Centre: NMT Enrichment Centre Aylesbury
Employer: New Meaning Training
Salary: Salary negotiable and based on experience
Type: Full Time, Permanent, All-year-round
Hours: 37.5 hours per week
Schedule: Monday to Friday 08:00-16:00
Job Reference: BUCAYCKC062601
Not every young person finds their place in a classroom. Some learn best when they’re actively involved, working alongside others, building practical skills, and gaining confidence through real experiences. At New Meaning Training, we support young people who haven’t thrived in traditional education to discover their strengths, develop independence, and take positive steps towards employment and adult life.
Our Aylesbury Enrichment Centre café is more than just a café. It’s a learning environment where young people gain hands-on catering experience, develop workplace skills, and experience the expectations and rewards of a real customer-facing setting. Through preparing food, working as part of a team, and contributing to the day-to-day running of the café, learners build confidence, resilience, and a sense of achievement.
We’re looking for an experienced Café Chef to lead the kitchen while supporting learners to develop their skills and realise their potential. You’ll combine strong catering expertise with patience, encouragement, and a willingness to teach. Whether you’re demonstrating food preparation techniques, creating opportunities for learning during service, or helping a young person succeed in a task they didn’t think they could do, you’ll play an important role in helping them move forward.
Key Responsibilities
- To manage and/or supervise all the operational elements involved with cooking within the café kitchen, including but not limited to:
- Kitchen organisation – Keeping a small space efficient, clean, and safe.
- Inventory management – Ordering stock, reducing waste, and maintaining appropriate levels.
- Supplier negotiation – Managing relationships with local suppliers to ensure quality and cost control. –
- Service development, including meal range, theme weeks, catering opportunities, etc
- Commercial performance, supporting in the evaluation of the financial performance of the café and forward financial planning.
- To ensure food safety, hygiene and compliance standards are maintained to the highest quality, achieving a food hygiene rating no less than a 4. Maintain high standards, ensuring compliance with UK food regulations, and train staff accordingly.
- Ensure there are clear processes for handling allergens and communicating risks to all staff and learners.
- Personally demonstrate and enable learners to learn the following culinary and operational competencies:
- Culinary expertise – Strong cooking skills across breakfast, lunch, and café‑style dishes; ability to maintain consistent quality.
- Menu development – Creating simple, cost‑effective menus suited to a café’s identity, seasonality, and customer preferences.
- Food preparation & flavour knowledge – Understanding ingredients, flavour pairing, and efficient prep workflows.
- Plating and presentation – Ensuring dishes look appealing while staying practical for a small kitchen.
- To participate and support vocational tutors with:
- Lesson planning
- Learner interviews and work placement coordination
- Marking, leaner feedback and reviews
- Learn coaching and mentoring as required
- Full UK Driving License
- Business Insured Vehicle
Safeguarding Responsibilities
- Have read and understood the Safeguarding and Prevent Policy
- Have read and understood the Safeguarding Process Guide (separate document)
- Have attended an onboarding meeting with the Safeguarding Manager
- Follow the safeguarding processes and procedures
- Ensure your team have read, understood and follow the safeguarding policy and process (separate documents)
- Ensure all your team have complete a level 2 safeguarding course (online or face to face) when they first start
- Ensure all your team complete a level 2 safeguarding refresher course each year
- Attend safeguarding debriefs, courses, workshops, audits as required.
About Us
New Meaning Training (NMT) offers education with a difference. We are an alternative education provider dedicated to helping young people aged 15-25 discover their strengths and develop the confidence and skills to earn their own living.
For the 2025-2026 academic year, just over 300 young people from Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands, and Berkshire will join one of our programmes. Many of these students are referred by secondary schools, pupil referral units, and Special Education Needs settings.
Our journey began in 2015 with the opening of our first centre in High Wycombe, originally known as “Toolshed.” Ten years on, NMT continues to grow, with two new centres that opened for the 2025-2026 academic year.
New Meaning Training delivers a broad offer across several counties, and in Buckinghamshire we operate three centres—High Wycombe, Aylesbury and Milton Keynes—that provide flexible pathways for young people to build confidence, develop skills and move toward positive destinations. Across these centres, learners can access a varied mix of SETPD “Introduction to…” courses, including Catering, Computing, Community Care, Motor Mechanics, Creative Art & Design and Hair & Beauty, alongside our established Construction Multiskills programme, Boost Workskills, and Achieve Lifeskills. We also offer Transition Support; an outreach programme designed for young people who need time and tailored support before reengaging with a learning environment. All programmes incorporate Functional Skills in Maths and English, supported by tutorials that build personal growth, wellbeing and employability. Each Buckinghamshire centre has its own character: High Wycombe will expand into a new dedicated learning space on Baker Street from September 2026; Aylesbury occupies the much loved former Healthy Living Centre; and Milton Keynes offers a distinctive practical setting in its converted lighting shop. Together, these centres form a key part of our wider regional provision.
NMT tailors its programmes to meet the needs of its learners, considering Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Social, Emotional, and Mental Health (SEMH) needs. We comprehensively apply the principles of a Loving Care Approach (Trauma Informed Practice) to ensure all young people receive the support they need to thrive.
Why work for New Meaning Training?
Generous annual leave
- 20 days annual leave, plus bank holidays
- Up to 10 additional “gifted” days off each year (taken during school holiday periods)
- Annual leave increases with length of service, up to a maximum of 24 days
Pension
- Auto enrolment into The People’s Pension (5% employee contribution with 3% employer contribution)
Blue Light Card
- Access to hundreds of national discounts (retail, food, travel, days out)
- Admin fee fully reimbursed by NMT
Service recognition
- Additional annual leave as a thank you for long service
- Gift rewards at key milestones (e.g. 5 and 10 years)
Wellbeing benefits
- Annual flu vaccination voucher (paid for by NMT)
- Birthday gift voucher to celebrate your day
Sustainable travel schemes
- Cycle to Work scheme (salary sacrifice)
- Electric Vehicle scheme via Octopus Energy (salary sacrifice)
- Green Travel to Work initiatives with rewards for taking part
A supportive, values led workplace with a strong focus on staff wellbeing, development, and collaboration
- Training and CPD supported as part of your role
- The opportunity to make a meaningful difference in young people’s lives
You will have…
- Microsoft suite skills.
- Team management and development
- Managing conflict and mastering change
- Time management and self-organised/planner, able to work within deadlines.
- Passion for sharing knowledge and developing young people.
- Excellent stakeholder engagement skills.
- Strong communication skills and an understanding of learning styles.
- Be able to keep accurate records and able to analyse problems.
- Keep up to date with relevant laws and attend any training provided by NMT.
Qualifications, Education and/or Experience Requirements
- At least four years’ experience in catering/chef work
- To complete the following CPD within 1 week of start date:
- Level 2 Safeguarding
- Prevent Duty
- Internal Systems Training and Onboarding
Loving Care Approach Competencies
- Understanding of Trauma Informed Practice and Attachment theory
- Passion for sharing knowledge and learning.
- Supportive and enabling.
- Active listener.
- Inquisitive and curious.
- Open minded.
- Focused on strengthening learners
- Pro-active self-development through formal coaching
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: From £24,784.50 per year
Benefits:
- Company events
- Company pension
Work Location: In person
