Chef / Cook
Location: Backwell, North Somerset
Salary: £27105 - £30354
Contract: Permanent Hours: 40 hours per week, term time plus 2 weeks
Start Date: As soon as possible.
Working hours; 6am-2pm
Start Date: 1st December 2026
School Staffing Solutions are supporting a brand new school, opening its doors in January 2027, and we're looking for an experienced Cook to help make this vision a reality. This is a rare opportunity to be part of something truly transformative.
The school will be a nurturing, inclusive and ambitious environment for children and young people aged 5–19 with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs. With a capacity of 96 students, our vision is to create a safe, enriching and aspirational environment where every learner can thrive.
We're looking for a passionate and organised Cook to lead our catering provision, creating nutritious, home-cooked meals that support the health, wellbeing and development of our pupils.
Your Role
As our Cook, you'll take responsibility for the day-to-day running of the school kitchen, ensuring pupils and staff receive high-quality, nutritious meals in a safe and welcoming environment.
You'll play an important role in developing menus, maintaining exceptional hygiene standards and creating a positive dining experience, while working closely with colleagues, students and families to meet a range of dietary and sensory needs.
Your responsibilities will include:
- Preparing, cooking and serving nutritious meals using fresh ingredients wherever possible
- Planning balanced and appealing menus that meet a range of dietary, allergen and sensory requirements
- Managing stock control, ordering and budgeting to ensure an effective and efficient catering service
- Supervising and supporting kitchen staff, including rota management, training and day-to-day guidance
- Building positive relationships with students, encouraging healthy eating and gathering feedback on menu choices
- Maintaining the highest standards of food hygiene, health and safety, and compliance with catering legislation
- Working closely with students, staff and suppliers to ensure meals are nutritious, appealing and meet a range of dietary, allergen and sensory needs
About You
We're looking for someone who is passionate about creating healthy, home-cooked food and enjoys working as part of a school community.
You will have:
- Experience preparing and cooking meals using a wide range of fresh ingredients
- Knowledge of food hygiene, food safety and relevant catering legislation
- Experience managing stock, portion control and working within a budget
- Knowledge of special diets, allergens and nutritional requirements
- Experience supervising or supporting staff within a catering environment
- Excellent communication skills with a range of internal and external stakeholders
- Strong organisational skills and the ability to maintain accurate records
- Knowledge of learning disabilities and/or additional needs and how these may impact catering provision
To apply, simply hit the apply button and ensure your CV has all the details of your skills and experience! I will be in touch wih successful applicants to arrange a telephone interview to ascertain suitability.
School Staffing Solutions Recruitment Ltd is acting as an employment business for this position.
Please note that candidates that are shortlisted might be subject to an online search.
Successful applicants will be subject to pre-employment safeguarding checks including an enhanced disclosure and barring service (DBS) check.
As a result of the volume of applications, If we have not contacted you within two weeks of your application being received, then regretfully your application will not be taken forward on this occasion.
INDJS
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: £27,105.00-£30,354.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company events
- Company pension
- Discounted or free food
- Employee discount
- Free parking
- On-site parking
- Referral programme
- Store discount
Experience:
- Knowledge of health and safety legislation including COSHH: 1 year (required)
- Cooking for between 40 -80 people: 1 year (required)
- Planning & preparing menus to ensure healthy eating: 1 year (required)
- Knowledge of kitchen equipment & cleaning: 1 year (required)
Licence/Certification:
- Level 2 Food Hygiene Certificate (required)
Work authorisation:
- United Kingdom (required)
Work Location: In person
