Bank Chef in Preston

On 1 March 2026, Estates and Facilities Services for Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust will transfer to East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust and become part of OneLSC. East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust will be the Lead Provider of the service and the employer of colleagues working within the service, across sites. If you are successful in your application and commence work prior to 1 March 2026, your employment will transfer to East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust on 1 March 2026 under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations, 2006. There will be no impact for your job role, terms and conditions of employment or location of work. If you commence work after 1 March 2026, your employer will be East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust.

Be More Than a Chef—Be a Vital Part of Patient Care at Preston Hospital. Cooking in a hospital isn’t just about preparing meals—it’s about making a meaningful difference every day. Our chefs nourish patients, staff and visitors with nutritious, comforting food that supports recovery and wellbeing. Join our Catering team at Preston Hospital, where we prepare over 2,000 meals daily in a state‑of‑the‑art kitchen, 365 days a year. You’ll have the chance to showcase culinary creativity, experiment with new dishes and master the classics our patients love. We look for a love of food and pride in your craft, and you will be part of a friendly, supportive kitchen team focused on delivering excellence.

Main duties of the job include:

• Prepare, cook and present food for staff, visitors and primarily patients to the highest standards in line with the department’s quality control guidelines.
• Observe correct and economical use of materials and equipment, propose ideas to reduce waste, and apply knowledge of special and therapeutic diets, religious/ethnic dietary needs, and cook‑chill production systems.
• Supervise Kitchen Assistants and work with them to ensure activities are completed on time to contribute to the smooth running of the kitchen.

Responsibilities include:

• Communicate effectively with colleagues to ensure accurate exchange of information about catering tasks and service needs.
• Communicate with a range of customers in person and by telephone to understand individual needs and provide information relating to the catering service.
• Promote teamwork and shared goals within the service areas.
• Undertake all duties relating to food production and service, including serving food in restaurants and for patients on meal assembly belts, in wards and patient dining rooms, ensuring timely and attractive presentation and observing portion control.
• Preparation and serving of food at functions anywhere on Trust premises.
• Allocate work and support ongoing training of kitchen assistants under supervision.
• Meet all required deadlines and ensure foods are wholesome and safe.
• General preparation of raw meat, fish and poultry, including weighing, traying into containers and labeling to prevent cross contamination.
• General preparation of all bakery items for staff and patient menus.
• Cooking of food as per standard recipes to meet departmental requirements, following daily menus and production lists using traditional cooking methods, maintaining Better Hospital Food standards.
• Cooking of food for ad hoc events as per production lists.
• Ensure sufficient food is prepared for each meal using provided figures.
• Knowledge of special therapeutic diets; respond to short notice needs.
• Adhere to current hygiene regulations, paying particular attention to temperatures of food during storage, preparation, cooking and service.
• Ensure all food products are covered and labeled with dates.
• Competence in food hygiene at a minimum of Level 2 (Desirable Level 3) and HACCP to Level 2.
• Supervise catering assistants on the patient service belt if required by unforeseen circumstances.
• Ensure security of Trust assets including foodstuffs; report any thefts or losses.
• Health and safety: report defective equipment or hazards; escalate to a manager if necessary; remove equipment from service if required.
• Proactively support the development of the catering service and maintain own competence.
• Undertake any training deemed necessary by the Trust or catering management team.

Qualifications & Education:

• Level 2 Certificate in Food Hygiene
• Basic Health and Safety
• Food Production Qualifications – C&G 706 / NVQ Level 2
• Level 2 certificate in HACCP

Knowledge & Experience:

• Previous experience in the Catering Industry
• Previous experience in dealing with the public
• Awareness of confidentiality in an NHS environment
• Awareness of hygiene and cleanliness standards in a healthcare setting
• Knowledge of Therapeutic diets
• Knowledge of Cook‑Chill production

Thank you for viewing this advert. The vacancy may close earlier than the published date if sufficient applications are received, so apply promptly. We will contact you by email to update you on your application; please check your email (including spam/junk) regularly.

We are committed to promoting equality of opportunity, valuing diversity and eliminating discrimination. All individuals are encouraged to apply. Our disclosure and barring service (DBS) information is provided if applicable.

We recognise recruitment barriers and offer personal adjustments to enable participation. Please contact the recruitment team at the earliest opportunity to arrange adjustments.

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Secondments: obtain agreement from your current line manager before attending an interview and refer to LTHTR Secondment Policy.