Catering Assistant in Cramlington

The closing date is 22 November 2026. As a catering assistant, you will be working as part of a large established professional catering team providing catering services for patients and staff on the Royal Victoria Infirmary site. The catering department provides a wide range of food services for both patients and staff on a daily basis for breakfast, lunch and evening meal from its on-site kitchen 7 days a week.

There are currently vacant positions, hours are as follows: 18.66 hrs per week based on a 3 week rotational cycle working 2 weekends in 3. Hours of work are 4.00 hours each day between 07.00 and 20.00.

Successful candidates will be able to work as an integral part of a large team within the catering department or on their own providing catering services at ward level. This job will involve walking to and from wards and departments, plating patient meals in the patient service area, and loading patient meal trolleys at ward level.

Main duties of the job:

• Setting up for patient meal service both in the patient meal service area or at ward level.
• Ensure all food products are portioned and presented in the correct manner.
• Follow patient's menu choice requests at all times including any specific dietary or allergen requirements.
• Ensure correct use, storage and rotation of all food products.
• Ensure compliance with all food hygiene and food safety management regulations (HACCP).
• Complete all food safety compliance paperwork as required.
• Ensure the highest standard of departmental hygiene are maintained.
• Report any equipment faults which may be identified at the earliest opportunity.

About us: As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us, for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.

With around 2 million contacts with patients every year, we deliver care from: Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI), Freeman Hospital, Newcastle Dental Hospital, Newcastle Fertility Centre, Northern Centre for Cancer Care, North Cumbria, Northern Genetics Service. These include a range of flagship services which deliver cutting-edge care supported by state-of-the-art diagnostic services in both radiology and pathology and are a catalyst for innovation to support pioneering clinical practice in the NHS.

We also have offices at Regent Point in Gosforth and community sites. Please see attached information on what staff benefits we have to offer at our Trust under 'Documents to download' or 'Supporting documents'. For further information on The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust please visit: Careers | Newcastle Hospitals | NHS | Newcastle Hospitals and Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Job responsibilities: Responsible for assisting in the efficient and effective preparation and service of food and beverages to patients, staff and visitors including the associated cleaning and hygiene related duties.

Person Specification:

• Qualifications & Education: Level 2 Food Hygiene Qualification or willing to complete within 6 months.
• Knowledge & Experience: Awareness of good food hygiene practices, experience in NHS Catering.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.