Cafe 1668 Cook in Inverness, Scotland

Hours: Minimum 14 hours

Salary: £13.95 ph

Responsible to: Café co-ordinator

Based: Café 1668, Church Street Inverness

About the Café: Cafe 1668 is a social business, meaning that we work on returning a community benefit in our activities and through any funds raised through our trading. The work in the café is underpinned by three core beliefs:

• We believe that anyone can find themselves in need of a helping hand and, if we can, we should offer support.
• Food waste is avoidable; it is both detrimental to our environment and heart breaking when so many adults and children live with hunger as a part of their daily lives.
• Employment and skills can make a real difference to building positivity in our futures and life chances.

Role Purpose: The post holder will be an excellent cook, with good home cooking skills and the ability to bake. They will have experience of working in a commercial setting, or they can learn fast as they will need to complete training around food hygiene and ensure the kitchen, stock and produce management is to a high standard. More than this, they need to believe in the core principles of the café's work and be able to work with volunteers, service users and be willing to chip in to support the overall café team. The post holder will be specifically responsible for cooking, food preparation and menu planning on their working days. They will also be responsible for supporting the wider team to ensure the kitchen meets all appropriate hygiene and environmental health requirements. Due to the unique aspects of what we do, they will also have to support the donations of food stuffs from supermarkets, training volunteers and people in placements in basic food prep and kitchen etiquette; and occasionally supporting front of house activities.

Other Role Requirements: The post holder will be required to hold a PVG but we are open to considering someone with a history of offending depending on the offence.

Responsibilities:

• To prepare, and support others to prepare, meals and other food stuff to the highest standards of quality possible.
• Provide an appropriate menu of meal options for café patrons, balancing budget and quality of options and produce as appropriate to meet the business needs.
• To ensure the kitchen, food prepared within the kitchen and the storage of the produce is compliant with all necessary standards of food hygiene and other relevant safety legislation.
• Maintain a personal certificate of food hygiene and other appropriate qualifications identified in conjunction with your line manager.
• Work autonomously, managing a complex workload and contributing to the wider Café and HTSI Team as appropriate and in support of our overall organisational ethos and purpose.
• Supporting volunteers or work placements within the kitchen environment, including ensuring that risks are managed appropriately, and training and standards are maintained.
• To provide occasional support for access to the Café building for guest and community group access.
• Ensuring the Community food table is regularly restocked with appropriate items that meet the needs of service users.
• Any other reasonable task asked by the line manager.

About You: You will be passionate about making a positive difference in the local community and fostering a welcoming, inclusive environment for all who visit the café. You should value teamwork, respect, and kindness, recognising the café's role as a social hub and community resource. Your ability to build rapport with patrons, volunteers, and colleagues is as important as your culinary skills. We are seeking someone with experience in food preparation and kitchen operations, ideally gained in a café or similar setting. You will understand food hygiene regulations and consistently uphold high standards of cleanliness and safety. Working independently and managing a varied workload, while responding flexibly to changing priorities, is essential. Strong organisational abilities and attention to detail are important for success in this role. Experience supporting or training others, especially volunteers or those on placements, is highly desirable. You will possess excellent communication skills, a positive and collaborative attitude, and show a genuine commitment to the café's ethos of community, inclusivity, and service. A current certificate in food hygiene, or a willingness to obtain one, is required.