Community Café Chef
Job Description and Person
Specification
JOB
DESCRIPTION
Great Yarmouth Pathway
Job Title: Community café chef
Responsible to: Trustees of Great Yarmouth Pathway Café and Support Centre
Responsible for: Sourcing, preparing and cooking meals for around 100 clients each day, adhering to food hygiene standards and regulations, whilst maintaining a clean and safe kitchen.
Salary: £16 per hour
Hours: Part-time, 22.5 hours per week: Monday, Wednesday and Friday 06:00-13:30
Contract: Permanent.
Place of Work: Minster Mission, Admiralty Road, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, NR30 3DG
Holiday: 5.6 weeks pro rata
Great Yarmouth Pathway – our context:
The Pathway Cafe and Resource Centre was set up in 2014 to provide a free hot meal, community and support for people who need it:
"When we started The Great Yarmouth Pathway café we imagined a safe place where
people could warm-up, have hot food and that we can practically demonstrate that a
person is loved and valued by our community"
Barbara Rowe, Founding Volunteer, Great Yarmouth Pathway.
This has continued to be the vision up to the current day. There is no criteria or any restrictions, and no-one has to justify their attendance. As a result a very diverse group of people gathers, usually over 100 at each session. Some are there because they can't afford to buy nutritious food, some because they like the company, some because it is warmer than where they are sleeping, some because they are recognised and valued there, and some because it is the only time during the week they get to talk to anyone.
When founded, Pathway cafe expected to feed 30 people at each session. Now, around people attend – although, at times we have served 120 people. As we open 3 times a week, that amounts to roughly 315 adults served hot food each week and over
16,000 hot meals a year. In addition, during the summertime, we often support families during school holidays when free school meals are not available.
Great Yarmouth Pathway, in partnership with other agencies, also aims to help people to make positive life changes. Local agencies often attend, offering advice and support to individuals. We have seen people make real progress as a result of this, for example moving into accommodation, attending training, getting jobs, accessing mental health support. Some have also felt able and willing to join our volunteer team.
In Spring 2022 Great Yarmouth Pathway established our foodbank in partnership with the Trussell Trust. This was in response to the local council approaching Pathway to highlight the demand in the town for foodbanks and the existing provision not being able to fulfil the demand. Many who attend the café continue to struggle with food for themselves and their families during the week, particularly at times of crisis such as illness or benefit delays. The foodbank now distributes around 40-45 parcels each week, all of which are by professional referral only. That's 2080 parcels a year, and we see the need growing all the time as the cost of living crisis sweeps in. The foodbank means that no-one in our borough has to go without food. The foodbank is also passionate about moving people beyond a position of crisis through advice and sign-posting. We are also in a fortunate position to be able to offer delivery of parcels, which is something that no other foodbank in Great Yarmouth can offer. This helps us to reach out to some of the most vulnerable people in our community.
Great Yarmouth Pathway operates to address the poverty and social isolation that is so prevalent in the area. The building sits at the heart of one of the most deprived estates in the town, and offers a real hub for the local community.
Overall responsibility of the job:
To source, prepare and cook meals for around 100 clients each day, adhering to food hygiene standards and practices. To create a varied, nutritious menu, resourcefully using donations received and ordering any other food required. To maintain the cleanliness of the kitchen and all utensils.
Specific responsibilities:
● To develop a varied menu of nutritious meals working within the charity's budgets.
● To work with your line manager to identify required ingredients and work as part of a team that source required resources and food
● To use where possible donated food and keep costs to a minimum within the ethos of the church's charitable ethos and realms of the current finances (as guided by the Project
Manager and Treasurer). Working on the basis of an average £1-£1.50 per head.
● To complete all regular food hygiene and temperature control checks and reports to ensure necessary procedures are followed.
● To clean the kitchen and all utensils and equipment on a daily basis to ensure a health and safety compliant working environment.
● To contribute to and work in close partnership with the wider team of the Project
Manager, trustees and volunteers, liaising on a regular basis.
● Report any incidents, unforeseen events, or any other issues.
● Promote a positive, collaborative work environment for volunteers and employees, helping everyone to feel valued and appreciated.
● To drive a van (provided) to make collections if required.
● To undertake relevant and statutory training.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
FACTOR ESSENTIAL DESIRABLE
Experience:
Working in a catering environment to prepare meals
Previous experience of for a large quantity of guests handling difficult situations and conflict.
Experience of maintaining a clean and safe working environment.
Skills:
Ability to communicate effectively with and inspire
Completing food volunteers and clients across a wide range of standards and hygiene backgrounds and experience. paperwork regularly and being able to keep
Ability to work on their own initiative and as part of records a team.
Ability to comply with all policies and relevant
Personal legislation and encourage volunteers to do the same
Qualities:
Good organisational skills and attention to detail
A caring and empathetic approach to volunteers and
Desire to work and lead visitors. according to Christian ethos and values
Ability to cope with subjects of a confidential and sensitive nature.
Resilience and a sense of
Ability to be self-motivated, demonstrating humour commitment to role and organisation.
High standards of integrity, honesty, fairness and generosity.
A commitment to training and personal development as and when necessary.
Training Provided
Induction training
Safeguarding training
Health and Safety and Manual Handling,
Food Hygiene
Candidate must: - be willing to have a DBS check and receive safeguarding training. Have or be willing to complete their Level 2 Food Hygiene for Catering Certificate
be able to keep accurate simple records of items cooked, cooking temperatures and
Allergen information and maintain high standards of food hygiene.
Be willing to work in a team with the Pathway volunteers
Be willing to work under the leadership of those in oversight on the day and over all, especially the Project Manager and Trustees.
Be in sympathy with and conduct themselves in line with the ethos and principles of
Great Yarmouth Pathway as expressed in the Code of Conduct and associated policies.
Be sympathetic to the Christian values of the charity.
Job Types: Part-time, Permanent
Pay: £16.00 per hour
Work Location: In person