Role: Nursery Chef
Report to: Nursery Settings Manager
Main purpose of this role: To be responsible for the smooth daily running of the kitchen, including leading and overseeing the kitchen assistant, ensuring high quality meals are provided to both our Shavington and Nantwich setting and to deal with all food orderings and deliveries.
Main duties and responsibilities
Food Preparation and Cooking:
- Maintain company standards and values, ensuring kitchen runs to the highest of standard.
- Prepare and cook lunch and tea for our Shavington and Nantwich setting.
- Be adaptable to the increase of cooking needs for Nantwich should the need arise.
- Be responsible for liaising with nursery manager and planning, preparing and cooking lunch or Tea for special occasions.
- Acknowledge, understand and follow weaning policy, making sure all meals are age appropriate for weaning children.
- Work with parents and ensure meal replacements are provided for children weaning and not yet on solids. This includes blended meals, blended lumpy and alternatives when the meal is something such as sandwiches.
- Deliver meals to our Nantwich setting daily at set times, using your own transport.
- Conduct regular baking/cooking activities for the children at both of our nurseries.
- Prepare for any annual leave in advance, ensuring the kitchen assistant is equipped to cover absence.
- Ensure correct use of utensils and resources, including colour coded chopping boards etc.
Menu Preparation:
- Prepare seasonal menus which are completed on a termly basis.
- Ensure menus fall inline with our healthy eating policy and dietary requirements are included and sufficiently catered for.
- Ensure meals are varied, balanced and provide children with the nutrients they need in line with government guidance. Meals to include protein, carbs and vegetables.
- Lunch and Tea should include either a side or a pudding and not both to ensure portions are controlled and appropriate.
- Meet with the Nursery Managers and Head of Nursery Operations once termly, to present and talk through your new menu. Once approved, type the menu and distribute it to the rooms.
- Take on board feedback from parents and adapt any meals/suggestions where able to do so.
Ordering and Stock Taking:
- Manage stock, food orders, rotation and liaise with suppliers, including online ordering.
- Liaise with the Nursery Manager at Nantwich nursery to ensure they are stocked up with any items you supply them with.
- Ensure you have next week’s catering numbers, prior to ordering to avoid under/over ordering.
- Ensure all items ordered fall inline with our health eating and oral health policy.
- Orders are to be placed on Wednesday for Harlech and Friday for supermarket delivery.
- Ensure costs, profit margins and targets are consistently met, working with the Nursery Manager achieve this.
- Deliver stock to Nantwich as and when needed, following list of what you supply to them.
- Keep on top of stock and avoid unnecessary ordering. Ensure at times of shutdown (1 week at Christmas) fridges and freezers are left clean and empty where possible.
- Along with kitchen assistant, keep on top of sell by date, use by dates and any perished items.
- When required, meet with Business Manager and Head of Nursery Operations to discuss financial aspect of the kitchen
- Ensuring all food items in fridges and freezers are labelled as required.
Allergy Management:
- Sole responsibility to comply with all food allergen requirements
- Ensure all items ordered for dietary requirements, including snacks are checked thoroughly for allergens
- Responsibility for all food that leaves the kitchen
- Ensure all allergens are documented on allergy sheets and food items are labelled clearly.
- Ensure appropriate meals provided for those with allergens
- Ensure all food being transported is labelled appropriately, ensuring allergies are labelled and packed in separate containers.
- Head chef to ensure they do all handovers of meals, including checking the allergy sheets in line with policies and procedures.
Food Hygiene and Cleaning:
- Keep the kitchen, stores and equipment clean and tidy always. This is to include daily cleaning, weekly cleaning and monthly deep cleaning
- Sole responsibility to comply with food hygiene practices, COSHH in the kitchen, health and safety legislation and all other appropriate and/or relevant criteria or standards.
- Successfully lead the setting through Environmental Health inspections, maintaining our 5* rating and supporting our Nantwich setting with theirs also.
- Raising any concerns regarding food hygiene at either setting, Including practices within the room
- Make the kitchen and yourself presentable for customer views.
- Ensure all correct documentation is completed and maintained in line with food standards agency guidelines
Full job description given at interview
Depending on starting availability, a full handover can be given with current nursery chef.
Hours are Monday - Friday 8am-1.30pm
Job Type: Part-time
Pay: £14.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Employee discount
Experience:
- kitchen: 1 year (required)
Work Location: In person
