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- Tasks: Prepare, cook, and present delicious meals for students while ensuring health and safety standards.
- Company: Caterlink is a leading education catering specialist serving over 1 million meals weekly across the UK.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible term-time hours, employee discounts, wellbeing services, and opportunities for professional development.
- Why this job: Make a positive impact on future generations with nutritious food in a supportive and inclusive environment.
- Qualifications: No specific qualifications required; just a passion for cooking and a desire to learn.
- Other info: Work Monday to Friday, enjoy weekends off, and be part of a team that values growth and respect.
Caterlink is the education sector catering specialist. For over 20 years, the Company has delivered fresh food solutions to pupils and staff at Primary Schools, Secondary Schools and Colleges across the UK. The company caters more than 1,000,000 meals a week. Our "Fresh Food Policy" is the foundation of our success and growth in the market coupled with a desire to truly deliver on the promises we make to our clients and support our site-based teams.
We are hiring for a Primary Cook within our Reading Contract in Berkshire, who wants to ensure our future generations are provided with nutritionally balanced and tasty food. This role is working term-time only and no weekends so is great for those looking for flexibility.
The role:
- £13.00 - £14.00 per hour
- 22.5 - 30 hours per week working Monday - Friday (can be flexible)
- Term-time only - working 38.6 weeks per year (193 days including 3 cleaning days (inset))
Your key responsibilities will include:
- To prepare, cook and present food to the standards required by Caterlink and the client
- To ensure that the location meets statutory and company requirements of Health and Safety, Food Safety and environmental legislations and procedures
- To ensure that the company's reputation for excellent food and service is enhanced with the client and customers and expectations are consistently exceeded
- To be responsible for the day-to-day running of the location and supervising teams including managing inventories, monitoring budgets, and implementing action plans
- To be the main point of contact for our client in your school ensuring that regular adjustments and improvements are both recommended and implemented
- Communicating regularly with your line manager to monitor KPIs and financial targets to ensure these are achieved
- Supporting and training our teams, leading from the front to make sure everyone can excel in their role by ensuring all training is completed and performance is managed
Caterlink strives to always provide a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment for all our teams where every individual is treated with respect, integrity and has the opportunity to grow and be treated equally and with fairness at all times.
Caterlink is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all employees to share this commitment. An enhanced DBS disclosure will be obtained for this role.
There are many advantages to working for us including:
- You have the opportunity of a blended learning programme that can include formal qualifications including apprenticeships, classroom training, eLearning and on the job training to support and encourage your development and enable you to be the best you can be
- We offer you access to our Employee Discount Platform where you can make great savings at supermarkets, cinema, restaurants as well as holiday discounts, family days out and many more!
- You will have full access to our Wellbeing Services including the Employee Assistance Program and Virtual GP benefits which are there for you and your family to use free of charge at any time
- You may be eligible to join our Pension scheme
Cook - Reading employer: Caterlink
Contact Detail:
Caterlink Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Cook - Reading
✨Tip Number 1
Familiarise yourself with Caterlink's Fresh Food Policy. Understanding their commitment to fresh and nutritious meals will help you align your cooking style and philosophy with their values, making you a more attractive candidate.
✨Tip Number 2
Highlight any experience you have in a school or educational setting. Emphasising your ability to work with children and understand their dietary needs can set you apart from other candidates.
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your knowledge of health and safety regulations in food preparation. Being able to discuss how you ensure compliance with these standards will demonstrate your professionalism and commitment to quality.
✨Tip Number 4
Prepare to discuss your leadership skills and experience in managing teams. Since the role involves supervising others, being able to share examples of how you've successfully led a team will be crucial.
We think you need these skills to ace Cook - Reading
Some tips for your application 🫡
Understand the Role: Read the job description carefully to understand the key responsibilities and requirements for the Cook position at Caterlink. Tailor your application to highlight relevant experience in food preparation, health and safety compliance, and team management.
Highlight Relevant Experience: In your CV and cover letter, emphasise any previous cooking or catering experience, especially in educational settings. Mention specific skills such as menu planning, food presentation, and adherence to dietary guidelines.
Showcase Your Passion for Nutrition: Caterlink values nutritionally balanced meals. Use your application to express your commitment to providing healthy food options for children and your understanding of nutritional standards.
Proofread Your Application: Before submitting, make sure to proofread your CV and cover letter for any spelling or grammatical errors. A polished application reflects your attention to detail and professionalism.
How to prepare for a job interview at Caterlink
✨Know Your Ingredients
Familiarise yourself with the types of ingredients and dishes that Caterlink focuses on. Be prepared to discuss your experience with fresh food preparation and how you can contribute to their Fresh Food Policy.
✨Health and Safety Awareness
Understand the importance of health and safety regulations in a kitchen environment. Be ready to share examples of how you've maintained food safety standards in previous roles.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
As a cook, you'll be supervising teams. Prepare to discuss your leadership style and provide examples of how you've successfully trained or managed a team in the past.
✨Emphasise Flexibility and Commitment
Since the role is term-time only, highlight your flexibility and commitment to working during school hours. Discuss how this fits into your lifestyle and why it appeals to you.
