We are seeking a dedicated and passionate Nursery Cook to join our team! In this role, you will be responsible for preparing nutritious and tasty meals for nursery-aged children, ensuring their dietary needs are met in a safe and hygienic environment. The ideal candidate will have experience in cooking for young children, a strong understanding of nutrition, and a commitment to maintaining high food safety standards.

If you have a love for cooking and enjoy working with children, we would love to hear from you!

• have a good understanding of healthy food and nutrition and a willingness to improve that knowledge.
• maintain a hygienic system using agreed safe methods for handling food and cleaning as well as completing the kitchen diary as a record.
• review and develop menus with the nursery staff and to be responsive to the dietary needs of the children in the nursery.
• prepare and cook food following the agreed menus and ensure that the kitchen continues to provide appetising, nourishing meals for the nursery children, on time and within the budget agreed
• ensure food stocks and supplies are sufficient for daily provision by preparing orders and to check and record all deliveries and use of stock
• work with other staff to ensure that the ordering of all supplies is good value for money
• ensure that the kitchen equipment is safe and clean for use and ensure that the Centre staff are aware of any faults, failures, defects in mechanical equipment or breakages
• observe good health and safety practices and procedures in the use of kitchen equipment, utensils, gas and electrical appliances, ensuring that they are used in accordance with manufacturers’ requirements
• work unsupervised in the kitchen, supervise volunteers and catering assistants as appropriate
• ensure that the kitchen and ‘café’ are cleaned and tidied according to the schedule at the end of the day

• hold or be willing to attend training to gain a relevant food hygiene qualification
• A good understanding of healthy food and nutrition and a willingness to improve that knowledge
• ability to prepare and cook food in line with the agreed menus, on time and within budget
• Experience of ordering and stock maintenance, recording of deliveries and use of stock
• Experience of health and safety practices and procedures in a kitchen
• Experience and understanding to ensure that food handling is carried out using the correct hygiene standards and to advise catering assistants and volunteers on correct food handling
• Ability to work unsupervised in the kitchen
• Ability to work as part of a larger team

• Experience of working in a kitchen and the maintenance of food standards
• Experience of developing a range of menus, in particular focused on health and nutrition
• Experience in a children’s service
• Experience of managing volunteers and catering assistants as appropriate

Permanent Employee Benefits include

• 25 days of annual leave that enhances with each year of service plus Bank Holidays
• Sick pay
• Employee discount
• Pension contribution
• Employee assistance programme

Find out more and apply here

You will need to download the application form and return via email to: recruitment@islingtonplay.org.uk