*BRAND NEW SETTING*
Maternity Cover Nursery Chef
Starting June 2026.
Monday-Friday
£500 joining bonus upon successful completion of probation
Join our caring, welcoming and supportive team at Monkey Puzzle Bishops Stortford
Why Us?
As part of Monkey Puzzle Bishops Stortford, you will be joining our caring, welcoming and supportive team.
Our vision is to inspire change through excellence in childcare, creating a positive impact for generations to come. For over 20 years we have been providing children the highest quality of care with unlimited opportunities to grow, learn and develop in our safe and secure environments for.
People matter at Monkey Puzzle and as a part of our team you will benefit from:
· Continued opportunities for professional growth and access to our engaging online training platform
· Free parking
· £1000 bonus scheme on top joining bonus
· Childcare discount
· Access to free counselling services
· Company wide events
· A wellbeing focused leadership team
· Competitive salary
· 2 annual inset training days
Why you?
· You are able to follow the required menus and design dishes in reference to Monkey Puzzle’s food and drink policy
· You will ensure that all production, service and presentation of food is to the company’s standard
· You’ll be partially or fully responsible for the catering budgets, kitchen health and safety, supplies purchasing, observance of dietary requirements, catering training and more
· You are able to work well within a team
· You always maintain a positive attitude with children, parents, colleagues and visitors
· You are creative and inspire learning as well as great at planning and organising
· You have a willingness to learn
Essentials
· One or more years’ experience in the hospitality industry
· Food and Hygiene safety certification Level 2
· Experience in planning a nutritionally balanced menu
Great to haves
· Experience of supporting children within a nursery setting
· Specific allergen management training/experience
· Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) certified
· Achieved and maintained a 5* EHO rating at a previous role
· Food standards qualifications such as Food hygiene certification or Culinary Skills NVQ
· Most of all, we’re looking for someone who has a passion for cooking, is friendly, enthusiastic, and able to have fun!
Testimonial from another Nursery Chef, Paul:
I have been a chef for several years. Nutrition in early years is important as it allows us to introduce a balanced and healthy diet to children from a young age, to help them grow and become stronger and healthier.
When building the menus for the children we take nutrition into consideration making sure that the children are having a mixture of fruit and vegetables, protein, carbohydrates, dairy and vegan alternatives that ensure a varied diet. We provide two snacks a day which one of these consist of two different fruit options daily and the main meals include a portion of different vegetables to ensure we are incorporating the important nutrients children need.
Even if it is hidden, sometimes the menu contains a variety of vegetables all blended in to give added flavour and goodness. We class ourselves to offer a diverse menu tailored to the children’s palette. We’ve started Monkey Chef too, where the Toddlers and Pre-school groups are put into groups with me, where we talk about the ingredients and utensils involved. I talk about each ingredient to sure children have an opportunity to discover new foods, smells, and textures.
With dietary requirements we look at how we can adapt every meal so that it is still very similar to the main meal offered to others. We offer oat milk, dairy free butter, dairy free yoghurt, gluten free and vegetarian options to name a few.
We can't wait to hear from you soon!
Safeguarding Statement
Monkey Puzzle Day Nurseries are committed to Keeping children safe; therefore, it is necessary for the appropriate level of criminal record Disclosure and Barred check to be undertaken. All posts involving direct contact with children and vulnerable adults are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. However, amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975 (2013 & 2020) provide that certain spent convictions and cautions are 'protected'. These are not subject to disclosure to employers and cannot be taken into account. All candidates will be asked to provide details of all unspent convictions, you may be asked for further information about your criminal history during the recruitment process. If your application is successful, this self-disclosure information will be checked against information from the Disclosure & Barring Service before your employment commences.
Job Types: Full-time, Temporary
Pay: £25,000.00-£27,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Additional leave
- Employee discount
- On-site parking
Ability to commute/relocate:
- Bishop's Stortford: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Education:
- GCSE or equivalent (preferred)
Licence/Certification:
- Driving Licence (preferred)
Work Location: In person
