Chef/Cook

Job Title: Chef / Cook (Hourly Paid)

Department: Commercial Catering

Reporting to: Catering Manager

Contract: Hourly Paid, Permanent

Salary: £14.68 per hour (Inclusive of Holiday Pay)

Pension: NEST Pension Scheme

The Role

Step into a rewarding role at Middlesbrough College as a Chef / Cook, where you will contribute to delivering high-quality meals in a busy and supportive catering environment. Reporting to the Catering Manager, you will be responsible for preparing, cooking, presenting and serving a wide variety of dishes, ensuring all meals meet required standards, follow set recipes, and fully comply with food safety, allergen legislation and Food4Health guidelines.

Key Responsibilities

• To ensure the preparation, cooking, delivery, presentation and service of all meals, at the required times and to ensure that all recipes and cooking methods are followed in line with all guidelines given and the Allergen Legislation and Food4Health standards as detailed by the tariffs and menus displayed.
• To ensure that the correct quantities and portion specifications are maintained at all times, and to carry out preservice instruction with staff, ensuring appropriate knowledge of all dishes / products for sale is given.
• To ensure that all tasks achieve the businesses statutory responsibility to ensure that all food stuffs are protected from contamination by biological, physical or chemical means from goods into goods out; and that all required paperwork linked to this process is completed daily.
• To actively promote the business aims and objectives, through assisting the Supervisor and Management with the planning of menus, orders; and the receiving, checking and the appropriate storage of given items.
• To communicate effectively and appropriately with all staff, learners and external customers throughout the college, especially those in Catering Services. And show support and demonstrate a strong team ethic to all members of the team.

Please find the full job description here –Chef/Cook (Hourly Paid)

Qualifications

• To hold a NVQ Level 2 in Food Preparation.
• To hold a Basic Certificate in Food Hygiene.
• Grade C or above in Maths and English (or equivalent) or be willing to work towards.
• A commitment to undertake any mandatory training relevant to the role.

Experience

• Current experience of working in a food preparation and service environment, with responsibilities for food preparation and service.
• Experience of working within a large busy catering team.

Knowledge & Skill

• Must have the relevant skills to prepare, cook and serve a wide variety of dishes to a high standard.
• To have the ability to organise time and tasks to achieve the businesses service requirements. To have the ability to assist in the instruction of other team members with confidence when required to do so.
• To be a good team player and have excellent communication skills.
• To have a positive and flexible approach to meet the needs of the business.

Why join us?

• Substantial annual leave entitlement plus holiday purchase scheme.
• Health & Wellbeing; free gym membership, 24/7 counselling for you and your family
• Family-friendly policies: flexible hours and a supportive work environment
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP): confidential support including and financial advice.
• Professional development: extensive training, mentoring, and career progression opportunities
• Funded CPD opportunities, regular staff development training, and paid volunteering days
• Access to discounted hair and beauty treatments at our onsite salon.
• College benefit scheme – College Extras:
• Up to 15% cashback at top retailers & restaurants
• Discounted gift cards for big brands
• Home & tech upgrades via salary sacrifice
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Discounted onsite car parking.

To learn more about working at Middlesbrough College, please visit our Work For Us page.

For further details, please contact Suzanne Clement, Catering Manager on ***email_hidden***

Safeguarding Our Students

Middlesbrough College is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all students. All staff are expected to share this commitment. If you’re successful, you’ll be required to complete thorough pre-employment checks, including an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references. All roles within the College carry safeguarding responsibilities, including promoting student welfare, reporting any concerns to the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), and modelling safe and appropriate conduct in line with College policies.

All posts at Middlesbrough College involve regulated activity and are therefore exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974. The amendments to the ROA 1974 (Exceptions Order 1975, (amended 2013 and 2020) mean that when applying for certain jobs and activities, certain spent convictions and cautions are ‘protected’, so they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. The MOJ’s guidance on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Exceptions Order 1975, provides information about which convictions must be declared during job applications, related exceptions and further information.

Please be aware that it is a Criminal offence to apply for this post if you are barred from engaging in regulated activity in connection to children.

As part of our shortlisting process, we will conduct an online search for all shortlisted candidates to identify any safeguarding or reputation‑related concerns (as required by KCSIE).

Right to Work

Applicants must have the legal right to work in the UK at the time of application. Unfortunately, we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role.

Recruitment Process

Applications are shortlisted for interview as they are received, and so early application is encouraged. We reserve the right to commence the interview process and close the vacancy prior to this date.

Equality & Diversity

Middlesbrough College is an equal opportunities employer, committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone is valued. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and make recruitment decisions based on skills and experience. As a Disability Confident employer, we actively support applicants with disabilities.