Nursery Chef

We have a rare and exciting opportunity for a Nursery Chef to join our welcoming team at Old Schoolhouse Kindergarten.

Location: 239 London Road, Stanway, Colchester, CO3 8PB

Salary: £29,120 per annum

Hours: 40 hours per week

Working Pattern: Monday to Friday, 8am-5pm

At Old Schoolhouse Kindergarten, every day is a new adventure! From messy masterpieces and magical story times to exciting outdoor explorations and imaginative play, there's always something to spark curious minds. Whether children are building towering creations, discovering nature, or making lifelong friendships, every moment is filled with fun, laughter, and learning. With a warm, welcoming team and plenty of opportunities to explore, Old Schoolhouse Kindergarten is a place where little imaginations grow big!

What We Offer

• 33 Days Paid Holiday: 24 days annual leave + 8 bank holidays + your birthday off
• 75% Childcare Discount for your own children
• Career Growth: Tailored training, development and promotion opportunities
• Health & Wellbeing Support: Confidential helpline and wellbeing resources
• Supportive Culture: Warm, inclusive team with staff socials and appreciation treats
• Company Pension and free on-site parking
• DBS Paid For: We cover the cost of your enhanced DBS check
• Uniform Provided: So you're ready from day one
• Excellent transport links and on-site parking

About the Role

As Nursery Chef, you'll be responsible for preparing and cooking fresh, nutritious, age-appropriate meals for children each day. You'll maintain high standards of hygiene and safety, ensure all dietary and allergy requirements are met, and manage food ordering within budget.

You'll work closely with the nursery team and parents to support children's health, wellbeing, and overall nursery experience.

Key Responsibilities

• Prepare and cook meals daily with minimal waste
• Ensure all dietary requirements and allergies are catered for
• Maintain a clean, safe kitchen environment in line with regulations
• Follow Red, Amber and Green plate procedures
• Complete hygiene checks and cleaning schedules
• Manage food orders to meet budget requirements

What We're Looking For

Essential:

• Experience cooking in a domestic or commercial setting
• Strong knowledge of food allergies and dietary requirements
• Understanding of COSHH
• Ability to work within a catering budget
• Fluent spoken and written English (GCSE grade C or equivalent)

Desirable:

• Experience and passion for cooking for young children

We are committed to safeguarding and protecting the welfare of children and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. A Disclosure and Barring Service Certificate will be required for all posts. This post will be subject to enhanced checks as part of our Safeguarding Duty.

Old Schoolhouse Kindergarten is part of the Family First Group where we take great care to treat everyone as a person, with equal rights and responsibilities to any other individual, whether they are an adult or a child. We are committed to providing equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice for all children and families according to their individual needs. Discrimination on the grounds of gender, age, race, religion or belief, marriage or civil partnership, disability, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, pregnancy or maternity, ethnic or national origin, or political belief has no place within the Family First Group.