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- Tasks: Cook delicious meals and support the shop floor team with customer service.
- Company: Join the UK's largest employee-owned business, Waitrose & Partners.
- Benefits: Earn £15.98 per hour, enjoy night premiums, and flexible working options.
- Other info: Dynamic work environment with opportunities for personal growth and development.
- Why this job: Be part of a passionate team creating great food experiences for customers.
- Qualifications: Experience in cooking and a love for food; customer-focused attitude.
The predicted salary is between 30000 - 40000 £ per year.
As a Supermarket Assistant Branch Cook, you'll be working in our back-of-house of one of our shops in the Partner Dining Room, providing hot and cold food for Partners to enjoy during their break times. When not working in the kitchen, you'll support the wider shop floor team as a Supermarket Assistant, providing the distinct service and passion for food that our competitors can't compete with.
In addition to your contractual pay, any time worked between 22:00 - 06:00 will attract Night Premium at a rate of £3.75 per hour. This will also apply to existing Partners who have enrolled onto Enhanced Hours Premium arrangements.
Key Responsibilities
- The smooth running of the overall kitchen with support and direction from the management team.
- Maintaining a clean, tidy, and safe kitchen environment.
- Ensuring portion control, preparation, storage methods and due diligence to avoid food wastage. Helping to protect our profits.
- Adhering to high food hygiene standards.
- Providing great service to our customers and supporting with a variety of shop-keeping related tasks including:
- Stock replenishment - ensuring our shelves remain as full as possible and products are in the right place at the right time for our customers.
- Fulfilling online customer orders ready for our drivers to deliver their shopping direct to their doors.
- Reducing wastage by following product due diligence and markdowns to those reaching their sell by dates.
- Working with the wider shop team to support when needed including; checkout support, managing Click & Collect orders, fulfilling on-demand customer orders and more.
- Maintain a safe and tidy working environment with general shopkeeping tasks.
Essential skills/experience you'll need
- Experience of working as a cook in a catering or hospitality environment.
- Passionate about food and serving a varied and nutritious menu.
- Customer focused with the ability to engage partners with the food on offer.
- Demonstrate commercial awareness, driving sales within the partner dining room, whilst also controlling costs and wastage.
- Flexible and adaptable to be able to work between kitchen and shop floor as required.
Desirable skills/experience you may have
- City & Guilds 706 1 and 2 or NVQ equivalent.
- Food Hygiene Certificate Level 2.
Closing Date: May 12, 2026
Pay: £15.98 Hourly
Contract Type: Permanent
Hours of Work: Varied hours of full time work (37.5 hours per week) across seven days to include early starts, late finishes, evenings and weekends.
Job Level: Partnership Level 10
Where You'll Be Working: Richmond (Waitrose & Partners), 4 Sheen Road, London, TW9 1AE
It’s important to note that some of our roles are subject to pre-employment vetting (which may include DBS checks for successful candidates). If required, you’ll be informed and provided with information about vetting during the recruitment process and we encourage you to complete any vetting documents quickly to avoid delays. Any DBS checks required will be carried out by a third-party registered body and financial probity checks may also be required for some of our roles.
We also recommend that you apply as soon as possible as vacancies can close early if we see a high number of applicants. We want all of our Partners to have a good work-life balance and we support flexible working. This might mean flexible or compressed hours, job sharing or shorter hour contracts, where possible. Please discuss this further with the hiring manager during your interview.
Branch Cook, Supermarket Assistant employer: John Lewis
Contact Detail:
John Lewis Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Branch Cook, Supermarket Assistant
✨Tip Number 1
Get to know the company! Before your interview, do a bit of research on Waitrose and its values. This will help you connect with the team and show that you're genuinely interested in being a part of their mission.
✨Tip Number 2
Practice makes perfect! Run through common interview questions with a friend or in front of the mirror. Focus on how your experience as a cook and your passion for food can benefit the team.
✨Tip Number 3
Show off your personality! When you're in the interview, let your enthusiasm for food and customer service shine through. Remember, they want someone who fits into their team culture, so be yourself!
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, it shows you’re serious about joining the team. Don’t wait too long; apply early to beat the rush!
We think you need these skills to ace Branch Cook, Supermarket Assistant
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for Food: When you're writing your application, let your love for food shine through! Talk about your experiences in the kitchen and how you enjoy serving up delicious meals. We want to see that you're not just a cook, but someone who truly cares about what goes on the plate.
Highlight Relevant Experience: Make sure to mention any previous roles you've had in catering or hospitality. We’re looking for folks who know their way around a kitchen and can keep things running smoothly. Don’t forget to include any food hygiene certifications you might have!
Be Customer-Focused: Since you'll be interacting with our Partners and customers, it’s important to show that you understand great service. Share examples of how you've engaged with customers in the past and how you’ve gone the extra mile to make their experience special.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows us that you’re keen to join our team at Waitrose & Partners!
How to prepare for a job interview at John Lewis
✨Know Your Kitchen Basics
Brush up on your cooking skills and food hygiene standards before the interview. Be ready to discuss your experience in a catering or hospitality environment, and how you maintain a clean and safe kitchen. This shows you're serious about the role and understand the importance of food safety.
✨Show Your Passion for Food
During the interview, express your love for food and serving others. Share examples of how you've created varied and nutritious menus in the past. This will resonate well with the interviewers, as they value a genuine passion for food and customer service.
✨Demonstrate Flexibility
Be prepared to talk about your adaptability between kitchen duties and shop floor tasks. Highlight any previous experiences where you successfully juggled multiple responsibilities. This will show that you can thrive in a dynamic environment, which is key for this role.
✨Engage with Commercial Awareness
Discuss how you can drive sales while controlling costs and reducing wastage. Bring up any strategies you've used in the past to manage stock effectively or engage customers. This demonstrates that you understand the business side of the role and are ready to contribute to the partnership's success.