Catering Assistant

Role: Catering Assistant

Location: Central Bedfordshire College – Dunstable Kingsway Campus

Salary: £25,467 – £26,499 per annum DOE

Benefits: 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays, People’s pension, Retail and Leisure discounts, access to college courses, excellent professional and personal development opportunities.

Hours: 40 hours per week – 52 weeks per year

Contract: Permanent – Full Time

About the role

We are currently seeking a Catering Assistant to join our Catering and Hospitality department at The Bedford College Group. As a Catering Assistant, you play an important role in the success of our students through:

• Customer & Staff Support – Provide friendly, professional assistance to customers and staff, ensuring a welcoming and supportive environment.
• Food Preparation & Service – Assist in preparing and cooking food, setting up counters, serving meals, and supporting special catering functions.
• Hygiene & Safety Standards – Maintain cleanliness of kitchen and dining areas, operate catering equipment safely, and uphold food hygiene and health & safety practices.
• Stock & Administration – Support stock management, check deliveries, assist with hospitality orders, and ensure financial procedures are followed.
• College Engagement & Compliance – Promote the College’s reputation, support events and training, and uphold safeguarding, equality, and health & safety responsibilities.

About you

• Qualifications & Food Safety – Level 2 Food Hygiene Certificate (or equivalent), knowledge of health & safety in catering, and experience in food preparation and cooking.
• Customer Service & POS Skills – Experience in customer care, handling payments via POS and PDQ machines, and maintaining high standards of kitchen cleanliness.
• Technical & IT Competence – Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook), with ability to follow instructions and manage tasks efficiently.
• Workplace Attributes – Able to multitask, work in fast‑paced environments, lift frequently, and adjust hours to meet service demands with flexibility and enthusiasm.
• Teamwork & Development – Strong team player with drive and initiative, committed to updating skills and knowledge, and promoting a professional and welcoming environment.

Values and vision alignment

• Valuing Teamwork – We are one team who by working together can achieve great things, respecting the opinion and valuing the contribution each of us makes.
• Improving Continuously – We challenge ourselves to always do better by trying new things, sharing knowledge, reflecting on practice and learning from others.
• Student Centred – At our heart is always doing what is best for our students. We consider students in all of our decision making to create positive outcomes and memorable experiences for every student.
• Inclusive – We celebrate differences and diversity, recognising that we can learn from each other.
• Open and Caring – We care about the wellbeing of our staff, our students, our community and wider society, creating an environment built on trust where we listen, engage with and support each other.
• Nurturing Education Excellence – We promote educational excellence by delivering programmes that challenge our students to achieve their ambitions.

Additional information

Interviews to be held: TBC. Successful candidates must also be able to demonstrate alignment to our organisational VISION values. For a more detailed breakdown of the job role and the requirements, please see the Job Description attached to this vacancy.

Applicants will be subject to thorough vetting, including an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references.