Kitchen Assistant | Burwood Hospital

New Zealand Government; Christchurch; On-site; NZD 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is recruiting a Kitchen Assistant to join our hospital kitchen, patient services and caf teams at Burwood Health Campus in Christchurch. The role involves assisting with meal prep, service and maintaining high standards of food safety and presentation.

You will work across kitchen, patient meal services and caf operations, ensuring nutritious meals are delivered on time and with excellent customer service.

Qualifications

• Experience in kitchen, food service or catering environments.
• Understanding of basic food safety and hygiene practices.
• Ability to work efficiently in a fast-paced environment while maintaining quality.

Responsibilities

• Assist with food preparation, portioning, plating and distribution of meals to hospital wards.
• Support the preparation and service of special dietary meals.
• Provide friendly, professional meal and beverage services to patients.
• Assist with caf operations, including food prep, presentation and customer service.
• Follow food safety legislation, infection prevention and control procedures.

Skills

Kitchen operations

Customer service

Food safety

Education

NZ Food Safety Certificate (NZQA 167/168)

Job description

Christchurch - Burwood Health Campus * Permanent full time working 40 hours per week (must be available to work 40 hours over 7 days per week)

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is firmly grounded in the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and is committed to building a health system that serves all New Zealanders.

About the Role

We are looking for a reliable, hardworking and customer-focused Kitchen Assistant to join our team, supporting meal preparation and service across our hospital kitchen, patient services and caf . This is a varied, hands-on role where you will help ensure patients receive nutritious, high-quality meals and beverages in a timely and professional manner.

You will also contribute to the smooth running of our caf , providing friendly customer service and maintaining high standards of food safety, hygiene and presentation. As a relieving team member, you will need to be flexible and adaptable, moving between different areas of the service as required. You will work alongside a supportive team, helping create a positive experience for patients, whānau, visitors and colleagues.

Key Responsibilities

• Assist with food preparation, portioning, plating and the timely distribution of meals to hospital wards.


• Support the preparation and service of special dietary meals in accordance with instructions and established procedures.


• Provide friendly and professional meal and beverage services to patients, helping them understand menu options and make suitable selections.


• Assist with caf operations, including food preparation, presentation, customer service and maintaining a clean and welcoming environment.


• Follow food safety legislation, infection prevention and control procedures, and safe food handling and storage practices.


• Clean and sanitise kitchen equipment, utensils and work areas, ensuring high standards of hygiene are maintained.


• Assist with receiving and storing deliveries, rotating stock and minimising food waste.


• Follow workplace health and safety procedures, use equipment safely and report hazards or faults promptly.


• Work collaboratively with colleagues and supervisors to ensure services run efficiently and meals are delivered on time.


• Communicate respectfully with patients, whānau and colleagues, recognising and responding to diverse cultural needs.

About You

You will be a dependable and enthusiastic team player who takes pride in providing quality food and excellent service. You will be comfortable working in a busy environment, able to follow instructions accurately and willing to assist wherever needed.

Essential Requirements

• Experience in a kitchen, food service or catering environment.


• An understanding of basic food safety and hygiene practices.


• The ability to work efficiently in a fast-paced environment while maintaining quality and attention to detail.


• A flexible and positive approach to working across kitchen, patient meal services and caf operations.


• Good communication skills and a commitment to providing friendly, respectful customer service.


• The ability to work cooperatively as part of a team and follow established procedures.


• A commitment to workplace health and safety, infection prevention and control, and maintaining a clean working environment.

Desirable

• A New Zealand Food Safety Certificate, including NZQA Unit Standards 167 and 168.


• Previous experience in healthcare or hospital food services.

Working at Health New Zealand Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is dedicated to ensuring excellent healthcare for the people of New Zealand. We embrace a workforce that is diverse and inclusive so that we are better positioned to understand and service our community. We welcome applications from our diverse Māori, Pacific, disabled, and rainbow communities.