Meals Support Key Operator

This role is 40 hours per week, Monday to Friday working 06:00-14:00 shift. The Meals department is keen to promote excellent teamwork by employing people who have a positive (can do) attitude. By achieving this, the department is in the best position to produce products in an efficient manner. We aim to not only achieve our targets but improve on them as well. The successful candidate will ensure that the meals support areas, meat slicing, de-canning & packaging department runs to its maximum efficiency. Staff are employed and trained to be multi-functional and to be capable of carrying out numerous functions should this be required when a fellow staff member is away or absent. £15.93 per hour + Bonus + Benefits.

Who we are

apetito is the UK’s leading food supplier to the health and social care sectors serving more than 1,300 care homes, health care and education settings. Our meals are expertly crafted by our dieticians and chefs, and then frozen to lock in the goodness. Wiltshire Farm Foods, our sister company, is the UK’s largest ready meal supplier cooking and delivering over 330 different delicious frozen ready meals across the UK.

Responsibilities

• Identify and action continuous improvement ideas.
• Minimise wastage through controlled slicing (as per customer requirements/fill cards).
• Work to agreed plan and highlight any issues (for your area of responsibility).
• Accurate planning ahead to ensure that those servicing you are aware of your exact requirements; keep devaluation/wastage to a minimum in other areas and ensuring plan attainment.
• Ensure a high level of efficiency through excellent communications with the engineering department; complete engineering request forms as appropriate.
• Flexible attitude towards covering for others and start times to suit the business.
• Ensure productivity target is met through optimisation of line speed and throughput; efficiency.
• Actively drive improvements in customer complaints performance by focusing on achieving right first time policy.
• Ensure due diligence/traceability documentation is fully completed.
• Ensure departmental hygiene standards are in-line with external audits requirements.
• Ensure all operators follow correct personal hygiene procedures (e.g. changing procedure, hand washing procedures).
• Ensure accurate H&S records.
• Actively participate in departmental risk assessments.
• To accurately complete process orders.
• Actively promote continuous improvement in hygiene standards.
• Adopt a ‘clean as you go policy’.
• Lead, motivate and develop a team of people.
• Conduct job chats as required with team.
• Identify and facilitate ways for team members to develop and increase their contribution (training).
• Keep team members regularly informed of the teams performance/production targets.
• Actively encourage feedback from team with open and honest discussions on production targets.
• Conduct daily reviews of performance with team in order to drive improvements, labour and material utilisation.

This list is not exhaustive and you may be required to carry about additional duties.

Qualifications/Personal Qualities

Essential:

• Experience of working to set standards and KPIs.
• Good standards in English and Maths.
• Experience of working in a production environment.
• Undertake Level 2 Food Safety training: a pass level must be obtained.

Desirable:

• Experience of food safety / Level 2 food safety certificate.

Personal Qualities:

• Have a can do attitude; will try to learn other tasks in the department if required.
• Promote good teamwork – help others.
• Have a desire to help the team meet the department targets.
• Undertake any training made available/organised.
• Lead by example.

This role is not eligible for sponsorship under the skilled worker route as it does not meet the minimum requirements set out under the UK Immigration Rules.

Company Benefits

• Competitive salary – accredited Living Wage employer.
• 25 days holiday per year, plus bank holidays.
• Option to purchase up to 5 additional days holiday per year.
• Discretionary annual bonus scheme.
• Pension scheme - employer matched contributions up to 4%.
• Life assurance scheme worth at least 1x annual salary.
• Subsidised canteen.
• Free parking.
• Free turkey or voucher at Christmas.
• apetito perks scheme including salary sacrifice options and retail discounts.

Our Values

As a family-owned business, we take great pride in being a company that makes a real difference and is dedicated to creating outstanding meals to be proud of. We develop a range of products designed to enhance health and well-being for all our customers. We are driven by a passion for service and dedicated to feeding some of the UK’s most vulnerable people. We proudly support British food and farming, focusing on using the best ethical and sustainable produce in alignment with our goal to reach Net Zero by 2040. Our ethical standards are recognised by the ETI and we are an accredited Living Wage employer. We embrace inclusion, empowering individuals from diverse backgrounds. Our commitment to making a real difference extends to customers, communities, and staff and we're on a mission to build an inclusive workplace where everyone reaches their full potential.