HACCP house rules, and cleaning schedules.
• Ensure that all process are undertaken in a manner that ensures compliance with Cooksafe procedures as well as Hostelling Scotland house rules.
• Working with the Group, Hostel Managers and catering team, share responsibility for all aspects of food and beverage delivery including Food Hygiene, Cooksafe protocol and providing relevant F&B/catering training to team members whilst keeping abreast with and adopting the most updated food safety and food hygiene best practice.
• With the guidance of the Hostel Manager ensure that guest feedback and complaints from all sources are handled and resolved in a timely and professional manner and in conjunction with other members of the management team.

Ideally you will have:

• Previous experience of catering for large groups, pastry chef experience, working in busy contract catering environment.
• Excellent knowledge of food hygiene, HACCP and COSHH regulations and a relevant catering qualification including Elementary Food Hygiene certificate, SVQ/NVQ in catering, food production.
• Ability to multitask and work under pressure whilst remaining calm
• Vast knowledge of food styles

We can offer:

• Membership of Hostelling Scotland
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Pension and holidays
• Meal discounts on shift
• Uniform is provided
• Access to many high street benefits through the Salary Extras scheme

Additional Information:

• A successful candidate is required to provide one satisfactory reference and a recent Basic Disclosure clearance
• You must be able to provide evidence of your right to work in the UK prior to starting with us.

Who we are:

Hostelling Scotland is a not-for-profit charity with over 60 youth and affiliate hostels. Since 1931, we have welcomed millions of visitors through our doors, helping them to ‘get outside’, to explore what Scotland got to offer, discovering the beautiful locations and the natural benefits of the great outdoors.

Closing Date: 15th October 2026

Interview Date: TBC