Job Description
Join Our Team at Busy Bees – Leading Nursery Group in the UK
Are you passionate about cooking and providing nutritious meals for young children? As a Chef at Busy Bees, you’ll be a key part of our kitchen team, preparing healthy meals that support children's growth and development. This is an exciting opportunity to work in a nurturing environment where you will contribute to the wellbeing of children while gaining valuable experience in catering within the early years sector.
About Us Busy Bees is the UK's leading nursery group, with nearly 400 nurseries across the UK and more overseas. We are dedicated to giving every child the best start in life and are proud to have won awards for our workplace culture. At Busy Bees, we ensure that every member of our team feels heard, valued, and nurtured.
Why Work at Busy Bees? We offer a supportive environment that empowers you to create engaging, educational spaces where children can thrive. As part of our team, you’ll be introduced to our unique Bee Curious curriculum, designed to foster curiosity and confidence in young learners.
Our Charitable Commitment Through our partnership with BBC Children in Need, we offer fantastic opportunities for community involvement and fundraising to support children's lives.
About our Nursery Busy Bees Lichfield is an exciting flagship center, celebrating its return to where it all began 40 years ago in 1983. Rated for a capacity of 110 children, our purpose-built nursery features state-of-the-art equipment and facilities across bright and airy rooms designed for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers.Our market-leading sustainable center has been thoughtfully designed with the environment in mind, incorporating various eco-friendly features, including living walls, solar panels, EV charging points, bike storage, food waste collections, LED motion-activated lights, and low-flow water taps.Conveniently located on Birmingham Road, opposite The Cooperative Food supermarket, our nursery is easily accessible. If you prefer public transport, you’ll find the closest bus stop just a 3-minute walk away, serving bus routes 3 and X3 Platinum. Free parking is available for staff.
Busy Bees Benefits
* Competitive salary
* Ongoing professional development and career progression
* Our ‘Hive’ benefits and wellbeing hub, with discounts across a huge range of retailers
* Up to 28 days holiday per year (including bank holidays)
* Your birthday off – it’s our gift to you!
* 25% childcare discount
* Enhanced family leave and return to work bonus
* Menopause support through Peppy
* Financial support through Salary Finance
* Employee Assistance Programme and Mental Health First Aiders
* Cycle to Work scheme
* Easy access to your workplace pension through Cushon
* Discounted Private Medical Insurance (PMI)
But wait, there’s more! You'll also enjoy access to our Benefits and Wellbeing platform, Hive - offering huge array huge of retail discounts helping your money to go further, along with a Wellbeing Hub featuring resources to support your physical and mental health. A Celebrating You section showcasing the ways we recognise and reward our valued team members. Plus, a dedicated Grow with Us area sharing the exciting development opportunities and training designed to support you to thrive and grow at Busy Bees.
Key Responsibilities
* Prepare healthy, nutritious meals that meet dietary needs.
* Oversee kitchen operations ensuring food safety and hygiene compliance.
* Manage kitchen staff and collaborate with regulatory bodies during inspections.
* Maintain kitchen inventory and efficiently manage purchasing.
Ideal Candidate:
* Food Hygiene Certificate (Level 2 or above).
* Experience in catering or kitchen operations.
* Empathy and understanding – each child is unique.
If you’re passionate about food and nutrition and maybe you have experience as Chef, an Assistant Chef, a Cook or managed a cafe apply now!