Job Overview
We are seeking a passionate, experienced, and dedicated Nursery Chef to join our team and take responsibility for the smooth and effective running of the nursery kitchen. The successful candidate will be responsible for preparing and serving fresh, healthy, nutritious, and age-appropriate meals and snacks for children aged 0–5 years, while maintaining the highest standards of food hygiene, health and safety, and cleanliness.
Working closely with the Nursery Manager, nursery team, and parents, the Chef will develop and deliver well-balanced menus that promote healthy eating and meet individual dietary requirements, including allergies and allergens. The role requires excellent organisation, culinary skills, food safety knowledge, and the ability to manage kitchen stock and budgets effectively while minimising food waste.
The successful candidate will also contribute to the wider life of the nursery through activities such as children's cookery clubs, BBQs, fetes, and staff events, while consistently demonstrating professional and appropriate behaviour within a childcare environment.
Main Duties and Responsibilities:
- Ensure the smooth, efficient, and effective day-to-day running of the nursery kitchen.
- Prepare and cook fresh, healthy, nutritious, and age-appropriate meals and snacks for children aged 0–5 years.
- Plan and prepare balanced menus covering breakfast, lunch, tea, and snacks, ensuring they meet children's nutritional and developmental needs.
- Work closely with the Nursery Manager to develop healthy, fresh, and nutritious menus, with an emphasis on high-quality and organic ingredients where appropriate.
- Ensure all dietary requirements, allergies, and allergens are identified, catered for, prepared safely, and clearly communicated to the nursery team.
- Maintain the highest standards of food hygiene, health and safety, food preparation, and food storage in accordance with relevant legislation and nursery policies.
- Keep the kitchen clean, hygienic, organised, and safe at all times.
- Ensure kitchen procedures and practices meet internal requirements and external environmental health standards.
- Maintain accurate and up-to-date Safer Food, Better Business (SFBB) records and ensure all relevant food safety documentation is completed and filed appropriately.
- Take responsibility for the kitchen's readiness for environmental health inspections and support environmental health visits as required.
- Manage kitchen stock, including ordering, receiving, storing, rotating, and monitoring supplies appropriately.
- Ensure appropriate stock rotation and storage procedures are followed to maintain food quality and minimise waste.
- Work within agreed budgets and support effective control of food costs and kitchen expenditure.
- Prepare sufficient food each day while carefully managing portion sizes and production levels to minimise unnecessary food waste.
- Support, promote, and implement nursery policies, procedures, and best practices relating to food, health, safety, hygiene, and children's wellbeing.
- Work collaboratively and in partnership with the Nursery Manager, nursery team, and parents to encourage healthy and nutritious eating habits.
- Communicate effectively with nursery staff regarding menus, dietary requirements, allergens, and any other relevant food-related matters.
- Contribute to nursery events and activities, including BBQs, fetes, staff meetings, and children's cookery clubs.
- Encourage children's interest in healthy food and, where appropriate, support activities that promote positive attitudes towards food and nutrition.
- Model professional, positive, respectful, and appropriate behaviour at all times within the childcare environment.
- Ensure that all food preparation and kitchen activities are carried out with due consideration for children's safety and wellbeing.
- Maintain high standards of presentation when preparing and serving food.
- Carry out any other reasonable duties that contribute to the effective running of the nursery and kitchen.
Experience and Skills:
- Proven experience working as a Chef, Nursery Chef, School Chef, or in a similar professional catering environment.
- Strong experience in food preparation and cooking, with the ability to prepare fresh, healthy, balanced, and nutritious meals.
- Experience preparing food for young children, ideally children aged 0–5 years.
- Good knowledge and understanding of children's nutritional requirements and age-appropriate meals and portion sizes.
- Experience catering for food allergies, intolerances, special dietary requirements, and allergens, with a strong understanding of cross-contamination prevention.
- Sound knowledge of food hygiene, health and safety, food storage, and safe food preparation practices.
- Experience maintaining food safety records, ideally including Safer Food, Better Business (SFBB) documentation.
- Experience managing kitchen stock, ordering supplies, stock rotation, and controlling food costs.
- Ability to work within a budget while maintaining high standards of food quality and nutrition.
- Strong organisational skills and the ability to plan menus and food production effectively.
- Ability to work independently while developing positive and collaborative working relationships with nursery staff and parents.
- Excellent communication skills and the ability to clearly communicate dietary and allergen information to colleagues.
- A professional, positive, and caring approach when working in a childcare environment.
- Ability to work efficiently under pressure while maintaining consistently high standards of cleanliness, hygiene, food quality, and safety.
- Commitment to reducing food waste and promoting sustainable and responsible kitchen practices.
- A genuine passion for preparing healthy, nutritious, fresh food and supporting children's wellbeing through positive nutrition.
Benefits:
Work Location: In person
