Company Description
South West Larder: Togetherness, Nurture, Pride, Planet
Full Time: 39 hours a week
Salary: £20.23 per hour
Location: Central Production Kitchen, North Petherton
Closing Date: 21/08/2026
Interviews: Week Commencing - 31/08/2026
Want to work for a company where Togetherness, Nurture, Pride and Planet are at the heart of everything they do? Then look no further, Somerset Larder produces fresh food and meals to go using locally sourced ingredients from all over the west country. Our philosophy is to nourish the community with amazing produce, to employ local people and to train apprentices for future careers in the catering and hospitality sector.
At Somerset Larder, our Values have been set by our staff. Our Values exist for the good of our working lives and company performance. Our Values are:
-
Togetherness - “Be a tractor not a trailer.”
-
Nurture - “You grow, I grow, we grow.”
-
Pride - “We can and we will”
-
Planet - “We’re part of a bigger picture”
Job Description
As a Kitchen Assistant Supervisor, you will oversee food prep and assembly operations while ensuring high standards of safety, quality, and efficiency. Acting as a link between management and staff, you will direct daily production workflows while fostering a fair, inclusive environment where tasks are shared equally and every team member receives opportunities to learn.
Fair Team Leadership & People Management (Togetherness & Nurture)
-
Fair Task Distribution: Rotate tasks fairly, ensuring balance across the team whilst ensuring all staff can complete all tasks.
-
Equal Opportunity Champion an inclusive team culture where every Kitchen Assistant receives equal access to on-the-job training and cross-skilling across different prep sections.
-
Supportive & Objective Management: Lead by example with consistency, fairness, and transparency (Togetherness) Resolve day-to-day shift issues objectively and supportively
-
Team Morale & Inclusion: Encourage open communication, foster strong teamwork across shifts, and ensure every team member feels valued, heard, and respected regardless of background or experience level.
Production & Operational Supervision
-
Oversee daily prep, assembly, and packaging workflows for high-volume ready-to-eat products and salads,
-
Ensure all products strictly follow approved spec sheets, portion controls, and wastage controls
-
Monitor efficiency to ensure production schedule is met on time.
-
Assist in organising daily shift allocations, rotation of duties, and break management fairly across the team.
Quality, Food Safety & Hygiene Standards
-
Working with kitchen assistants, supporting food safety, ensuring strict adherence to HACCP guidelines, CCP controls, and allergen segregation procedures.
-
Monitor traceability documentation and blast chilling records,
-
Implement clean as you go attitude ensuring workstations, and production areas meet high cleaning standards on every shift.
-
Report operational hazards, equipment faults, or product non-conformances immediately to senior supervisors/management.
The role is based primarily within temperature-controlled cold rooms (chilled environments, <8°C) to maintain product freshness and safety.
Thermal protective wear and specialised PPE are fully provided.
Requires physical stamina, including standing for extended period and lifting
Qualifications
Skills/Knowledge/Experience Required:
Essential
-
Leadership & Fairness: Demonstrated ability to lead people fairly and impartially, fostering an inclusive team dynamic with equal support for all members.
-
Experience: Proven track record in a high-volume food production, central assembly kitchen, or commercial catering environment
-
Qualifications: Level 2 Award in Food Safety in Catering/Manufacturing (or willingness to achieve Level 3 upon appointment).
-
Communication: Clear, open, and empathetic communication skills to mentor and direct a diverse team during busy production.
-
Attention to Detail: Precise approach to specs and allergen safety.
-
Flexibility: Adaptable mindset regarding shift patterns, rota schedules, and support throughout the Central Production Kitchen.
Desirable
-
Experience in inclusive leadership, shift delegation, or mentoring staff.
-
Level 3 Award in Food Safety / HACCP certification.
-
Health & Safety qualification or First Aid at Work certificate
-
Experience operating in chilled high-care or high-risk manufacturing environments.
Interpersonal Skills
Fairness & Impartiality
Treats every team member consistently and without bias, ensuring work assignments, break rotations, and development opportunities are distributed equitably.
Empathetic & Active Listening
Demonstrates a genuine willingness to listen to staff concerns, feedback, or shift challenges, ensuring team members feel heard, valued, and respected.
Clear & Approachable Communication
Adapts communication style to suit a diverse team, delivering daily briefs clearly, giving constructive feedback supportively, and maintaining an open-door presence
Conflict Resolution
Handles floor-level disagreements, friction, or misunderstandings calmly and objectively, de-escalating tensions before they impact shift morale.
Team Motivation & Engagement
Drives a positive, collaborative environment ("Be a tractor, not a trailer"), encouraging teamwork, recognizing good work, and keeping morale high during busy production runs.
Mentorship & Coaching Mindset
Takes pride in supporting staff (Nurture), offering patient guidance and encouragement to help others succeed.
Additional Information
Employee Benefits Menu
At Somerset Larder, we believe our people are the secret ingredient to our success. Here’s a flavourful look at the benefits we’ve cooked up for our amazing team:
Generous Time Off
Savour a well-balanced blend of work and personal time with our generous annual leave allowance (31 days including bank holidays)
Pension Contributions with Extra Spice
Prepare for your future with a pension plan that goes beyond the basics – 5% from you, matched with a hearty 5% from us
Life Assurance
Our life assurance plan is here to provide peace of mind, so you can focus on serving up excellence
Cycle Scheme
Get a healthy and eco-friendly start to each day with our cycle scheme – perfect for working up an appetite!
Comprehensive Family Leave Benefits
When life serves up big changes, we’re here to support you with a menu of family leave benefits designed so you can make memories as you care for your family.
Free Food and Drink on Shift
Enjoy a daily free meal/drink so you can fuel up and stay energised.
Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)/Mental Health First Aiders
Tap into our 24/7, all-year round helpline and portal Wisdom, loaded with resources on health, finances, legal advice and lifestyle tips – a full menu of support options
Christmas Shutdown
Relax during the festive period whilst the operation is closed between Christmas and New Year – a rarity for the Hospitality industry (option to volunteer for skeleton staffing)
Learning, Development and Apprenticeship Opportunities
Stir up new skills with a range of development and apprenticeship opportunities to help you grow your career and cook up success in the culinary world.
Access to Occupational Health
As a perk of being part of the HPC project, you will have access to Health Partners, the UK’s leading provider of workplace health services
Refer a Friend Scheme
Use our employee referral programme and benefit financially by adding people from your professional network to our workforce.
Monthly Recognition: A Toast to you
Each month, we raise a glass to our star team members who go above and beyond, as nominated by their colleagues
Long Service Awards
Celebrate the milestones! Receive our heartfelt gratitude and special recognition at your 5- and 10-year anniversaries
Annual Team Awards
Join us for our annual awards event as we honour the outstanding contributions and achievements of our team. It’s our way of saying cheers to you!
This benefits menu is our recipe for a rewarding and fulfilling career, where you can develop your talents and delight in the journey ahead.
Pre-Employment Screening
Successful applicants will be required to provide a three-year employment history and five-year address history to work on Hinkley Point C.
They must be able to provide in date photographic ID and their right to work in the UK so that security clearance can be obtained as these roles are based on a nuclear regulated site.
