Cook

Job Type: Part Time, Permanent

Location: Horstead, Norfolk

Salary: £25,012 per annum (pro-rata’d to 30 hours)

Working Hours: Average of 30 hours per week, Monday to Friday with occasional weekend work

Benefits:

• Contributory Pension Scheme.
• Pay is monthly via BACS.
• 30 days annual leave (inclusive of bank holidays) calculated by pro-rata.

The Horstead Centre is a residential outdoor activity centre, situated on the edge of the Norfolk Broads.

We provide wonderful opportunities for children and young people to develop their personal, spiritual, and social growth through residential stays and activity days.

The role of Centre Cook is to enhance the Centre’s comfortable and homely social atmosphere through good food and excellent guest care.

Responsibilities - Cook:

• As a member of the staff team, you will ensure that a friendly, welcoming, homely social atmosphere is maintained at the Centre and that you promote good professional relationships between staff members and guests.
• Plan, prepare and serve meals to our resident guests (and to day visitors as and when required) taking into careful consideration food requirements and/or restrictions due to special diets and allergies.
• To manage the food ordering for the Centre in a timely and efficient manner.
  
  You will keep a close eye on costs and quality, and work closely with the manager to monitor and improve both.
• To undertake the cleaning and sanitisation of the kitchen and dining room following the meals and all the preparations for the packed lunch table and breakfast for the following day.
  
  To undertake a bi-annual deep-clean of the kitchen and food storage areas.
• As a member of the staff team, you will act as the primary point of contact for residential guests during your working hours for issues to do with catering.
• With the support of the manager, you will formulate & monitor procedures for all the Centre’s kitchen and catering operation, including service and maintenance of equipment, cleaning, health, hygiene and food safety based on the guidelines provided through Safer Food, Better Business.
  
  You will help to oversee the Food Standards Agency inspections and maintain meticulous up to date records to ensure we maintain our 5-star rating each year.
• To liaise with office on menus, special dietary requirements, supplies, stock levels, stock rotation and stock deliveries.
  
  Ensure food spoilage or waste is kept to a minimum.
• To organise and supervise all other staff involved in food preparation and serving.
• Maintain a professional relationship with Centre staff and visitors, always acting in sympathy with the Horstead Centre’s core values and our Christian ethos.
  
  Considering at all times professional language, behaviour and conduct.
• To undertake any other appropriate duties as requested from time to time by the Centre Manager.
  
  These could include painting, decorating in the Winter and shopping, or supporting instructing staff on-site.

You will work an average of 30hrs per week throughout the year.

Hours worked will be flexible to meet the needs of the Centre and will include breakfast and dinner-time sittings, and occasionally weekend work too.

You will work more hours during busier periods but fewer weekly hours during Winter Months to balance this.

You will always be paid a salary based on 30 weekly hours.

Person specification - Cook:

Personal Qualities Required:

• Working with Children: a love of working with and for children and young people
• Customer service: understanding customer needs and making it a priority to satisfy them
• Forward planning: looking ahead and having a clear plan for achieving objectives
• Teamworking: works well as a team member with enthusiasm to share skills & train others
• Analysis and judgement: readiness and ability to take responsibility and use initiative
• Empathy with the Christian ethos of the Centre

Qualifications and Experience:

• Relevant training or experience in planning, preparing and cooking food for groups of 30+ children and adults
• Experience of planning, preparing, cooking and serving food under time restraints and to budget
• Experience of preparing, cooking and serving food within UK Food Safety and Hygiene Regulations
• Working knowledge of the National Food Hygiene Rating Scheme
• Prepared to undertake HABC Level 3 Award in Food Safety in Catering every 3 years
• Experience of handling special dietary requirements as part of group catering
• Knowledge or experience of handling issues that can arise from feeding groups of children away from home.
• Interest in Outdoor Education, First Aid Qualification and Fire Extinguisher Training an advantage

The Horstead Centre Trust operates a Safer Recruiting Procedure for all appointments.

Any offer of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and enhanced DBS checks at the appropriate level and where appropriate documentary evidence showing entitlement to work in the UK.