Catering Lead Cook in Poole, Dorset

Here at Bournemouth & Poole College, we are looking to recruit a Catering Lead Cook on a part time, term time only basis. In return,you will receive a competitive salary of £27,225 – £29,057 depending on experience (£18,961.23 – £20,237.15 pro rata for term time only)

About Us:

At Bournemouth & Poole College our staff are passionate and committed to achieve the very best outcomes for our students – we transform lives. We recognise and value our people as our most important asset in achieving each of the strategic outcomes within our College\’s Strategic Plan. We believe it is through our people that an excellent student experience will be delivered, and this will have a positive impact in our local community. We value inclusion and we are committed to the promotion of equality, diversity, and inclusion, ensuring we have a diverse, skilled, and motivated workforce who are empowered and engaged. This makes our College a unique, vibrant and rewarding place to work. You will be employed through Southern Educational Professional Services Ltd; a subsidiary of the College.

The Catering Lead Cook Role:

As our Catering Lead Cook, you will prepare and cook all the hot food provision and supervises food preparation by the Catering General Assistants to ensure a high-quality catering and hospitality offering to college staff, students & visitors.

Maintaining Food safety standards, hygiene practices and Customer satisfaction at all times.

Key Responsibilities of the Catering Lead Cook:

• Cooking and serving of food on daily basis and for regular hospitality requests
• Supervision of Catering General Assts during food preparation and service to ensure food safety standards and close communication with them to ensure continual service and queue reduction
• Ensure the dining and service area are ready for service
• Ensure food offers /specials to reflect current trends and optimisation of stock
• Stock Control, including but not limited to taking inventory of ingredients and catering supplies, ordering new stock, and receiving, checking and storage of stock deliveries
• Responsible for Placing food orders via phone or computer, verifying supplier prices, and conducting price comparisons.
• Ensure all allergens are clearly available for all products
• Record and monitor fridge / freezer temperatures including hot food temperatures on the counter
• Clean catering areas to regulated standards
• Development of menus, with consideration of costings
• Keep up to date with modern trends and regulation changes in the food industry
• Undertake mandatory training
• Inform the Supervisor of any defects in equipment or premises
• Adhere to all College policies and procedures, including those related to safeguarding, health and safety, financial regulations, and equality of opportunity. Represent the College positively, engage in ongoing professional development, and undertake other duties as required
• Work as and when required to cover our Lansdowne Bournemouth site or the Fulcrum Tower Park sites
• Carry out other duties as may reasonably be required from time to time

About You:

• Level 2 (GCSE or equivalent) in English and Math (A-C or 9-4)
• Level 3 Food Safety
• NVQ 2 Professional Cookery
• Experience working in the catering industry
• Experience Supervising a team
• Experience of Food preparation and cooking
• The ability to lead and work as part of a team
• Knowledge of Allergen and food safety regulations
• The ability to work under pressure and use own initiative

Benefits:

You will receive excellent benefits and a competitive salary:

• 27.5 days annual leave plus bank holidays, increasing to 30.5 after 5 years\’ service
• up to 4 days additional leave during the Christmas closure period
• Access to Discount Schemes at multiple retailers
• Enrolment into the NEST Pension Scheme

Closing Date: 23rd September 2025

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

If you feel you are the right candidate for this Catering Lead Cook rolethen please click ‘apply\’ now! We\’d love to hear from you!

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults, and expects all staff to share this commitment. The successful applicant will be required to undertake appropriate safeguarding checks which includes an enhanced DBS check as well as providing proof of right to work in the UK.