Assistant Cook - Lead with Passion, Cook with Purpose!
Location: Oasis Academy MediaCity UK, King William Street, Salford, Greater Manchester M50 3UQ
Salary:£12.88 per hour
Hours: 27.5 hours
Working Pattern: Monday to Friday 8am to 1:30pm
Are you ready to take the lead in a kitchen where food fuels not just bodies but bright futures? As a Assistant Cook for Sodexo, you’ll play a key role in the school kitchen, supporting the preparation and service of high-quality meals for students and staff. Working alongside the catering team, you’ll help maintain excellent food standards, ensure kitchen cleanliness and food safety compliance, and contribute to a positive dining experience. You’ll also support stock control, food presentation, and daily kitchen operations in a busy environment. Best of all? No unsociable hours and public holidays off — including Christmas!
Join Sodexo and be part of something greater. You belong in a team where you can act with purpose and thrive in your own way.
What You’ll Do:
* Oversee meal preparation, presentation, and replenishment to deliver high-quality food and excellent customer service for students, staff, and visitors
* Lead, train, and motivate kitchen staff while maintaining professional standards and a positive team culture
* Manage catering operations, including labour, food, stock, and budget controls to meet client and commercial expectations
* Drive meal uptake through innovative food presentation, Discovery Tables, classroom tastings, and seasonal marketing campaigns
* Ensure all meals meet allergen, dietary, food hygiene, health & safety, and fire safety standards, maintaining audit-ready compliance and Green Safeguard standards
* Maintain Food for Life records and standards to support successful annual audits
* Organise special functions and events, including occasional out-of-hours support
* Conduct regular operational and food safety audits and complete all required administration and reporting accurately and on time
* Build strong relationships with clients, colleagues, and stakeholders while supporting training and company initiatives
What You Bring:
Essential:
* Experience cooking on a large scale (100–1300 students)
* Experience following recipes in a professional kitchen
* Prior staff supervision or line management experience
* Strong knowledge of fresh food preparation, recipes, allergens, and food safety regulations
* Understanding of health and safety regulations and the ability to enforce them
* Ability to work under pressure in a busy kitchen environment
* Positive leadership, professionalism, and a passion for food
* Hold basic food handling certifications, including:
o NVQ Level 2
o Level 2 Food Safety Certificate
* At least one year of hands-on cooking experience (Training in Food Hygiene and Health & Safety provided)
What We Offer:
* A dynamic and supportive work environment
* Competitive salary and benefits
* Full training and protective uniform provided
* No unsociable hours and public holidays off—including Christmas!
* Unlimited access to mental health and wellbeing support
* Employee Assistance Programme for legal, financial, and personal support
* Discounts, cashback schemes, and financial benefits
* Career progression, learning opportunities, and apprenticeships
* Cycle to Work Scheme and volunteering opportunities
At Sodexo, we believe everyone deserves a place to belong. This isn’t just a job—it’s a chance to be part of something bigger. If you’re ready to lead with passion and cook with purpose, we want to hear from you!
Apply today and help us create a brighter future!
Note: Sodexo and our clients are committed to safeguarding children. All roles require pre-employment screening, including DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) and past employer checks.
Sodexo reserves the right to close this advert early if we receive a high number of applications.
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