General Kitchen Assistant, UK – Leeds city

Salary: £12.26 per hour

Contract: Casual

As a General Kitchen Assistant, you will work as part of a team, communicate, and work with others to assist in the provision of a high-quality catering service. This is a varied and interesting role that involves working closely with school staff and liaising with parents and children regularly.

About you

Our ideal candidate will:

• demonstrate a can-do approach
• have excellent organizational skills
• possess good practical catering skills
• have a passion and a flair for detail

About the role

At Catering Leeds, we have set our sights high. We provide a school meals service that covers everything from arranging special diets to maintaining the catering equipment.

We are specialists in Food Education and have over 25 years experience of in providing a great service to schools and nurseries. Our primary focus is on customer experience.

We want to work with our customers to develop true partnerships that benefit the children of Leeds, making them ready to learn and ready for life.

You will be responsible for assisting in the preparation, cooking, and serving of food. You will provide an efficient and polite service to customers. Your duties will include cleaning the kitchen and all service areas and preparing the dining room before and after service, including setting out of dining room furniture. You should always promote the objectives of Catering Leeds via the provision of a quality service.

Previous catering experience is preferred.

What we offer you

We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:

• a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays
• membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions
• flexible working arrangements subject to service requirements

• a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities
• a range of
  staff benefits

  to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further

How to apply

Apply for this job online. Please complete the online application form

If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the role, please contact our dedicated recruitment team on 0113 3782323.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults.

We promote diversity and want a workforce that reflects the population of Leeds and the communities we serve. Leeds City Council is recognised in Stonewall’s Workplace Equality Index 2024. We are also an Age-friendly Employer, a Mindful Employer, and a Disability Confident Leader.

All new Leeds City Council appointments are made subject to the satisfactory completion of a six-month probationary period.

This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK before commencing employment, either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa.

Job Description

Job purpose

To assist in the provision of a high-quality catering service.

Responsibilities

• Assisting in the preparation, cooking, and serving of food and drinks
• Providing an efficient and polite service to customers.
• Cleaning of the kitchen and all service areas.
• Preparing the dining room before and after service, including setting out of dining room furniture.
• Ensuring that Health and Safety and Food Hygiene Regulations are adhered to.
• Promoting the objectives of the Catering Agency via the provision of a quality service at all times.
• To work in various areas, covering commensurate duties as required.
• Be able to work as part of a team, communicate with others, and act on instructions from senior staff.
• Wear the appropriate protective clothing as requested.
• Attending appropriate training courses/seminars as requested.

It should be noted that this job description is subject to occasional changes to incorporate other commensurate duties and responsibilities in response to organizational change/review and to assist flexibility. The duties outlined are not meant as an exhaustive list and will also comprise any other duties within the spirit of the post as specified by the site supervisor.

Essential requirements the candidate must be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post. Candidates will only be shortlisted for interview if they can demonstrate that they meet all the essential requirements.

• Work as part of a team and communicate with others as a group or one-to-one.
• The ability to achieve deadlines.
• The ability to work under pressure.
• The ability to understand instructions.
• The ability to communicate with members of staff and children.
• Experience in miscellaneous physical duties e.g., bending, lifting, and carrying.
• A flexible approach to extending hours and covering other duties in own establishments.
• Be prepared to work in other Catering Agency Establishments as and when required.
• Be prepared to wear the specified uniform.
• Be prepared to work in school holidays when required.
• Be prepared to follow Health and Safety and Basic Food Hygiene Regulations and demonstrate high levels of personal hygiene.
• Subject to a successful DBS check

Essential Behavioural & other Characteristics

• Understand and embrace
  Leeds City Council Values and Behaviours

  and codes of conduct.

• Committed to continuous improvement in all areas and work towards delivering the
  Best City Ambition

  of Health & Wellbeing, Inclusive Growth and Zero Carbon

• Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council’s equality and diversity policies.
• Carry out all duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under Health and Safety Policies.
• Willingness to actively participate in training and development activities.
• Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade.
• Participate in appraisal, training, and development activities.
• Be aware of and comply with Leeds City Council policies and procedures.
• Be aware of and support differences and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding, the equality & diversity policies of Leeds City Council.
• Recognize and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimization, and any form of abuse, reporting any concerns to the appropriate person.
• The Council has adopted a flexible protocol and the role will be expected to work within these parameters.

Desirable requirements the candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post. Candidates are not required to meet all the desirable requirements however these may be used to distinguish between candidates.

• Preparation skills of basic ingredients e.g., salad, fruit, and veg.
• Knowledge of kitchen procedures.
• Knowledge of the Food Safety Act.
• Knowledge of using commercial kitchen equipment.
• Knowledge of ISO 9000/2000 procedures.
• Knowledge of cleaning procedures for equipment.
• Knowledge of Health and Safety procedures.
• Experience working within a catering organization.
• Experience of working with interruptions that may distract.
• Experience of working with others.

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