.Café Chef / Cook – Daytime HoursStooks Café at Newbridge Garden Centre
Are you a passionate Chef or Cook looking for a role that offers great daytime hours and a better work-life balance?
Stooks Café, based within Newbridge Garden Centre, is looking for an enthusiastic, reliable and hardworking Café Chef / Cook to join our friendly team.
This is a fantastic opportunity for someone who enjoys working with fresh food in a busy café environment but wants to move away from the late nights and unsociable hours often associated with hospitality.
Why Join Us?
We offer a working pattern designed around daytime café service, giving you more time to enjoy your evenings.
You will also benefit from time off when the Garden Centre is closed, including:
- Christmas Day
- Boxing Day
- New Year's Day
- Easter Sunday
The Role
As our Café Chef / Cook, you will play an important part in the day-to-day running of the kitchen, preparing and serving good-quality, traditional garden centre café food to a consistently high standard.
Our menu includes a range of popular café favourites, including:
- Cooked breakfasts and breakfast items
- Hot and cold sandwiches
- Jacket potatoes with a variety of fillings
- Paninis and toasted sandwiches
- Light lunches
- Hot meals and daily specials
- Soups
- Salads and side dishes
- Children's meals
- Cakes and desserts where required
- Other seasonal and traditional café dishes
We are looking for someone who takes pride in the food they prepare, understands the importance of consistency and presentation, and can work calmly and efficiently during busy service periods.
Key Duties and Responsibilities
Your responsibilities will include:
- Preparing, cooking and presenting food to a consistently high standard
- Cooking breakfast and lunch dishes to order
- Preparing sandwiches, paninis, jacket potatoes and other hot and cold menu items
- Preparing ingredients and completing daily food preparation
- Supporting the preparation of daily specials and seasonal menu items
- Ensuring food is served promptly during busy periods
- Maintaining high standards of food quality, portion control and presentation
- Following recipes, specifications and agreed cooking procedures
- Monitoring stock levels and informing management when ingredients need replenishing
- Receiving and correctly storing food deliveries
- Rotating stock and following FIFO procedures
- Minimising food waste and helping control kitchen costs
- Maintaining excellent standards of cleanliness throughout the kitchen
- Cleaning work surfaces, equipment and kitchen areas
- Following all food hygiene, health and safety, and allergen procedures
- Completing temperature checks and food safety records as required
- Ensuring food is stored, labelled and dated correctly
- Preventing cross-contamination and following safe food-handling procedures
- Communicating effectively with front-of-house colleagues to ensure smooth service
- Supporting other members of the kitchen and café team when required
- Helping with washing up and general kitchen duties as part of the wider team
- Opening and closing the kitchen areas as required
- Maintaining a clean, organised and professional working environment at all times
About You
We are looking for someone who is:
- Passionate about preparing and serving good-quality food
- Experienced in a café, restaurant, pub, catering or similar kitchen environment
- Confident working in a busy kitchen
- Organised and able to prioritise tasks effectively
- Reliable, punctual and hardworking
- Able to work independently and as part of a team
- Calm and positive under pressure
- Knowledgeable about food hygiene and kitchen safety
- Aware of allergens and dietary requirements
- Committed to maintaining high standards of cleanliness
- Friendly, approachable and willing to support colleagues
Previous professional kitchen experience is preferred, and a Food Hygiene qualification would be advantageous.
A Hospitality Job With Your Evenings Back
If you love working with food but are looking for a role with daytime hours, a friendly working environment and key festive days off, this could be the opportunity for you.
Join the team at Stooks Café within Newbridge Garden Centre and help us continue serving great café food to our customers every day.
Apply today – we would love to hear from passionate Chefs and Cooks who are ready to become part of our team.
Work Location: In person
