Role: Catering Assistant
Location: Central Bedfordshire College – Dunstable Kingsway Campus
Salary/Benefits: Salary is between £26,510 and £28,482 per annum (Pro-Rata) DOE and Qualifications, People’s pension, Retail and Leisure Discounts, excellent professional and personal development opportunities, accessing college courses.
Hours/Weeks: 20 hours per week – 36 weeks per year
Contract Type: Fixed Term – Term Time – Fixed until 28 February 2027
This is a UK based contract, and you are required to have the Right to Work in the UK. Unfortunately, we’re unable to offer sponsorship and any offer of employment will be subject to evidence of your Right to Work in the UK.
About the role:
We are currently seeking a Catering Assistant to join our Leisure, Catering and Events Services department at The Bedford College Group.
As a Catering Assistant, you play an important role in the success of our students through:
- Food Preparation & Service Delivery - Assist with food preparation, cooking, and presentation, serving meals and beverages to customers while maintaining high standards of quality, professionalism, and customer care.
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Kitchen Operations & Facilities Maintenance - Support the smooth running of the kitchen and restaurant through cleaning, stock control, equipment maintenance, delivery checks, and ensuring dining areas remain clean, safe, and welcoming.
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Customer Service & Sales Support - Deliver excellent customer service, handle enquiries and complaints professionally, support promotions and theme days, and help maximise sales opportunities through customer engagement.
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Health, Safety & Financial Compliance - Adhere to HACCP, COSHH, food hygiene, and health & safety requirements while supporting cash handling procedures, financial controls, and reporting any concerns appropriately.
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Teamwork & Professional Standards - Work collaboratively with colleagues, maintain high standards of punctuality, appearance, and professionalism, support departmental operations during busy periods, and uphold safeguarding, equality, and training responsibilities.
About you:
- Food Hygiene, Customer Service & Technical Knowledge - Level 2 Food Hygiene certification (or equivalent), allergen awareness, customer service experience, and knowledge of cash registers, PDQ machines, catering tills, and health & safety requirements within a catering environment.
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Food Preparation & Catering Skills - Experience in food preparation and cooking, with a strong understanding of kitchen operations, food service standards, and maintaining high levels of cleanliness and hygiene.
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IT, Teamwork & Operational Capability - Competent in Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook, with the ability to follow instructions, multitask effectively, and work collaboratively in a fast-paced catering environment.
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Flexibility & Work Ethic - Proactive, enthusiastic, and adaptable, with the ability to adjust working hours to meet service demands and support operations across multiple sites and events.
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Physical Capability & Continuous Development - Able to perform regular lifting and handling tasks, travel independently with own transport, and committed to continuously updating skills, knowledge, and professional standards.
For a more detailed breakdown of the job role and the requirements, please see the Job Description attached to this vacancy.
Interviews to be held: TBC
Successful candidates must also be able to demonstrate alignment to our organisational VISION values:
- Valuing Teamwork - We are one team who by working together can achieve great things, respecting the opinion and valuing the contribution each of us makes.
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Improving Continuously - We challenge ourselves to always do better by trying new things, sharing knowledge, reflecting on practice and learning from others.
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Student Centred - At our heart is always doing what is best for our students. We consider students in all of our decision making to create positive outcomes and memorable experiences for every student.
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Inclusive - We celebrate differences and diversity, recognising that we can learn from each other.
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Open and Caring - We care about the wellbeing of our staff, our students, our community and wider society, creating an environment built on trust where we listen, engage with and support each other.
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Nurturing Education Excellence - We promote educational excellence by delivering programmes that challenge our students to achieve their ambitions.
About The Bedford College Group
The Bedford College Group was formed in 2017 following the merger of Bedford College and Tresham College and is now the largest provider of education in the South East Midlands, with over 15,000 students passing through our doors each year.
Today, the Group is made up of a family of colleges across Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire: Bedford College, Central Bedfordshire College and Tresham College in the towns of Bedford, Dunstable, Leighton Buzzard, Corby, Kettering and Wellingborough; Shuttleworth College, a specialist land-based college; The Bedford Sixth Form, (the only dedicated sixth form in Bedford); The Corby Sixth Form, (opened in September 2023); and the National College for Motorsport alongside Silverstone race circuit. To widen accessibility to education and training, the Group also has community-based Learning Centres in Bedford, Corby and Kettering which offer IT training.
Safeguarding our Students
The Bedford College Group is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to thorough vetting process which includes, an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references.
This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Exceptions Order 1975, provides information about which convictions must be declared during job applications and related exceptions and further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS filtering guide. The Bedford College Group's policy on Employment of Ex-Offenders is attached to this vacancy.
Candidates who are barred from working with children are reminded it is a criminal offence to apply for this post.
