Trainee Chef

The Cinnamon Care Collection; Thurnby; On-site; GBP 15,000 - 21,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid Breaks

Uniforms

Staff Meals

Nest Pension

Employee Assistance Programme

Care Workers Charity

Spice of Life Discount

Retail Scheme

Cycle Scheme

Eye Care

Refer a Friend Scheme

Reward Vouchers

Quarterly & Annual Company Recognition

Job summary

The Cinnamon Care Collection's Thurnby Fields care home invites applications for a Trainee Chef role, opening September 2026, with full-time hours and £13.23 per hour plus benefits. You will train under our Head Chef to develop skills in menu planning, food prep and high-quality dining for residents.

We encourage progression from Kitchen Assistant to Trainee Chef, supported by NVQ Level 2 in Food Preparation and Cooking and ongoing workshops; reliability, compassion and teamwork are essential.

Qualifications

• Enrolled or willing to enroll on NVQ Level 2 in Food Preparation and Cooking.
• Previous kitchen experience and ability to demonstrate basic cookery skills.
• Opportunity to attend food preparation workshops to support training.

Responsibilities

• Follow a 4-week rota set by the head chef.
• Assist with menu review aligned to seasonal changes.
• Prepare, cook and present meals; home cooking with some bakery items.
• Provide breakfast service and serve meals at lunch and tea times.
• Maintain cleanliness in main and satellite kitchens.
• Order catering supplies and manage budgets where applicable.
• Learn food preparation techniques and stock rotation.
• Ensure stock levels are adequate and properly rotated.

Skills

Kitchen experience

Food hygiene knowledge

Teamwork

Education

NVQ Level 2 in Food Preparation and Cooking

Job description

New Care Home Opening September 2026!

Trainee Chef

£13.23 per hour plus company benefits

Full Time Hours

A Top 20 Care Home Group 2026!

Awarded One of the UK s Best Companies to Work For

Please note, we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role

Thurnby Fields is a luxurious residential and dementia care home based in Leicester, offering state-of-the-art facilities, which include 73 large en-suite bedrooms and 10 luxury care suites. The home also features luxurious lounges and dining rooms, an on-site café bar, a cinema and a professional hair and beauty salon.

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced Kitchen Assistant/Cook who wishes to progress to be a Trainee Chef under the mentorship and training of our Head Chef.

Working alongside our head chef and the kitchen team, you will provide a high quality catering and dining experience to all our residents, guests and visitors.

We are looking for someone who has enrolled on a NVQ Level 2 in Food Preparation and Cooking or will be willing to do so. You will need to have gained experience in a kitchen environment and can demonstrate some key cookery skills and knowledge. You will have the opportunity to attend food preparation workshops to support your training.

We are looking for someone who is reliable, a hard worker and can demonstrate a compassionate nature to our residents.

Our team member benefits include:

• Paid Breaks
• Uniforms
• Staff Meals
• Nest Pension
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Care Workers Charity
• Spice of Life Discount
• Retail Scheme
• Cycle Scheme
• Eye Care
• Refer a Friend Scheme
• Reward Vouchers
• Quarterly & Annual Company Recognition Awards

Main Responsibilities

1. Follow a 4-week Rota, developed by the head chef.
2. Assist with the quarterly review of menus, in line with seasonal changes.
3. Prepare, cook and present meals attractively. The majority of the menu will be home cooked with minimal use of convenience foods. This will include home baked biscuits and cakes provided daily.
4. Modified meals and snacks will be provided in line with operational procedures.
5. Provide a breakfast service to our residents in line with their requests.
6. Serve food to residents in dining areas at lunch and supper times ensuring a rotation of catering staff between communities of the care facility.
7. Ensure that a high standard of cleanliness is maintained in the main and satellite kitchens.
8. Understand how to order all catering supplies through nominated suppliers, managing budgets accordingly.
9. Learn how to prepare food.
10. Ensure that stock levels within the catering department are adequate, rotated, used effectively and secured at all times.

Person Specification

1. Ability to organise and prioritise workload and work under pressure
2. Energetic, passionate and proactive attitude
3. Awareness of COSHH and CQC regulations
4. Effective management and leadership skills
5. Good communication skills with open and collaborative working
6. The ability to work well within the team